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; THE Sewanee^ 3r the Alumni and Friends of The University of the South January 1989 Sewanee's Anthony Hecht Newest Rhodes Is Aiken Taylor Jennifer Paine Davis is the University of the Prize Winner South's twenty-second Rhodes scholar and the second from woman the College to win Anthony Hecht, whose many honors include a the coveted award. Bollingen prize, is the 1989 winner of the Aiken She was selected at regional interviews on Taylor Award for Modem American Poetry, Saturday, December 10 in Houston. With her awarded each year by the University and the selection, Sewanee now ranks foui th among Sewanee Review. liberal arts colleges in the nation in the Mr. Hecht visited the University on January 23 production of Rhodes scholars. and 24 to read his poetry and to receive the prize A senior majoring in English, Jennifer hopes of $10,000. The presentation of the award was to pursue a Ph.D in literature and teach at the made during Opening Convocation by Vice- college level after studying in Oxford for two Chancellor Samuel R. Williamson. years. She credits Sewanee with playing a role in Prior to Hecht's reading, George Garrett, both her selection of career goals and her interest Hoyns Professor of English at the University of in the Rhodes Scholarship. Virginia, delivered a lecture on the poet's work, "I had only a vague idea of what the Rhodes and both Hecht and Garrett were honored with a Scholarship was before I came to Sewanee," reception in Rebel's Rest. Jennifer said. "When I came, I felt bombarded by Professor Garrett is the author of plays, poetry, information about it, and I guess it was at the and novels, including a well-known Elizabethan bottom of my mind throughout college but never trilogy of novels: Death of the Fox, The Succession, seriously. I would joke about applying for it when and the forthcoming Entered by the Sun. I went home." Also a translator and essayist, Hecht is best Jennifer said she first began to seriously known for his poetry, which has been published has appeared in The Lyric, The Dekalb Journal of consider applying for the Rhodes after studying Continued on page 2 Literary Arts, Amelia, and the CottonbolljAtlanta in the British Studies at Oxford Program for six Review. weeks this past summer. Jennifer started writing fiction and poetry as '1 really fell in love with the place, and that's a high school student in Auburn, Alabama, but Fulford Hall when I decided I had to apply. If I didn't apply, I now writes poetry almost exclusively. "Starting in would never have known if I could have gotten a college, it seemed to be that poetry was much Rhodes. But even then I thought it was a shot in more a natural form of for New Office expression me," she the dark." said. While applying for the Rhodes, Jennifer also In her personal essay submitted to the applied for the Mellon Fellowship for graduate of Admissions Rhodes Committee, Jennifer wrote: "I had always studies in English. She attributes her interest in an liked poetry; I had dabbled in writing it as long academic career in English to her college Fulford Hall, the traditional home of Vice- as I could remember; and since the age of experience at Sewanee. Chancellors, has been renovated and now houses fourteen or so I had read a fair amount of modern "Sewanee had a big part in that decision, the offices of admissions, public relations, and poetry for sheer pleasure. Yet. I never financial mainly because the teachers I had were so aid. considered poetry a living art performed by inspiring. It never occured to me before that you The more visible location and greater space living people; it certainly was not a craft to which could influence so many people teaching." of Fulford Hall offers some distinct new I dedicate would my life All that changed, the Office Among her activities at Sewanee, Jennifer is advantages to of Admissions. The however, as I remember it, during my first trumpet player in the university orchestra, the three-story white frame Victorian house contains freshman English class. I will not claim an editor of the university's literary magazine, the large rooms, high ceilings, and drafty hallways instantaneous conversion, but I can confidently Mountain Goat, and a past chairman of the that provide a nice introduction for prospective say that the process began at that time. I Student Forum, the lecture series sponsored by students. marveled at the endless shades of meaning which Since the student government. She is a member of the moving to Sewanee last August, Vice- the professor uncovered within the text, the Order of the Gownsmen as well as a member of Chancellor and Mrs. Samuel R. Williamson have infinite associations, the complex ways in which the Cinema Guild. She is also a poet whose work been residing in one of the University's stone Continued on -page 2 houses on Mississippi Avenue. The Sewanee News Rhodes Scholar Continued the words interlaced to form a complete yet unlimited cosmos which, for all its deft craftsmanship, seemed utterly natural and spontaneous." To win the Rhodes, Jennifer had to undergo two sets of interviews: one in Alabama in which fourteen candidates from the state were interviewed and two selected, and the regional interview in Houston in which twelve people from six states were interviewed, and four were selected. Questions put to her ranged from what is a supercollider and where is Sri Lanka to what theorist and poet had influenced her most. (No idea, an island off the coast of India, Joseph Campbell, and William Blake.) Commenting on her selection, English professor and faculty advisor Edwin Sterling said, 'She has a wonderful literary mind and her sense of the greater world is very keen and in my opinion very right." for distinction of cOT ,inUKi News in Brief Rhodes scholars are chosen Poetry Prize intellect, outstanding qualities of character, under the titles A Summoning of Stones, The Hard Campus Plan capacity for leadership and service, and active Hours, Millions of Strange Shadows, and The Vice-Chancellor Samuel R. Williamson participation in sports. The scholarship enables Venetian Vespers. A collection of his criticism is announced recently that the University will be them to study for two or sometimes three years at titled Obbligati, and his translation of Aeschylus' proceeding with aspects of the Campus Plan as the University of Oxford in England. Seven against Thebes is regarded as one of the best they become feasible. Jennifer is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. ever made of the Greek classic. One of the first priorities is the renovation of Nicholas D. Davis of Aubum, Alabama. She is His honors include two Guggenheim Quintard Hall, which has been vacant since the one of four Rhodes scholars from the Gulf region. fellowships, Ford fellowships for drama and for 1981 merger of the Sewanee Academy with St. poetry, a Pulitzer prize for poetry, the Ruth Lilly Andrew's School. Quintard will be used for Poetry Prize, and several honorary degrees. College student housing. An architect for the Mr. Hecht, who is now a professor of English project is being selected. The next priority will be at Georgetown University, has taught at Bard the renovation and enlargement of Juhan =Sewanee f College, Harvard, Yale, and the University of Gymnasium iiito a modern athletic facility. Rochester and has read his poetry across the land. Construction of a new residence for the Vice- The Aiken Taylor prize is administered by the Chancellor is scheduled to begin in late spring on Sewanee Review, which is the nation's oldest the site of the former Gailor House. Fulford Hall, Latham W. Davis, Editt literary quarterly. It was established through the the former residence of Vice-Chancellors, has RW. "Yogi" Anderson bequest to the University by Margot Patterson, Assi generous made become the new home for the offices of K.P.A. Taylor, a younger brother of Conrad Aiken. admissions, financial aid, and public relations. Dt. Taylor, a surgeon, wrote poetry that was \,CS7 published in the Kenyon Review, the Sewanee Arthur Ben Chilly. C35 Respect for the Liberal Arts Review, and other leading American quarterlies. Elizabeth N. Chirry In light of the initiation of Sewanee's Visiting Ledlie W. Conger, )r., C49 The prize, which is named for him and Conrad Corporate Executive Program in October, it was Joseph B. dimming, Jr., C47 Aiken, is each year to a contemporary awarded interesting to see a recent report that an Staikey S. Flythe, C56 Jr., American poet for the substantial work of a The Rev. William N. McKeachie, C6I increasing number of corporate leaders are distinguished career. The poets so honored Dale E Richardson recruiting liberal arts graduates. Charles E. Thomas, are Howard Nemerov and Richard C27 previously The study by the Corporate Council on the Wilbur. Liberal Arts shows that a quarter of the chief R Lee Glenn, C57, President etonRoi i,C72,1 x-Prcsident for Admissions executives of 535 companies surveyed reported {-President Giving John W. Tonissen. Jr., C70, V for Planned that they explicitly encourage the hiring of liberal Dizabeth McDonough How; k, C81, Vice-President for Regions arts graduates. Robert N. Rust 111, C61, Choi Desktop Issue These executives say that such graduates are The Rev. Henry N Parsley, Jr., C70, t-President for Ckw likely to exceptional Relations This issue of the Sewanee News represents a first not only more have The Rev 5 D. Cooper, T81, Vice-President for the School of leadership, creative skills, for our staff because the formatting has been communication, and entirely on computer in the Sewanee News but they are also more actively involved as RW.