Faculty reading exposes staff talent

Students will be exposed to a night of international culture on Sept. 23, as two new professors will share literary pieces at a New Faculty Reading.

Dr. Susan Atefat-Peckham and Dr. Ruth Knafo Setton are both currently enjoying their first semester at GC&SU as professors in the department of English, Speech & Journalism. Both women are acclaimed writers, and they will share some of their works at an upcoming New Faculty Reading.

Atefat-Peckham, who is of Iranian heritage, has lived many places in her life. She is most recently from Michigan, but she has also lived in several other states, as well as in Switzerland, France and Iran.

Before coming to GC&SU, she taught at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and at Hope College in Michigan, where she was an assistant professor of English/Creative Writing.

Atefat-Peckham has received a number of awards for her works. She was a recipient of the National Poetry Series Award for her 2001 book “That Kind of Sleep.” She said that the book is a lyric narrative that deals with several different issues. Among others, it deals with the subjects of family, politics, loss and absence.

At GC&SU, Atefat-Peckham is teaching classes in the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program. She teaches poetry and non-fiction studies, and also serves as Poetry Editor of GC&SU’s Arts & Letters Journal of Contemporary Culture.

Atefat-Peckham seems to be enjoying GC&SU so far. She said she chose to come to the campus because the program has an excellent reputation.

“It’s so exciting what’s happening here in this particular program,” she said. “I was really impressed with the writers who were here.”

Dr. Ruth Setton, who is originally from Morocco, will also be reading works at the Sept. 23 reading. Setton has taught in Pennsylvania as the Writer-in-Residence at Lehigh University and at the Berman Center for Jewish Studies in the English Department.

Setton recently had a piece published in “To Mend the World: Women Reflect on 9/11,” which came out last week.

One of her best-known works is “The Road to Fez,” which she will be reading from on the 23. Setton describes the book as a mix of fiction and nonfiction.

“It’s the story of a beautiful Jewish martyr killed because she refused to renounce her faith,” she said.

Setton said the story mainly deals with “crossing borders” and that it took her many years to complete.

“It was really a labor of love for me,” she said.

Setton has also received many awards for her work. She has received the PEN Fiction Award as well as fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and Yaddo, among others.

At GC&SU, Setton is teaching courses in the new MFA program in Creative Writing. She is also serving as the Fiction Editor of Arts & Letters.

Arts & Letters played a key role in Setton’s decision to come to GC&SU. She became familiar with the publication when it accepted one of her
stories.

“I was so impressed with the journal and the people involved in it,” she said.

Both women seem to be very excited about the upcoming Sept. 23 reading.

“I have a feeling it’s going to be a very international evening with both of our backgrounds,” said Setton.

“It will be a chance for Ruth and I to share our work with the new community we’re in,” said Atefat-Peckham. “We’re both so excited to be here.”

The New Faculty Reading is being presented by The Creative Writing Program, and will be held Monday, Sept 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Arts & Sciences Auditorium.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 13 2002. Filed under Other. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry