Annemarie Anderson
OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi will be well-represented at the 32nd annual Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration, a virtual event set for Feb. 22-27 that is free and open to the public.
Ann Fisher-Wirth, a professor of English and director of the university’s interdisciplinary minor in environmental studies, and Annemarie Anderson, a Southern studies master’s student in documentary expression, were selected as the UM 2021 William Winter Scholars.
Students and faculty from schools around Mississippi are recognized as William Winter Scholars, in honor of the late governor. Winter, a UM alumnus (BA 43, LLB 49) known as the “education governor of Mississippi,” was an advocate and promotor of all levels of education in the state.
Winter also served as the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration director of proceedings from 1990 through 2017 – always accompanied by his wife, Elise Varner Winter, and often accompanied by other family members.
The Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration has been called “Mississippi’s most significant annual conference devoted to literature, history, film and culture” by official evaluators. This year’s theme is Southern Environments, and the topics for virtual presentations explore ecocriticism in Southern studies, nature writing, environmental justice, nature as a character and Southern social environments.
Ann Fisher-Wirth
Prominent writers and scholars featured on the program include UM faculty members Aimee Nezhukumatathil, professor of English and creative writing; Ralph Eubanks, visiting professor and writer-in-residence; and Jay Watson, Howry Chair in Faulkner Studies and professor of English.
All presentations will be streamed live via Facebook and videos will be available for a limited time on the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration’s YouTube Channel.
Donald Dyer, associate dean for faculty and academic affairs in the College of Liberal Arts and a distinguished professor of modern languages, encourages faculty, staff and alumni to join the Ole Miss representatives at the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration.
Cosponsored by Copiah-Lincoln Community College and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History with support of the Natchez National Historical Park, the celebration is made possible in part by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council, through support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
For the events schedule, visit https://www.colin.edu/community/natchez-literary-and-cinema-celebration/.