Cumberlands hosts Doug Van Gundy for Palmer Lecture

University of the Cumberlands is proud to host Doug Van Gundy for the annual Dr. Robert. L Palmer Lecture. The event will be held at 6:30 pm, Tuesday, February 25 in the Correll Science Complex on Cumberlands’ campus.

Doug Van Gundy is an American poet and musician from Elkins, West Virginia. His first book of poems, A Life Above Water, was published by Red Hen Press in 2007. He is co-editor of the anthology Eyes Glowing at the Edge of the Woods: Fiction and Poetry from West Virginia University Press, 2017. 

His poems and essays have appeared in the Oxford American Journal, Ecotone Journal, and Fretboard Journal. He is currently director of the honors program at West Virginia Wesleyan College. He is also an associate professor, instructing creative writing, Appalachian literature, and humanities.

As a musician, Gundy specializes in the fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and banjo. He currently has two available recordings. His music has been featured on television, and he has performed at the Kennedy Center and The Appalachian String Band Festival, among others.

The Dr. Robert L. Palmer Memorial Lecture is hosted annually at Cumberlands. The lecture series is dedicated to Dr. Palmer, a former member of Cumberlands’ Department of English. Dr. Palmer sought to draw attention to the power of the written word. The lecture series was first established by his nephew, John Palmer, in his uncle’s memory. Speakers in recent years have included Crystal Wilkinson, Jolina Petersheim (a Cumberlands alumna), and Silas House.