ECU Renaissance literature expert to present lecture

East Carolina University visiting professor Dr. Gary A. Stringer, scholar of English Renaissance literature, will share details about the first collected edition of John Donne’s poems during a free, public lecture at 7 p.m. Feb. 7 in Room 1031 of the Bate Building on campus. A reception will follow.

Stringer

Stringer will examine the volume of John Donne poetry published two years after Donne’s death. The lecture is titled, “The Making of the 1633, ‘Poems, by J.D. with Elegies on the Author’s Death,’ An Illustrated Detective Story.”

Stringer will highlight the condition in which Donne left the poems at his death, the print environment out of which this volume of poems emerged, the credentials of the publisher, the obscurity surrounding the origins of the publication venture and identification of the various manuscripts used in assembling the collection. He will illustrate points in the presentation with visuals of 17th century books and manuscripts

Stringer joined the ECU faculty in 2011 as a visiting professor in the Department of English, and as the David Julian and Virginia Suther Whichard Distinguished Professor in the Humanities, housed in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences. The Whichard Professorship, which Stringer now holds for a second academic year, is an endowed professorship made possible through a donation by the Whichard family in honor of David Julian and Virginia Suther Whichard of Greenville.

Since Stringer’s research is supported primarily by a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, he has redirected some research funds provided through the Whichard endowment to other projects.

“By the time my two years are up, Whichard funds will have supported in whole, or in part, visits to ECU by six outside scholars, three creative writers, three filmmakers and the chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities,” Stringer said. “I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to help support endeavors like these, which contribute to the intellectual and cultural life of the community.”

Stringer received his Ph.D., M.A and B.A. degrees in English from the University of Oklahoma. In a nearly 50-year academic career, he has held faculty appointments at the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, the University of Southern Mississippi and Texas A&M University.

For additional information about the lecture, contact Denise Miller at 252-328-6053.

Individuals requesting accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should call 252-737-1016 (voice/TTY) at least 48 hours prior to the event.