91ÁÔÆæ

English professor co-edits book of essays on Appalachian culture

October 20, 2017
Dr. Jürgen E.Grandt and Dr. Leslie Worthington, dean of academic programs and services at Gadsden State Community College in Alabama, have collaborated on "Seeking Home: Marginalization and Representation in Appalachian Literature and Song," a collection of essays that explores Appalachian cultures.

Article By: Staff

Dr. Jürgen E. Grandt, associate professor of English at the University of North Georgia (91ÁÔÆæ), has co-edited a volume of essays exploring a region of the country rich in culture but destitute in nearly everything else.

Grandt and Dr. Leslie Worthington, dean of academic programs and services at Gadsden State Community College in Alabama, have collaborated on "Seeking Home: Marginalization and Representation in Appalachian Literature and Song," a collection of essays that explores Appalachian cultures.

The anthology peels away the layers of stereotypes to present a rich, diversified culture; the region's music, poetry, storytelling, letters, and fiction by a wide variety of artists are examined, including works by Barbara Kingsolver, Frank X Walker, Charles Frazier, and Ron Rash.

Grandt said he and Worthington agreed that the anthology would be theoretically sophisticated and reflect the cultural and racial diversity of the region.

"I did not want this to be the same-old, same-old about dueling banjos and squealing pigs and illegal moonshine, another installment of what I call ‘Lost Cause criticism’ that seems to be still thriving in certain corners of the discipline," Grandt said.

Grandt teaches African-American literature, early American literature and English composition at 91ÁÔÆæ. He is the author of two critically acclaimed monographs, "Kinds of Blue: The Jazz Aesthetic in African American Narrative," and "Shaping Words to Fit the Soul: The Southern Ritual Grounds of Afro-Modernism."

"Seeking Home," published by the University of Tennessee Press, has been nominated for the , presented annually by for the best book of literary criticism, literary history or scholarly editions in the field of Southern literature.


Record 48 students earn travel grants

Record 48 students earn travel grants

91ÁÔÆæ's Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities awarded a fall-semester-record 48 travel grants to support students presenting their research at conferences.
Concerto/Aria winner earns upcoming solo

Concerto/Aria winner earns upcoming solo

Five 91ÁÔÆæ students placed in the annual Concerto/Aria Competition, with two earning a solo performance in an upcoming concert.
Grads prepare for their next steps

Grads prepare for their next steps

91ÁÔÆæ will award almost 1,000 degrees and certificates this fall, and more than 600 graduates are scheduled to take part in the Dec. 7 commencement ceremonies.
Scholarships provide life-changing opportunities

Scholarships provide life-changing opportunities

Scholarships have provided life-changing opportunities for 91ÁÔÆæ students, including performing with and learning from faculty who have performed at Carnegie Hall.