Professor Susan L. Meyer receives a Massachusetts Book Award 

On Tuesday, Sept. 17, English Professor Susan L. Meyer received a 2019 Massachusetts Book Award for her novel Skating with the Statue of Liberty. The award recognizes significant works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and children’s and young adult literature published by Commonwealth residents or about Massachusetts subjects. The awards committee hailed it as a “Young Adult Must Read.” All literature awarded at this year’s ceremony will be added to the Special Collections at the State Library of Massachusetts and promoted throughout the state. In addition to her work as a literary critic specializing in Victorian and American literature, Meyer is also an author of children’s literature for which she has received numerous awards and recognition.

Author Marlon James visits campus 

On Thursday, Sept. 19 the English Department and Harambee House co-sponsored a reading and discussion of Marlon James’ latest novel, Black Leopard, Red Wolf. James was in attendance and participated in a freewheeling discussion of his novel with students and faculty. The event had a great turnout and took place at the Jewett Auditorium.James is a well-renowned author of contemporary fiction. In 2015, James became the first Jamaican winner of the Man Booker Prize for A Brief History of Seven Killings, which also won a 2015 American Book Award and was listed as one of the New York Times’ top 10 books of 2014. Black Leopard, Red Wolf (2019) is a period piece influenced by African history and mythology and the first in a planned fantasy series that he has likened to an “African Game of Thrones.”