Ramsey presents paper at annual Faulkner conference

Dr. D. Matthew Ramsey, associate professor and chairman of the Department of English and Communications, recently presented a paper at the 44th annual Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha conference in Oxford, Mississippi.

Ramsey’s paper looked at the 1958 Hollywood film “The Long, Hot Summer” starring Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, focusing on how its source text, the 1940 William Faulkner novel “The Hamlet,” is transformed and updated, particularly in terms of how it imagines the relationship between money and female desire and agency.

“This is the third time I’ve presented at the Faulkner & Yoknapatawpha conference, a gathering of prestigious Faulkner scholars, students and non-academic lovers of Faulkner,” Ramsey said. “Experiencing Oxford, Mississippi, Faulkner’s hometown, not to mention the heat of July, makes the experience rewarding and unique.”

Themed “Faulkner and Money: The Economies of Yoknapatawpha and Beyond,” this year’s conference followed the proverbial money in the author’s work, life and career. Through five days of lectures, panels, tours, exhibits and other presentations, participants explored the multifaceted economies of Yoknapatawpha County, the Faulkner oeuvre and the literary profession.