The Genius of Phillis Wheatley Peters: A Poet and Her Legacies

Launch event for The Genius Of Phillis Wheatley Peters: A Poet and Her Legacies, a year-long partnership project by the University of Georgia and Texas Christian University on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the 1773 publication of Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral.

This scholarly roundtable features speakers from TCU and UGA faculty in British Studies, American Studies, Transatlantic Studies, and related fields.

The panelists are, from TCU, Brandon Manning, who will locate Wheatley’s place in African American literary history, and Linda K. Hughes, who will reflect on Wheatley Peters’ crucial place in women’s transatlantic poetry. From UGA, David Diamond, English and African American Studies, will consider Wheatley’s original reception in and connections with Britain. Additionally, Zanice Bond from Tuskegee University’s English department will address Wheatley’s impact on and relevance to civil rights and social justice issues.

This event will be conducted online as a Zoom webinar. Registration is free, open to the public, and available here.

The Genius of Phillis Wheatley Peters embodies both an honoring of the poet and her legacies, and an opportunity to spotlight the learning power and the significance of literature in our lives. Through the partnership of UGA and TCU, this project also celebrates the efficacy of collaborative learning informed by a participatory vision of the humanities and the arts. Its codirectors are Barbara McCaskill and Susan Rosenbaum of UGA, and Mona Narain and Sarah Ruffing Robbins of TCU.