Wiley Cash’s new novel The Last Ballad falls into an entirely separate category, presenting a multi-layered and lyrical portrayal of the strike and the travails of mill worker Ella May Wiggins. The Last Ballad introduces Wiggins struggling to feed her four children as a single mother in the sole white household of an impoverished African-American settlement known as Stumptown. Read the Full Story >>
Shepherd University
Shepherd University’s New Mural: A Gift of Forward Movement
Public art’s capacity to honor the repeated refrains of nature and to forge innovative community spirit figures heavily in Shepherd University’s new, large-scale mural. The work, transforming the Duke Street underpass, stemmed from a conversation just over a year ago between University President, Dr. Mary J.C. Hendrix, and Professor of Art, Sonya Evanisko, who was named West Virginia Professor of the Year in 2016. Read the Full Story >>
Designing the Diverse Worlds of CATF
In early June, the area where Shepherdstown’s annual Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) takes place is calm—so calm, in fact, that if you were to sit at one of the tables in the “copper canyon”—the valley between Shepherd University’s two contemporary art buildings—you’d be surprised to learn just how much is actually going on around you amid the stillness. Read the Full Story >>
Building Together for Mutual Benefit
As Shepherdstown and Shepherd University continue to successfully expand and become increasingly intertwined, the value of cooperative partnerships cannot be overemphasized. Read the Full Story >>
Ready and Willing to Take the Risks
For 2017, the Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) at Shepherd University (SU) is increasing its repertory from five to six productions—continuing the annual tradition of producing and developing new American theater while capturing a snapshot of the current American landscape. Read the Full Story >>
The Right Place to Roost
Chimney swifts have something special that other songbirds don’t: they roost in large numbers—a thousand or more at a time if they can find the right place. And Shepherdstown has the right place; or at least it has for a long time. In fact, Shepherdstown currently hosts the largest chimney swift roost in West Virginia. Read the Full Story >>