Founded in 2016 by Dr. Mary Scheer as one Lamar University’s “Visionary Initiatives,” the Center serves the many constituencies of Lamar University students and faculty, the communities of Southeast Texas and the greater Gulf Coast, and the scholars and creatives who explore the region’s past and present. The Center promotes the study of these regions with a commitment to multicultural, interdisciplinary, collaborative, and community-focused projects.
The Center hosts programs that highlight the work of artists, authors, scholars, community leaders, and others who represent varied specializations and backgrounds. It also awards two annual book prizes and funds original research, creativity, and community outreach through its fellowship program.
6:00 pm, Tyrrell Historical Library (695 Pearl St, Beaumont, TX 77701).
Lamar University Writer-in-Residence Dr. Jim Sanderson will talk about his work with Carl Parker in writing his memoirs Turtle on a Post (Lamar University Literary Press, 2024). Parker (1934-2024) was born in Port Arthur Texas and served thirty-three years (1962-1995) as a Democrat in the both the Texas House of Representatives and in the State Senate. Sanderson is an award-winning author of eight novels and numerous short stories and a teacher of creative writing. His work features crime fiction set in West Texas. Refreshments provided. Free and open to the public.