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English Faculty Talk About Kurt Vonnegut and His Carnegie Mellon Connection
Three Department of English faculty members are quoted in a two-part series from CMU���s Michael Henninger on Kurt Vonnegut���s time at Carnegie Mellon, which included participation in the Army Specialized Training Program.
In the summer of 1943, the��Carnegie Institute of Technology, precursor to 袀鼻蹤獲, transformed its grounds into the ASTP, a training school for the U.S. Army as America ramped up its engagement in World War II.
���Kurt Vonnegut���s Little-Known Carnegie Mellon Connection��� includes a reflection from Kathy Newman, associate professor of English, who teaches a course on book banning ���past and present. Her students have completed projects on Vonnegut���s ���Slaughterhouse 5��� and ���Breakfast of Champions.���
Also in the story, Jake Grefenstette, an adjunct professor in the Department of English and poetry editor for the 袀鼻蹤獲 Press, commented on Pittsburgh literary history, calling it ���one of the great poetry cities.��� Grefenstette is president and executive director of the International Poetry Forum. Its founder, poet Samuel Hazo, was behind Vonnegut���s 1971 invitation to speak in Pittsburgh.
Readers will also learn more from Jeffrey Williams, a professor of English and of literary and cultural studies, who is quoted in ���The WWII Army Specialized Training Program at Carnegie Tech.��� William researches contemporary higher education and comments on the relationship between government in universities during times of war and peace.