Marshall University’s Department of English held “Lunchtime Faculty Readings,” which showcased readings by three professors Wednesday, March 5, in Corbly Hall. 

Professor Dalton Monk presented from his short story collection, “Twister,” which begins with the story of Ham, a construction worker struggling with the news of his partner, Darla’s, pregnancy. 

Ham, named after the Ham’s House Reading Series event ran by Monk, recently survived a workplace accident when Darla reveals her pregnancy, and in response, resorts to attempting suicide. 

A seemingly dark and tragic story was laced with rather comedically dark elements shown through Ham’s melodramatic gestures like when he dramatically announces, “I’m doing it now. Good luck.” 

This is in stark contrast to Darla, who is rather detached and mundane, continuing life as usual and watching as Ham becomes lost in his own spiral. 

Monk, when asked what impact he wants Twister to make, said, “I always think of what I want from a short story, and what I usually like is something that leaves me with questions or something that makes me feel the world is off in some way.”

Robert Ellison, English professor specializing in sermon studies, read from his essay titled, “Reimagining Religion in West Virginia: Encountering Underrepresented Faith Traditions Through YouTube and Facebook Sermons.”

Through his research, he found 64% of West Virginians identify as Christians, primarily Protestant. 

However, West Virginia also has much smaller numbers of religious affiliations, and despite being the minority, Ellison said these voices are important. 

“These decidedly minority voices are out there, and they need to be heard as well,” Ellison said. 

Ellison emphasized the use of The Library of Appalachian Preaching, a collaborative project among various Marshall departments of which Ellison is the lead curator. 

Access to these sermons, he said, allows for individuals to understand different religious practices and to receive the information “straight from the horse’s mouth.” 

Jana Tigchelaar read from her essay, “Neighborly Ethics and Place Based Democracy in Lydia Sigourney’s Sketch of Connecticut.”

Tigchelaar discussed how the village sketch literature genre, exemplified by Lydia Sigourney, can be used to promote an “ethics of neighborliness” that challenges national narratives and promotes cross-cultural, place-based community bonds.

Village sketch literature, emerging in the 1820s, focused on social dynamics in local communities, and Sigourney, Tigchelaar said, used this genre to explore alternatives to traditional family dynamics of that time. 

Tigchelaar argued Sigourney critiques the early dynamics of American democracy, highlighting its failure to be inclusive of all peoples, particularly of minority races and the lower class. 

“Neighborliness becomes a non–normative kind of kindship style bind, but it makes you think about your obligation to people in a different way than familial,” she said. 

Holly Belmont can be contacted at [email protected].