Artist, poet, scholar Eve Ewing to give poetry lecture


LAWRENCE — Creative scholar Eve Ewing will deliver the Kenneth A. Spencer Lecture for The Commons at 7 p.m. Jan. 31 at Liberty Hall. Her presentation will be a hybrid lecture and poetry reading, titled “Poetry in Context.”

Ewing is a poet, visual artist, essayist, sociologist and educator based in Chicago. Her recent book, “Electric Arches” (Haymarket Books, 2017), is a collection of poetry, essays and visual art. It was named one of the top 10 books of 2017 by the Chicago Tribune and the Best Poetry Book of 2017 by the Chicago Review of Books.

In addition to her poetry and essays, Ewing focuses on the effects of systemic racism, social inequality and urban policy on American public schools. She is currently a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Chicago, where she will begin as assistant professor in the School of Social Service Administration later in 2018.

A dynamic and powerful voice, Ewing is a leader in the discussions on the role of black women in academia and writing. She uses Twitter as a platform for engagement on these and other subjects with her more than 115,000 followers. Her work has been published by The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Nation and Poetry Magazine, among other outlets.

Ewing earned a doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a bachelor’s degree in English language & literature from the University of Chicago, with a focus on African-American literature of the 20th century. She also holds an MAT in elementary education from Dominican University and an M.Ed in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University.

The Kenneth A. Spencer Lecture is hosted by The Commons annually to invite seminal figures, whose work applies across disciplines, to address KU and regional community members. In recent years, the lecture series has featured architectural biologist Jessica Green, comedian Andy Borowitz, writer/activist Margaret Atwood and writer/historian Rebecca Solnit.

Tickets are required and may be obtained via thecommons.ku.edu or Liberty Hall. The event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale on site by the Raven Bookstore.

Anyone needing special accommodations may contact The Commons staff for assistance.

Wed, 01/17/2018

author

Emily Ryan

Media Contacts

Emily Ryan

The Commons

785-864-6293