Assistant English professor Dr. Cheryl Hopson was recently a guest on the podcast “The Human Condition." Dr. Hopson describes the podcast as a “pleasant experience chock full of information and insight on life, grief, loss, and love." Throughout the podcast Dr. Hopson, “talks about [her] life as a Black queer feminist academic, a poet, professor, friend, and member of a particular family, both biological and national."

Dr. Hopson shares some of her own poetry during the podcast. She has two published books, Fragile and Black Notes, and poems published in The Toronto Quarterly, Indianapolis Review, Rise Up Review, Not Very Quiet, and Third Stone Journal. Being a poet herself, Dr. Hopson teaches a range of poetry courses here at WKU. In addition to poetry, Dr. Hopson teaches Introduction to the African American Experience. 

When asked to expand upon some of her experiences as a black queer woman discussed in the podcast Dr. Hopson explains, “I exist as myself. I do not compartmentalize identities or deny any parts of who I am and that comes with a significant cost in the kind of political, social, national, and world reality that I know and have always known."

If you would like to see more from Dr. Hopson in the future she has an upcoming interview with the Kentucky Foundation for Women. She also has a soon to be published essay discussing Alice Walker’s novels since 1980. 

Dr. Hopson would like to leave readers with this thought, “Culture shapes us but it does not define us. Not wholly. How we show up in the world matters. There is no substitute for equity, liberation, joy, and justice – this poetry and all other genres of literature teaches. Read on."

To listen to the podcast, click here.