Clements Lecture-Symposium sparks conversations about literature

Clements Lecture-Symposium sparks conversations about literature Categories: Arts And Entertainment Local News Showcase Clements Lecture-Symposium sparks conversations about literature Keyonna Henson, Copy Editor October 14, 2026 Percival Everett answers Q&A questions from Executive Director Heather Dieffenbach after his speech on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, at the Kentucky Theatre in Lexington, Ky. Photo by Zach England | Kentucky Kernel Pulitzer Prize-winning author Percival Everett was featured at the annual Clements Lecture-Symposium hosted by the University of Kentucky Libraries and the Lexington Public Library, held on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Kentucky Theatre. Everett, a distinguished professor of English at the University of Southern California, began his teaching career in the 1980s at the University of Kentucky. He said it was an honor to receive an invitation to speak at the symposium about his novel, “James,” which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2025. “James” is a reimagining of Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” written from the perspective of Jim, an enslaved Black man and traveling partner to Huck, the main character of the novel, according to Goodreads. The event brought together literature lovers to celebrate the art form. The event featured Everett discussing and answering questions about his work and topics such as censorship and banned books. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” according to PBS, has been consistently challenged since its publication in 1885, with challengers claiming that the book is racist, contains offensive language and conflicts with community values. “The one thing I know is people who ban books don’t read books,” Everett said. “They are fearful people.” According to Everett, he writes because he loves literature, and he hopes his love for his craft can help the world around him better embrace it. “It seems I can’t help it. Every time I finish something, I think, ‘boy, I’m not gonna do that again.’ And then I end up doing it again,” Everett said. “Making art is how I understand my place in the world.” Everett said fiction can help readers develop empathy and consider experiences beyond their own. “When you start dissecting stories and trying to figure out why people do things, whether what they do is right, wrong, meaningful, not meaningful, you think about the world in a different way, beyond yourself,” Everett said. “All stories can work that way. We live in a culture where stories are often reduced to mere entertainment, but even those can quite sneakily do that work.” The chance to engage with those ideas and encounter literature in a purposeful way was part of what drew people to the event. For Leif Erickson, an associate professor of English at Bluegrass Community and Technical College, the opportunity to hear Everett discuss his work in person was one reason he attended the symposium. “Critical thinking and art, I think those are important things,” Erickson said. “To see an author as a human being, actually talking about their writing, can only improve the community’s knowledge of the literary scene and the literature itself.” Erickson said events like this offer the Lexington community opportunities to further their literary knowledge and create a thriving community. For attendee Kayla Thurman, the event offered a chance to spend time with her friend and hear Everett discuss a novel they had both been meaning to read. “I really liked getting that fully fleshed out perspective of a character who, at the time, was revolutionary for being a Black character,” Thurman said. “And then getting to hear all of the things that went into that … I think (it) is really touching in a lot of ways.” According to Thurman, the lecture created opportunities for those in attendance to bond over books, explore works outside of their usual reading habits, spark conversations about literature and explore perspectives they might not normally encounter. Everett said that the chance for readers to explore art, whether it’s music, painting or literature, can only benefit the surrounding community. “Literature makes us smarter. It pushes us,” Everett said. “I’d like to live in a culture where when someone is given a book that maybe is a bit challenging, that the reader embraces that as a good thing.” View Story Comments 0 Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Email this Story Print this Story Leave a Comment Tags: james lexington percival everett More to Discover More in Arts And Entertainment Lexington celebrates fourth annual Twelve Lions Film Festival UK Symphony Orchestra opens 108th concert season with varied musical program Lexington celebrates the life and legacy of Dolly Parton UK Opera Theatre tells immigrant stories with world premiere of ‘A Nation of Others’ UK students celebrate Lunar New Year during anti-DEI compliance Carving history: Kurt Gohde’s handmade legacy More in Local Proposed 10-story student apartment building faces criticism amid Lexington housing shortage Lee Ann Pope encourages cancer screening for Kentuckians Lexington’s Tree Week kickoff, the 9th annual tree planting ceremony at Davis Park Lexington Police Department prepares for State Street celebrations ahead of UK vs. LSU Lexington residents share thoughts on data centers at city meeting ‘Gilmore Girls’ fans find a piece of Stars Hollow in Versailles More in News UK’s Flock cameras: How UKPD uses license plate readers Trump to visit Northern Kentucky ahead of midterms UK reviewing Title IX changes, student impacts remain unclear DeFlock posters raise questions about campus surveillance Fans burn couch, rush State Street after Kentucky football victory NPHC Homecoming Stepshow celebrates the art of stepping at UK About the Contributor Keyonna Henson, Copy Editor Keyonna Henson is a Barbourville, Kentucky, native. She is a senior undergraduate student at the University of Kentucky, pursuing dual degrees in journalism and English. While at the Kentucky Kernel, she has served as the copy editor. She hopes to work for a publishing company as a publicist or project editor.