Two Alcorn teachers make presentations at MPA conference

Two Alcorn teachers make presentations at MPA conference

Two of Alcorn State University’s brightest professors participated in a conference that allowed them to present their creative compositions.

Brian Kehler, instructor of English in the Department of English, Languages, and

Mass Communications at Alcorn State University, and Dr. Peter Malik, professor of English, made presentations at the annual Mississippi Philological Association Conference Feb. 10-11 at Mississippi Valley State University.

The conference is designed for teachers, graduate students, writers, poets and those interested in language and literature. The conference has been held annually for more than 30 years.

During a session about American literature and music, Kehler read his paper entitled “Haunted by Hidden Knowledge: The Chinaberry Tree in the Southern Short Fiction of Kate Chopin, Flannery O’Connor, and Zora Neale Hurston.”

For Kehler, the papers read by other writers and overall enthusiasm of the participants really stood out for him.

“The quality of the presented papers was very high, and the receptive attitude and feedback of the conference goers was refreshing and insightful,” said Kehler.

Malik read his story entitled “Stop Sign” during one of the sessions devoted to creative writing. He praised Kehler for doing an outstanding job and being an ideal representative for the University.

“Mr. Kehler made a thought provoking presentation, which was very well received by the conference participants,” said Malik. “I have attended the conference many times, and I was impressed by the number of younger scholars like Mr. Kehler who actively participated this year.”