By: Dr. Andrew Yox, Honors Director
The annual Northeast Texas Poetry Reading on Friday, 5 September at 11 AM will again occur at the Foyer of the Whatley Center for the Performing Arts on the Northeast Texas Community College campus. The public is invited for this free event, the eighteenth of its kind in as many years. As before, the Reading will feature the six readings of the highest ranked poems of the adult and student divisions, and a presentation of winning Northeast Texas images. Two speakers also will share their perceptions of our region, Lance Hinson Esq., Mount Pleasant attorney, and Sarah Whitman, NTCC associate professor of Chemistry.
Lance Hinson has had an enduring appreciation for the printed word since his college days. He read through some of the best poetry of the ages at Baylor, and received his B.A. there in English, before going on to the William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. In Mount Pleasant, Hinson specializes in probate and real estate law. Sarah Whitfield, associate professor of chemistry, received her B.A. and Master’s degrees in chemistry at Texas A&M, and Stephen F. Austin University. Taking courses both in Spanish, and in the sciences, she also has a B.S. in education, reflecting a lifelong interest in teaching. Whitfield is from Dallas, but she met her husband at A&M in College Station, and his family was from the Jefferson area.
NTCC Honors Director, Dr. Andrew P. Yox notes that “the exploration of our regional world helps to satisfy one of the most basic questions we are asked in our careers—where are we from? What does that mean? Is there an essential amicability in our church-and-school towns, a kind of tranquility in the green pastures and quiet waters of our countryside? Do we have an endowment that is worth preserving in some way?” Yox notes that we are also very thankful this year for the support shown by patrons of Honors Northeast through the Whatley Employee Enhancement fund grants, who have made the Texas-sized student awards possible. “We are grateful as well to two very busy individuals, our local attorney, Mr. Hinson, and Professor Whitfield who are willing to explore for a few minutes, what our regional identity means to them.”
The deadline for the poetry and image-submissions is noon, Friday, 29 August. Over $1,000 in Prizes will be awarded, including $400 for the best student poem. Send questions, poems and images to the NTCC Honors Director, Dr. Andrew P. Yox at ayox@ntcc.edu. Poems should address something of the character, culture or history of Northeast Texas. Images should try to capture something definitive or interesting about our northeast region of Texas.
