KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will mark the second annual National Day on Writing on Wednesday, Oct. 20, with “UT Writes,” a day-long series of events on the second floor of Hodges Library.
The activities will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and include a graffiti walk, a haiku station, a writing outpost, opportunities to give personal interviews about writing, spoken-word open-microphone performances and haiku and poetry slams. All events are free and open to the public.
The National Day on Writing was started in 2009 by the National Council of Teachers of English to promote literacy and to celebrate the essential contributions of good writing to the personal, professional and civic lives of all Americans.
Jenn Fishman, assistant professor of English and organizer of the event, said there are many ways to write, and “UT Writes” is a way for the university to celebrate them all.
“At UT, the National Day on Writing makes writing visible and gives our students, faculty and staff a chance to write as a community, whether the tool of choice is a pen, a pencil, a marker, a keyboard or a camera,” Fishman said.
Entries in the “TN12” photo contest for UT faculty, staff and students also will be available for view during the “UT Writes” event. Each entry consists of a collection of 12 photos of a person, place or thing, one picture each day for 12 days. Everyone who views the entries will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite.
For more information about “UT Writes,” visit http://www.jennfishmanphd.net/wordpress/?p=3684.
CONTACT:
Jenn Fishman, UT Knoxville English department (865-974-6958, jfishman@utk.edu)
Charles Primm, UT Knoxville Media Relations (865-974-5180, primmc@utk.edu)