Meacham Writers' Workshop logo
Meacham Writers’ Workshop
Watch this space for updates
Fall 2023 Meacham Events
**Books available for purchase at most events.**
Wed., Nov. 29, 4p, UC Auditorium: Words for a World on Fire: Gay Poems for Red States
Campus Reading with Poet Willie Carver. Appalachian born poet and educator Willie Carver, Kentucky’s 2022 Teacher of the Year, will read from his recently published collection Gay Poems for Red States (University Press of Kentucky, 2023). Carver’s poignant verses arise from his personal experiences living as a gay man in the South and his advocacy for LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and Appalachian students. His work encourages dialogue about intersectional identities in academia and beyond. This reading is part of the WCTL Academic Freedom book series. Co-sponsored by Walker CTL and Meacham Writers' Workshop.
Registration: Campus Reading with Poet Willie Carver
Questions: Contact David Pleins
Fall 2023 Meacham Fellow:
Fall 2023 Visiting Writers:
Jamie Quatro | Amy Wright | Jenny Sadre-Orafai (UTC alumni) | Xu Xi
About the Meacham Writers' Workshop
The Meacham Writers' Workshop, established in 1985 by UTC Professor Emeritus and Founding Director Richard Jackson, is supported primarily by an endowment funded by the late Jean Meacham in honor of her husband, Ellis K. Meacham to promote writing as an expressive art, and to draw together university and community writers and readers. Her ideal, which we maintain today, was to create an informal atmosphere where nationally known writers, local writers, students, and novice writers and their readers could freely, and on an equal basis, exchange ideas, works, and readings. In order to promote this she asked that the workshops be free and open to all. The program consists of readings, panels and generative workshops at UTC and in the Chattanooga community. The philosophy of the workshop is to provide access to the literary arts to UTC students and underserved members of our community. The conference welcomes non-writers who are avid readers of contemporary prose and poetry, as well as school groups. The conference is open to persons of all age, race, religion, sex, veteran status, national origin, or disability.
- Workshop Support
-
In the past, the Meacham Writers' Workshop has received additional support from the Tennessee Arts Commission, Allied Arts of Chattanooga, the UTC English Department, UTC Honors Program, UTC Speakers and Special Events Committee, and Chattanooga State.
- Visiting Writers
-
Click here to view the list of all MEACHAM visiting writers.
- Alumni Impact
-
UTC Alumni who have benefitted from and participated in the Meacham Writers’ Workshop include MacArthur Genius Award, National Endowment for the Arts and Whiting Award winners, and professors. The Spring 2022 UTC magazine (on page 32) features a profile of Professor Emeritus Richard Jackson, the former Director of Meacham, in which he describes his role in developing the Meacham and its impact on students. In addition, this article in Chapter16.org also details the impact Meacham has had on students and the community.
- Meacham Today and Beyond
-
As we work toward Meacham’s 40th anniversary in 2025, we want to deepen our impact in the Chattanooga community, forming partnerships with schools and youth programs that benefit all of Chattanooga. We hope that Meacham continues to make lasting partnerships with the Chattanooga community and increases access to UTC's distinctive model of education, impacting our community and enhance the educational experience of our students by sustaining the scholarly, creative and entrepreneurial activity of our faculty and students.