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Georgia Philological Association hosts annual conference at BPC

Dr. James P. Bell, assistant professor of Spanish at BPC, and Dr.Maritza Bell-Corrales, a Georgia Southern University professor, both gave presentations during the Hispanic Languages and Literatures session March 31.

MOUNT VERNON—The Georgia Philological Association (GPA) hosted its second annual conference at Brewton-Parker College March 30-31 with great success. More than 55 scholars and GPA members from around the state – and beyond – registered to attend the two-day proceedings.

Friday and Saturday’s sessions included 23 presenters on various topics, including Music, Victorian and American Literature, Religion and Philosophy and Hispanic Languages and Literatures. BPC professors and students were joined by professors throughout the state and South, with a strong showing from Valdosta State University and the University of Mississippi. One presenter came from as far away as Ankara, Turkey (Middle Eastern Technical University).

A collection of selected papers were published in a refereed journal edited by Dr. Thom Brucie and Prof. George Mosley, BPC professors with the Division of Arts & Letters. They are available through the association’s representatives at Brewton-Parker.

Friday’s luncheon speaker, Dr. Vigen Guroian, was sponsored in part by the Albert Sidney Johnson Lecture Series at the college. Dr. Guroian’s presentation was entitled “Freeing Slaves of the Market: Why (and How) We Should Teach Literature to Business Students (and Everyone Else)”.

Barbara Prenger, a BPC student and external admissions counselor for the college, presented a paper on Charlotte Perkins Gillman’s short story, The Yellow Wallpaper, March 31 at the second annual Georgia Philological Association held on the Mount Vernon campus. (Photos by Kelley M. Arnold)

The Georgia Philological Association is the first and only chapter in the state. BPC sponsored the new association last year. Dr. Harry Bayne, associate professor of English at BPC, serves as its president. The formation of the association was modeled after the Philological Association of the Carolinas, which includes chapters in several North and South Carolina state colleges and universities.

“The association is open to all divisions at the college,” said Dr. Brucie. “The word ‘philological’ stands for love of wisdom. Therefore, the Georgia Philological Association is really a big umbrella for all divisions, not limited to any one discipline.”

To learn more about the association, visit its homepage on the BPC website, www.bpc.edu/gpa.

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