WT’s Great Books Series Takes on Cultural ‘Monsters’

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - What to do with a canceled artist?

That's the question at the heart of the planned discussion for West Texas A&M University's Great Books Series in June.

Dr. Randy Combs, retired associate professor of mathematics at WT, will lead the discussion of "Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma" by Claire Dederer.

"I chose this book because I have a deep interest in literature and art, but I have at times been confounded with news that a favorite artist or author was, in so many words, a terrible person of epic proportions," Combs said. "We all have our faults, but the abuses committed by some of them are beyond forgivable. And their art is beautiful. With knowledge of their abuses, how can we reconcile our appreciation of their art with our own sense of morality?"

Combs said he hopes the discussion will revolve around "reconciling the dilemma of love for the art and hatred of the artist and/or the artist's behavior."

The Great Books discussion will take place at 7 p.m. June 16 at Burrowing Owl Books's Amarillo location, 2461 W. Interstate 40 in Wolflin Square.

The discussion series-sponsored by the Department of English, Philosophy and Modern Languages in the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities-is open to those who either have or haven't read the story, said organizer Dr. Daniel Bloom.

WT professors and guest lecturers lead the monthly Great Books discussions.

For information, email Bloom at [email protected].

Readers and writers also may be interested in the monthly meeting of the Burrowing Owl Poetry Circle, led by Dr. Pat Tyrer, WT's Jenny Lind Porter Professor of English.

At this monthly gathering, attendees can share their own works or those by others, or they can simply listen. The June meeting is set for 6 p.m. June 25 at Burrowing Owl Books, 400 15th St. in Canyon.

For information, call 806-651-2476 or email [email protected].

The two series are ways in which WT serves the region by offering engagement with a variety of literary and philosophical texts. Being a learner-centered university is a key principle of the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which raised more than $200 million dollars, the largest such campaign in Texas Panhandle history.

About West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University is a Regional Research University in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers multiple options for students to graduate and succeed: 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men's and women's athletics programs.

-WT-