Westminster College Professor Emeritus Published Four Books in One Year

Dr. James Perkins, Westminster College professor of English emeritus, published four books over the past year.

Decembers: Poems, published by Mercer University Press in October 2013, is a collection of poems written over a 40-year span, usually one a year as an insert in his wife's hand-written Christmas cards.

Selected Letters of Robert Penn Warren: Toward Sunset, at a Great Height, 1980-1989 is the sixth and final volume of the series.  Co-edited with Randy Hendricks and William Bedford Clark, the book was published in December 2013 by Louisiana State University Press.  Perkins also served as co-editor of volumes three through five.

Interviews with David Madden, published by Newfound Press in April, is a collection of interviews spanning 46 years in the career of David Madden, a novelist, dramatist, short fiction writer, critic and poet.  Co-editor is Carol Morrow, secretary and adjunct faculty in Westminster's Department of English and Public Relations.

The Last Bizarre Tale: Stories by David Madden was published in August by The University of Tennessee Press.  This is Madden's third volume of short stories and Perkins' third work on Madden.  Perkins previously co-edited David Madden: A Writer for All Ages (The University of Tennessee Press, 2006) with Hendricks.

"Four books in a year is a lot," Perkins said.  "But my wife told me I couldn't retire until I gave her a list of what I planned to do because she didn't want me following her around the apartment all day.  Fortunately, the College has been willing to support my work and give me a place to go."

"The best part of that support has been Carol Morrow, who helped in the preparation of all four manuscripts and is the co-editor of the interview book," Perkins added.

With these additions, Perkins has published 19 books, a dozen scholarly works and seven creative efforts since coming to Westminster in 1973.

His current projects include Bird on Bird Watching, a collaboration with Nelson Qestreich that will include Perkins' poems, Oestreich's woodcuts and an introduction by ornithologists Adam and Dr. Kerri Duerr, Westminster assistant professor of biology; and Black Jack Burden, a scholarly work with geneticist Dr. Patrick McCarthy, Westminster professor of biology emeritus, and attorney Frank Allen.

Perkins, who was honored with Westminster's Distinguished Faculty Award in 2006, earned an undergraduate degree from Centre College, master's degree from Miami University and Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee. 

Contact Perkins at 724-946-7347 or email jperkins@westminster.edu for more information.