by Bethel University
The Division of Humanities in the College of Arts and Sciences at Bethel University is pleased to announce The Maribeth McGuire Lectures in the Humanities on Wednesday and Thursday, March 18 and 19, at 7:00 p.m. in the Ayers Lecture Room of the Morris Science Building on the McKenzie, Tennessee campus.
The lecture series is named for Maribeth McGuire, who began teaching as an Associate Professor of English at Bethel in 1985, becoming the Humanities Division Chair in 1995. She was appointed Academic Dean in 1998 and served in that capacity until her retirement in 2005. Shortly thereafter, upon the unanimous recommendation of the Bethel University faculty, the Board of Trustees awarded Maribeth McGuire the title of Faculty Emerita, the first in Bethel’s history.
Wednesday night of the lectures will feature a poetry reading by Dr. James Scruton, Professor of English and Associate Academic Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who will present selections from his two most recent collections, Crossing the Days (Prolific Press) and The Rules (Green Linden Press). The author of seven collections of poetry in all, Dr. Scruton has received numerous awards for his writing, including the Frederick Bock Prize from Poetry magazine, the Finishing Line Press Chapbook Award, and the Grayson Books Poetry Prize. His poems and reviews have appeared widely in such publications as Poetry, North American Review, The Florida Review, and Southern Poetry Review.
On Thursday night, Mr. Brad Gibson, Assistant Professor of Speech at Bethel University, will present “Two Million Steps Toward Clarity,” an account of his 1000-mile hike along the Centennial Trail in 2019. Mr. Gibson has degrees from The University of Utah, Westminster College, and The University of Miami. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he has also been a middle-school English teacher, a stay-at-home father to twin daughters, and a professional stand-up comedian, opening for such performers as Lewis Black, Dave Attell, and Pauly Shore at colleges and clubs in twenty-six states.
Bethel University, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Division of Humanities invite everyone to both nights in this inaugural edition of The Maribeth McGuire Lectures in the Humanities, which are free and open to the public.
For more information about Bethel University, go to BethelU.edu.