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Faculty share stories from ‘Around the World’

Taking from Jules Verne’s “Around the World in 80 Days,” faculty from the Humanities Institute attempted the feat in just 60 minutes.

On Wednesday, the Humanities Institute partnered with the world languages department and the English deparment to host the cultural and literary event, “Around the World in 60 Minutes,” in which four professors read various selections of their own prose or poetry, reflective of their own cultures.

The second annual event was located in the Grace Allen room in the fourth floor of the Library.

The first speaker, Gaetan Brulotte, French and francophone literature professor, represented France and chose to read an excerpt from his book, “The Secret Voice.” His story revolved around expectations, reality and dreams.

Rita Ciresi, English professor and creative writing coordinator, came from a traditional Italian-American family. In excerpts from her unpublished memoir Ciresi talked about the differences between Italian natives and immigrant families.

Indian-American Gurleen Grewal, an English professor, read a selection from her work, “Oxbro Lakes.”

In 2006, English professor Ira Sukrungurang traveled to Thailand to become a monk.

Ending the event, Sukrungurang read his poem, “The Green We Speak” and two selections from his book, “Monk for a Monk.”

Loraine Monteagut, a graduate assistant in humanities, said the series showcases faculty who are looking to share their work.

“It is a forum (the institute) provides to read (faculty’s) work and it draws students who are students of the professors. Furthermore, it is to showcase creative writing from and about different places of the world.”

Mary Ann Tolentino, a freshman majoring in cultural anthropology, said she was intrigued by the writing she heard.

“I found it very interesting in their writing they tried to display different ideas of comfort and how their discomfort motivates what to write,” Tolentino said. “How they would tie in their personal feeling into their writing makes it more realistic.”

 

 

 

 

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