WKU News

Ann Ferrell, WKU associate professor of Folk Studies, will be speaking in Glasgow at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 7 in the WKU Glasgow Regional Library.

Ferrell will be discussing highlights from her award-winning book Burley: Kentucky Tobacco in a New Century, including her interest in the topic and continued importance of tobacco to many farmers today.

According to Ferrell, she became interested in the cultural meanings of tobacco production while living in Kentucky in the late 1990s and early 2000s. During this period, the $206 billion Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) was reached between the four largest American tobacco companies and 46 state Attorneys General, and there was increasing talk about an end to the federal tobacco program. Both events would have widespread implications for not only Kentucky farmers, but also for Kentucky’s economy and culture.

In 2014, Burley was awarded the Wayland Hand Prize given by the History and Folklore Section of the American Folklore Society. “We are very pleased to have Dr. Ferrell speaking at our Glasgow Regional Library on this significant regional topic,” said Chris Robinson-Nkongola, assistant professor at the Glasgow Regional Library.

After her presentation, Ferrell will be available for book signings. Sponsored by WKU Libraries, the Kentucky Live series event is free and open to the public.

Contact: Jennifer Wilson, (270) 991-7585 or jennifer.wilson@wku.edu