Berea author, feminist and social activist, bell hooks, is one of four writers to be inducted into the 2018 Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame on Jan. 31 at the Lexington Carnegie Center.
“bell hooks is one of the most influential cultural critics of our time,” said Neil Chethik, executive director of the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning. “She has built a worldwide readership over 40 years with unique insights on such topics as love, race and power.”
hooks, who is the Distinguished Professor in Residence in Appalachian Studies at Berea College, is being inducted along with three posthumous awardees—John Fox Jr., Annie Fellows Johnston and Walter Tevis. The Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame was created to recognize Kentucky writers whose work reflects the character and culture of our commonwealth and to educate Kentuckians about the state’s rich literary heritage. To be eligible for induction, an individual must be a published author whose writing is of enduring stature and who is connected in a significant way to the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
hooks will speak at the ceremony Wednesday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. at the Carnegie Center, 251 West Second Street, Lexington, Ky. Berea College alumnus Sam Gleaves, an Appalachian singer and multi-instrumentalist, will perform. The event will be recorded by KET-TV for broadcast at a later date.
The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning empowers people to explore and express their voices through imaginative learning and the literary arts. The Carnegie Center is a family learning and literary arts center devoted to helping all people improve their quality of life. Its open-door policy invites people young and old to learn something new. The Center offers seasonal classes in writing, publishing and world languages; tutoring for students grades K-12; vibrant youth and family programs; literary readings; and other arts-related events, designed to encourage an appreciation for all art forms, and learning in general, among all Kentuckians.