Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]  

CANYON, Texas — An iconic Southern author’s work will be in the spotlight during the April installment of West Texas A&M University’s Great Books Series. 

Chris Hudson, assistant professor of English at Amarillo College, will lead the discussion of Flannery O’Connor’s “Revelation” at 7 p.m. April 12 via Zoom. 

“I’ve taught O’Connor before and addressed her mostly from a gender perspective,” Hudson said. “Now the question of O’Connor, as it is with Faulkner and other southern writers, is the question of their racist views. Two years ago The New Yorker published an essay called ‘How Racist Was Flannery O’Connor?’ which dug into a number of recent articles exploring her racism. ‘Revelation’ is one of the stories mentioned in that article. It is also a story about a racist woman receiving her moment of grace as a Human Development textbook hurled by a college girl smacks her in the head. I’ll be wanting to think about those dynamics with the group.” 

The discussion series — sponsored by the Department of English, Philosophy and Modern Languages — is open to those who either have or haven’t read the book, said Dr. Daniel Bloom, Great Books organizer and associate professor of philosophy. 

WT professors and guest lecturers lead the monthly discussions. 

The series began in 2011 and is traditionally held in person on the second Tuesday of the month at Burrowing Owl Books, 7406 S.W. 34th Ave., Suite 2B, in Amarillo. It shifted to Zoom during the Covid-19 pandemic; a return to in-person meetings is expected to occur in coming months. 

To register for the April discussion, email Bloom at [email protected]. 

The series is one way in which WT serves the region by offering engagement with a variety of literary and philosophical texts. Being a learner-centered university is a key principle of the University’s long-term plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World. 

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched Sept. 23 — has raised about $108 million. 

About West Texas A&M University 

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs, 39 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.