On Thursday, March 11, students gathered in a Zoom meeting to discuss media they have been engaging with. The event was the third English Salon hosted by the WKU Department of English. Contrary to what the name might suggest, the events are informal conversations, designed to help students stay connected through the pandemic. Students are free to discuss books, movies, TV shows, songs, paintings, video games, or any other media forms.

Sophomores Emily Moore and Lizzy Roth lead the English Salons and begin the conversations. On Thursday, Lizzy began by discussing the series finale of WandaVision. The attendees shared theories and opinions on the direction. This led into an examination of how Disney’s storytelling has changed over time. Ultimately, attendees considered, “How do business decisions inhibit art?”

Afterward, attendees held what is becoming a reoccurring segment of the English Salons—a pet display. This meeting’s guests were rats, a favorite pet type among the group. Then, attendees continued the conversation, mentioning The Best American Short Stories 2020 anthology. They discussed the stories they have read and the trends in contemporary American literature. Throughout the event, attendees talked about a number of topics such as animation, horror films, and several video games.

English Salons are also an opportunity for students to recommend media to one another. These attendees’ recommendations included “The Hands of Dirty Children” by Alejandro Puyana, Creepshow (1982), and Hollow Knight from Team Cherry.

If you are interested in these conversations, there will be another English Salon later in the semester. The date and Zoom link will be posted on the WKU English Department’s Calendar of Events once they are finalized.