看一看——它在一本书里

访问作家系列 Celebrates 35 Years of Inspiration, Creativity and Artistry

拿一张纸在上面乱涂乱画.

现在把它传给你的邻居，把那个涂鸦变成一个怪物.

These were the directions given to students, faculty and staff by 琳达巴里 during her visit to

勒努瓦-雷恩的校园，作为 访问作家系列 (大众). 漫画艺术家, 作家, 老师, 麦克阿瑟天才奖获得者, 巴里以他的天赋和想象力揭开了大众汽车第35季的序幕.

一切开始的地方

当兰德·布兰德博士.D., 荣誉退休教师和马丁·路德·史蒂文斯英语教授, 1988年加入LR, 他邀请了北爱尔兰诗人保罗·马尔登来学校朗诵.

“我对他说，‘保罗，来北卡罗莱纳的山科里. 全球网赌十大网站给你500美元，啤酒和披萨，你可以睡沙发.“全球网赌十大网站一开始规模很小, but LR valued what the 作家s series could do for not only our student body but for the Hickory community,布兰德斯分享道。.

In the beginning years of the series — then known as In Their Own Words — Brandes called upon friends, 朋友的朋友, 的同事们, 和专业的同行来帮助把作者带到全球赌博十大网站. 在最初的五年里, notable visitors included novelist Lee Smith; North Carolina 诗人 Betty Adcock, 杰拉尔德Barrax, 苏珊Ludvigson, James Applewhite; and Reynolds Price.

Brandes received support early on for the series from now-retired dean of Lenoir-Rhyne, 罗伯特Spuller, Ph.D. They both saw the series as a vital part of the university’s long-standing tradition of being immersed in the community. “Few colleges have the deep relationships with their communities that Lenoir-Rhyne has, and the 访问作家系列 has helped contribute greatly to that relationship over the years,布兰德斯说。.

That relationship has continued to foster and grow as partnerships were formed with the Hickory Public 图书馆 in the tenth year of the series — helping to bring authors Ernest J. 盖恩斯和J. 加州库珀, 以及著名的内战历史学家谢尔比·富特, 去读书会和签售会.

To connect with the community’s children and help instill an early love of books, a reading initiative called The Little Read was launched in 2007 as part of the series. A gift made by Ron and Sandra Deal in memory of their daughter Sara Catherine Deal Temple, 他是山科里奥克伍德小学的阅读专家, 帮助启动了这个项目. 

在第一年, 600 fourth and fifth graders from Hickory’s five elementary schools participated by reading “Bud, Not Buddy” and “The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963” by 2000 Newbery Medal Winner Christopher Paul Curtis.

Inspiring the next generation to read has continued for VWS as The Little Read has brought authors such as Bruce Lansky, 玛丽·波普·奥斯本, Naomi Shihab Nye, 贾勒特和杰罗姆·庞弗里.

“The Little Read is a special program that has made such an impact on the students who have attended since its inception,布兰德斯说. “We had an LR student last year who won the highest literary award that our English program gives, and in her acceptance speech she shared she became interested in writing by coming to The Little Read and winning the third-grade writing contest. 这是15年后的她.”

308位作者

After 34 years with the university and as head of the VWS, Brandes retired at the end of May 2023. “The program is going strong and now felt like the time to try my hand at some new opportunities,布兰德斯说。. “我真的很想念学生们. Seeing them light up and seeing them have that opportunity to shake someone’s hand, 或者进行这样的对话. But I know they will continue to flourish and learn with the amazing faculty at LR.”

随着他的退休，大众汽车的火炬被传递给了 劳拉·克劳利, Ph.D., 任务副总裁, 参与和创新, 谁对这部剧的过去和未来都充满热情.

“在过去的35年里, VWS and The Little Read have enriched the educational experience for LR students and elementary students at dozens of public schools across the region. 不过，这不仅仅是关于功课. 大众汽车丰富了全球网赌十大网站整个社区，”克劳利说. “These celebrated authors have engaged in conversation with us about the big questions of human existence: Who are we supposed to be? 全球网赌十大网站在这里是要做什么? 全球网赌十大网站想共同生活在一个什么样的世界里?”

克劳利还在继续, “这些作者和这个系列给了全球网赌十大网站停下来的机会, 做几个深呼吸, and really engage with the human experience in all its wonderful and challenging diversity. That’s what storytelling has always offered to human beings — the chance to imagine ourselves in relation to others, 在社区.”

With Crawley at the helm, the 35th season kicked off on September 14 in P.E. 门罗礼堂与巴里的谈话和动手绘画活动. “这一季全球网赌十大网站专注于寻找各种各样的插画师, 小说家, 诗人, 还有来自不同体裁和背景的作家,克劳利说. 今年，该系列节目还将在英国皇家学院的扩展校区进行巡回演出. “We are thrilled with the buzz not only in the Hickory community but at our Asheville and Columbia campuses for these events. This is the first season where we have had authors present a talk at the Hickory campus as well as at the Asheville campus (Barry) and Columbia (Kaitlin Curtice).”

因为系列正在进行中, Crawley is excited for the future and even more opportunities to bring communities together. “The series offers a platform and a bridge between the university and the communities where we live and learn, so we can connect with a shared sense of belonging and cultural understanding. This legacy continues, challenging and uplifting us with every new event.”

展望未来和第36季, 全球网赌十大网站得去问卡劳利, ‘who would you invite to be part of the 访问作家系列 – living or dead?’

“肯定是库尔特·冯内古特. He was a literary genius and a deeply compassionate and funny person who remained committed to the beauty he found in humanity even after he had experienced first-hand the horrors that human beings can inflict on one another,克劳利说. 他直率得令人耳目一新. He wrote in "Breakfast of Champions" that ‘We are healthy only to the extent that our ideas are humane.他还说, “如果你是美国人, 你必须允许所有的想法在你的社区里自由传播, 不仅仅是你自己的.’”

“That’s what the 访问作家系列 is all about — circulating ideas in our community, giving us opportunities to engage and be challenged and to learn something new from one another, 甚至可能来自全球网赌十大网站自己.”