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Literature

New student-created journal offers window to Middle East, North Africa
middle east market

New student-created journal offers window to Middle East, North Africa

Sophomore Laila Shadid and junior Zeynep Karadeniz, both in the College of Arts and Sciences, share a passion for understanding the Middle East—a passion that is now on display in “Fenjan.”

Kristen de Groot

Empowerment through poetry: Ollie Kim Dupuy and the Humanizing Stories project
Ollie Dupuy speaking into a microphone.

Penn sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences Ollie Dupuy

Empowerment through poetry: Ollie Kim Dupuy and the Humanizing Stories project

Sophomore Ollie Kim Dupuy brings a passion for performance poetry into a summer internship with the Graduate School of Education’s Ebony Elizabeth Thomas.

Julian Shendelman

Jacques Thompson explores ‘immoral humor’ through a historic lens
Student standing on stage speaking into a microphone

Sophomore Jacques Thompson studied humor with Classical Studies Professor Ralph Rosen during a summer internship through the Penn Undergraduate Research & Mentorship Program. 

Jacques Thompson explores ‘immoral humor’ through a historic lens

Through a summer research project with Classical Studies Professor Ralph Rosen, sophomore Jacques Thompson focused on the evolutionary aspect of “immoral humor,” analyzing performances by comedians Dave Chappelle and Louis C.K. 
Jay Kirk on writing, teaching, and his new nonfiction book, ‘Avoid the Day’
Professor sitting outside with trees and a metal trailer behind him.

Jay Kirk, a lecturer in Penn's Creative Writing Program, just had a new book published, "Avoid the Day: A New Nonfiction in Two Movements." (Image: Julie Diana)

Jay Kirk on writing, teaching, and his new nonfiction book, ‘Avoid the Day’

Penn and Philadelphia are woven throughout a new book by Jay Kirk as he pursues the mystery of a missing music manuscript by Hungarian composer Béla Bartók, traveling from Vermont to Europe to the Arctic Circle. Penn Today spoke the lecturer in nonfiction creative writing about “Avoid the Day: A New Nonfiction in Two Movements.”
Pandemic project: Odyssey-a-Day
Professor Emily Wilson dressed in costume as three different characters in the Odyssey, one with a fringed scarf around her head, one with an eye patch and a fur headband, and one with a wig with long red hair.

Penn Professor Emily Wilson created a new project while at home during the pandemic, reading short passages from each of the 24 books of her translation of Homer’s “Odyssey,” complete with costumes, props, and voices. The characters included (from left) Helen of Troy, Polyphemus, and Calypso.

Pandemic project: Odyssey-a-Day

Classics Professor Emily Wilson created a project where she filmed herself reading short passages from each of the 24 books of her celebrated translation of Homer’s “Odyssey,” complete with costumes, props, and voices.
Everything you know about startups is wrong, says Wharton professor
picture of booksleeve on the left and author on the right

Everything you know about startups is wrong, says Wharton professor

The new book ‘The Unicorn’s Shadow: Combating the Dangerous Myths that Hold Back Startups, Founders, and Investors’ from Wharton School professor Ethan Mollick debunks myths about entrepreneurship.

Dee Patel

Children’s literature as ‘seed work’
Ebony standing along Locust Walk Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, associate professor of literacy, culture, and international education in the Graduate School of Education.

Children’s literature as ‘seed work’

Penn GSE’s Ebony Elizabeth Thomas discusses the importance of more diverse books for kids and the challenges that continue to stifle early anti-racist learning. She also shares a curated list of recommended books for youth catered to this particular moment.

Lauren Hertzler

Kelly Writers House forum amplifies ideas and voices on racial justice
Six people on a videoconference

Penn's Kelly Writers House held a forum on racial justice featuring authors, students, faculty, and staff reading works written by themselves or others. 

Kelly Writers House forum amplifies ideas and voices on racial justice

Kelly Writers House held a forum on racial justice featuring faculty, students, staff, and alumni reading written works, their own and those by others, that speak to these times.