Friends of the Library of Sewanee: The University of the South invites you to attend a Faculty Panel discussion on Monday, March 4, at 5 pm. in the Torian Room, second floor of duPont Library. Three faculty members will talk briefly about their recent research and publications. We will also host a reception in the main lobby of duPont Library following the panel presentations in recognition of all of our Faculty for their work in research and publication.

Hannah Matis, School of Theology; Emmitt Riley, Politics and African American Studies; and Justin Taylor, School of Letters will share experiences about their research and projects. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Library, Center for Teaching, Dean of the College, School of Theology, School of Letters, and Library and Information Technology Services.

Hannah Matis is a church historian specializing in early medieval biblical interpretation and the church in Late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages. Prior to coming to the School of Theology she taught a wide variety of subjects in church history at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Va. She teaches courses in the history of spirituality, Anglicanism, the Episcopal Church, and the experience of women in Christianity. Her first book, “The Song of Songs in the Early Middle Ages” (Brill, 2019), examined how the poetry of the Song of Songs shaped clerical identity and ecclesiology in the Carolingian reforms of the ninth century. Her second book, “The History of Women in Christianity to 1600” (Wiley-Blackwell, 2022), is built on her years of teaching and aims to be a resource for both laypeople and seminarians. She is a graduate of the Medieval Institute at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Durham in the U.K.

Emmitt Y. Riley, III, holds a joint appointment as an Associate Professor of Politics and African and African American Studies at Sewanee: The University of the South. He also serves as Director of African and African American Studies. He is also the President of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists and coauthor of “Racial Attitudes in America Today: One Nation, Still Divided.” Dr. Riley’s scholarly inquiries delve into the extent to which political representation of African Americans influences the racial attitudes and political conduct of marginalized communities within the United States. His research scrutinizes the tangible and symbolic advantages derived from descriptive representation by Black individuals. Dr. Riley’s investigations have garnered attention at local, national, and global levels. His scholarly contributions can be found in reputable publications such as the Journal of Race and Policy, Journal of Black Studies, and the National Review of Black Politics. Additionally, he has authored various book chapters, opinion pieces, and co-authored the book “Racial Attitudes in America Today: One Nation, Still Divided.”

Justin Taylor is the author of the novel “Reboot” which will be published in April 2024. He is also the author of the novel “The Gospel of Anarchy” the story collections “Flings” and “Everything Here Is the Best Thing Ever,” and the memoir “Riding with the Ghost.” Taylor’s fiction, essays, and criticism have appeared in publications such as The New Yorker, Harper’s, Bookforum, The Harvard Review, The New York Times Book Review, The Oxford American, The Sewanee Review, and The Washington Post’s Book World, where he is a contributing writer. He has taught writing at the graduate and undergraduate level in programs all over the country, including Columbia University, N.Y.U., the University of Southern Mississippi, and the University of Montana. He has been the Director of the Sewanee School of Letters since 2020.

You can find a list of faculty publications and projects on duPont Library’s web page <https://library.sewanee.edu/fa...;. The University Bookstore will have several books written by faculty available for sale at the reception. Please check out the most recently published faculty materials in our display case and bookshelves in the main lobby of duPont Library.

More information about the Friends of the Library can be found at <https://library.sewanee.edu/FO...;. If you have questions about the lecture or joining the Friends, please contact Stephanie Borne at (931) 598-1265 or <sborne@sewanee.edu>.