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Faculty Making News
Delores Natale, lecturer of public relations,
Suzanne Prestien, assistant professor
of English and public relations, and Richard
Sprow, professor of English, recently attended
the 17th annual meeting of the Far
West Popular Culture Association in Las
Vegas. The “Images of Popular Culture in
Film and Literature” panel was moderated by
Sprow and heard Prestien present “Itʼs Better
to Burn Out Than It Is to Rust: Rock Nʼ Roll
Biopics and the Making of Modern Mythology,”
which examined several film versions of
rock singersʼ lives. Natale presented “From
Typist to Tyrant: Filmʼs Portrayal of Women
in Journalism.” This paper studied several
film depictions of female journalists and
examined the differences in the ways they
were treated compared to male journalists.
Sprow presented “Louisville Sluggers, Tight
Ends, and the Full Nelson: Images of Sports
in John Irving.” His paper showed examples
of sports imagery in several Irving novels
and examined the importance of sports as a
theme in his fiction.
Professor of English
David Swerdlow
presented a paper at
the Associated Writing
Programs annual
conference in Vancouver,
British Columbia.
Swerdlowʼs paper, “The
Swerdlow
Unknown Master of
the Pure Poem Walks
Nightly Among His Roses: Traveling Toward
the Idea of God with Charles Wright,”
celebrates the 70th birthday of poet Charles
Wright, a Pulitzer Prize winner. “Specifically,
I discussed the splendid failure of his poetic
pilgrimage toward a personal relationship
with God. I also discussed his commitment
to writing a body of poetry rather than individual
poems.”
David Barner, chair
of the Department of
Communication Studies,
Theatre, and Art,
recently presented his
research to the Broadcast
Education Association
convention in Las
Barner
Vegas. “My research,
ʻAudio Basics-Skills
that Bridge the Disciplines: Professional
Advice for the Digital Worldʼ involved personally
interviewing media professionals in
radio, television, and theatre fields for their
Becoming a
Kentucky Colonel
By James A. Perkins
I teach public relations. In order to maintain my
credibility in the classroom, I flash my PR skills from
time to time. I did this most recently for the centenary
of the birth of the American writer Robert Penn
Warren. I am a member of the Robert Penn Warren
Circle and a member of the advisory board for the
Center for Robert Penn Warren Studies. Five years
ago I began asking “What are the plans for Warrenʼs
100th birthday”
No one wanted to hear that question then, but they
were happy to name me “Special Program Chair for
the Centenary” which put me in the position of being
able to plan for the event. The chief thing most folks
wanted was a United States postage stamp issued to
honor Warren. I said I would work on it.
The process is straight forward. I read the criteria
and found that Warren met them. I then wrote a letter
to the Citizens Stamp Advisory Commission outlining
Warrenʼs qualifications and asking the commission to
issue a stamp in his honor. They answered my letter saying
that they would take the matter under advisement and
assuring me that my part in the process was over and that
I should wait patiently for their decision.
But, as I said, I teach public relations, so with the help
advice on what should be taught in a beginning
level audio production course,” Barner
said. “I presented ideas on how to move
teaching from traditional analog media, such
as audio tape, to the newer digital, computerbased
media. I placed a special emphasis on
Professor of English and public
relations Jim Perkins was
recently commissioned a Kentucky
colonel by Gov. Ernie
Fletcher for his work in developing
a U.S. postage stamp
commemorating American author
Robert Penn Warren.
of a number of students, especially E. J. Campbell ʼ02 and Jon McKay ʼ02, I wrote
letters to the senators and representatives of every state Warren lived in and to the
presidents of every college he attended or taught in to ask for their support of the effort
to get a stamp for Warren. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and then-Senator
Fred Thompson of Tennessee were particularly helpful in the lobbying effort.
On Friday April 22, 2005, in Warrenʼs hometown of Guthrie, Ky., the United States
Postal Service introduced the 37 cent Robert Penn Warren commemorative stamp
before a crowd of 3,000 or so, including Warrenʼs son and daughter and members of
the Center and the Circle.
In appreciation of the efforts of the members of advisory board, the Center for
Robert Penn Warren Studies asked the governor of Kentucky, Ernie Fletcher, to name
us Kentucky colonels. And that evening we received our commissions. As a native of
the state of Kentucky, I prize this award more highly than does the retired Air Force
colonel from Texas whom we now call Colonel Colonel. However, I know that most
of the people on the block I grew up on have probably been colonels for years.
(Perkins is a professor of English and public relations at Westminster.)
skills that could benefit multiple disciplines.”
Barner was also part of a larger panel on “For
the Good of Students: Integrating Radio/Audio
Production Skills Throughout the Entire
Curriculum.”
4 Summer 2005 • Westminster College Magazine