Cultural Enhancement Series

On Thursday night, the Potter College of Arts & Letters (PCAL) hosted Pulitzer-winning playwright, author, and Tony-winning musician, Quiara Alegría Hudes, as part of their Cultural Enhancement Series. 
 
Students, faculty, staff, administration, alumni, and community members flocked to the DSU Auditorium at 7 PM to gain insight and knowledge into the world of writing. Some attendees even had the opportunity to meet her one-on-one at the writing masterclass and reception that were held prior to the talk. 
 
Hudes is famously known for writing the musical In The Heights, in collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda, as well as a variety of other successful plays and novels, such as her own memoir, My Broken Language.  
 
Hudes began the event by telling the story of her life to the audience and what experiences have led her to where she is in her career and personal life. With colorful and detailed prose, she had a way of capturing the audience's attention and keeping it throughout the evening. 
 
Her introduction was followed by an interview, hosted by Dr. Tiffany Bostic-Brown, Associate Professor of Musical Theatre in the Department of Theatre & Dance. After the interview, audience members were able to ask Hudes questions in the question-and-answer portion of the night. 
 
When asked by an attendee on how she has managed to balance her culture with her career, Hudes stated, “I wrote this memoir, it’s called My Broken Language, because I grew up English first in a Latino household. Even though I felt much wobblier in Spanish, Spanish had words that English didn’t have that are important and make me who I am.” Hudes further elaborated, “Don’t take a side. We’re so trained to think that authenticity means 100% fitting in. No, I personally feel that authenticity lies in the places where you contradict other parts of yourself.” 
 
After the event concluded, a book signing was held outside the DSU Auditorium. Her collection of novels and plays were sold on sight by the WKU Bookstore so attendees could purchase a copy and have it signed by her.

Freshmen Zada Henderson and Amarah Pryor-Wells thoroughly enjoyed the event. “As an artist, I feel that it is important to expose yourself to different forms of art. Coming to WKU, one of my primary goals was to expand my perspective on all aspects of the world,” said Henderson, a Music Education major from Corbin, Kentucky. “It was a wonderful opportunity to hear from an artist of her caliber. It’s inspiring to see someone successful in the field you want to work in.” 
 
“Being a person of color, I enjoy hearing different stories from different walks of life. Knowing we have gone through similar experiences, even though we aren’t the same race, we can still connect through those shared experiences,” said Pryor-Wells, a Film Production major from Madison, Alabama. “Hearing her process in how she tells other people’s stories, as a film major, that really inspired me.”  
 
The PCAL Cultural Enhancement Series (CES) provides the campus and community with the opportunity to meet some of the nation’s most influential artists and intellectuals. The goal of the series is to challenge our audiences, expose them to new ideas, and give them new perspectives on our world. This event was cosponsored by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

To learn more about the Cultural Enhancement Series, please visit https://www.wku.edu/culturalenhancement/.