Transylvania University threw a party Friday honoring faculty who published a book last year.
The annual event in the library celebrated five professors and faculty emeriti for a range of works, from collections of poetry to memoirs.
Academic Dean Rebecca Thomas pointed out at the party the significance of their achievements. “A book-length argument, analysis or translation is an ambitious and challenging endeavor that tests the author’s persistence as well as their intellectual power,” she said.
This year’s authors included Hall of Fame coach Don Lane for his book “The Lane Way: Family, Faith, and Fifty Years in Basketball.” Additionally, English professor Maurice Manning’s poetry collections “Snakedoctor” and “Heresy: A Rime” were featured — as were Spanish professor Jeremy Paden’s translations of Oliverio Girondo’s “Unbounded Flight” and Javier Gutiérrez Lozano’s “Mexican Heartbreak Lottery.”
Also honored at the event was English professor emeritus Richard Taylor for his “Fathers” memoir and economics professor Geoffrey Williams for his book “Waging War with Gold.”
Thomas praised these authors for the impact they’ve had on the Transylvania community. “I would also add that your teaching and therefore the student academic experience is absolutely enriched by your active scholarly engagement and the concomitant intellectual liveliness you bring (or brought!) to the classroom,” she said.
