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Louisa Shepard
Senior News Officer
lshepard@upenn.edu
Literature
Evoking an ancient world
Evoking an ancient world
The medieval English epic poem “Beowulf” is brought to life in a musical performance by Benjamin Bagby and academic discussion through a partnership among the Penn Live Arts, the Libraries, and the School of Arts & Sciences.
Poet Wes Matthews combines writing, music, research, and service
Poet Wes Matthews combines writing, music, research, and service
College fourth-year Wes Matthews is combining writing, music, research, and service during his Penn experience. A former Youth Poet Laureate of Philadelphia, the anthropology major and religious studies minor works at the Kelly Writers House and is a Wolf Humanities Center fellow.
ModPo celebrates its first decade
ModPo celebrates its first decade
Modern and Contemporary Poetry was founded by Al Filreis of the School of Arts & Sciences at Kelly Writers House in 2012, and now has 69,000 people enrolled globally. Poets and participants came to campus to celebrate the 10th anniversary.
The future of decline in America
The future of decline in America
In his new book “The Future of Decline: Anglo-American Culture at its Limits,” English Professor Jed Esty offers alternatives to America’s “language of greatness,” taking lessons from the experience of Britain during the past century.
Creating an artist’s book at the Common Press
Creating an artist’s book at the Common Press
Artist-in-residence Katie Baldwin is printing a book she wrote and illustrated, inspired by a 400-plus-year-old volume in the Penn Libraries collection, sponsored by a residency with the Philadelphia Center for the Book.
On book bans and free speech
On book bans and free speech
Sigal Ben-Porath of the Graduate School of Education says book bans and challenges affect free speech and expression, especially for young people, and that institutions of higher education are important for developing tools based on evidence for assessment.
Examining experimental print in ‘Cut/Copy/Paste’
Examining experimental print in ‘Cut/Copy/Paste’
In her first book, Whitney Trettien of the School of Arts & Sciences experiments with printed and digital assets while examining bookwork from the 17th and 18th centuries.
More intricate riddles of life on ‘In These Times’
More intricate riddles of life on ‘In These Times’
Episodes 4 and 5 of the OMNIA podcast’s fourth season cover how to confront trauma, using words as a coping mechanism, and music and meaning.
Joan DeJean on ‘Mutinous Women’
Joan DeJean on ‘Mutinous Women’
In her latest book, Joan DeJean of the School of Arts & Sciences investigates the lives of female prisoners deported in 1719 from Paris to the French colony of Louisiana.
Undergraduate research projects look at migration from multiple angles
Undergraduate research projects look at migration from multiple angles
The Wolf Undergraduate Humanities forum takes on the topic of migration, with individual research projects ranging from slavery debates within the Jewish Orthodox community to Southeast Asian refugee youth.
Media Contact
In the News
The New York Review of Books
Trees in themselves
“Elderflora: A Modern History of Ancient Trees,” a new book by Jared Farmer of the School of Arts & Sciences, is reviewed.
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Forbes
Stressed by work? You can tap your own resilience
Martin Seligman of the School of Arts & Sciences discusses his new co-authored book, “TOMORROWMIND,” which shows how people can meet future challenges while thriving in the workplace.
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The New Yorker
Fifty years of “Learning from Las Vegas”
A profile examines the architectural novel “Learning from Las Vegas” co-written by Denise Scott Brown, formerly of the Weitzman School of Design.
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The Wall Street Journal
Who read what in 2022
Dean Erika James of the Wharton School shares her most memorable reading list from 2022.
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PBS NewsHour
Mother and son who are both poet laureates work to inspire others
A profile examines the poetic accolades of College of Arts and Sciences fourth-year Wes Matthews and his mother Airea D. Matthews, including their involvement with Kelly Writers House.
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The New York Times
A writer’s post and its consequences divide Latin American literary circles
Sigal Ben-Porath of the Graduate School of Education says that the vehemence of discourse on transgender issues makes sense given the hate speech and misapprehensions previously faced by trans people.
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