Theorist, Philosopher bell hooks Returns to UVU for Weeklong Residency

University Marketing & Communications: Layton Shumway | 801-863-6863 | [email protected]

Utah Valley University’s Department of Philosophy and Humanities, in conjunction with the offices of the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Center for the Study of Ethics, and the Office of Student Affairs, will welcome award-winning cultural theorist, philosopher and social advocate bell hooks for a week-long residency September 18-21.

Hailed as one of the “100 Visionaries Who Could Change Your Life” by Utne Reader, hooks’ writings cover a broad range of topics incorporating issues on feminism, race, class, education, mass media, and engaged pedagogy.

hooks will engage the UVU community in “A Conversation with bell hooks” on Wednesday, September 20th at 12 p.m. in UVU’s Ragan Theater. The address is general admission seating and open to the public. There will be an extended question-and-answer session following her introductory remarks.

“UVU is incredibly fortunate to have hooks return to our campus for a third time,” UVU philosophy and humanities professor Shannon Mussett said. “She has a special bond to our institution and our students and we cannot be happier to have her back. We are living through complicated and difficult times in our country when a voice such as hooks’ is vital to the conversation.”

Born in Hopkinsville, Ky., in 1952, hooks received a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in 1973, a master’s degree in from the University of Wisconsin in 1976 and a Ph.D. from the University of California-Santa Cruz in 1983. She has held positions as professor of African and African-American studies and English at Yale University, associate professor of women’s studies and American literature at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, and as distinguished lecturer of English Literature at the City College of New York. She has published more than 30 books and numerous scholarly and mainstream articles, appeared in several documentary films and participated in various public lectures. In 1992, her book “Ain’t I a Woman?: Black Women and Feminism” was named one of the 20 most influential women’s books in the last 20 years by Publishers Weekly. She teaches at Berea College in Kentucky and is currently involved in running The bell hooks Institute, which “documents the life and work of acclaimed intellectual, feminist theorist, cultural critic, artist and writer bell hooks. The Institute strives to promote the cause of ending domination through understanding the ways systems of exploitation and oppression intersect through critical thinking, teaching, events, and conversation.”

This is hooks’ third visit to UVU. She also spoke at UVU in April of 2011 and March of 2010.

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