Delores Natale, a lecturer in public relations at Westminster College, recently presented "Reading Between the Lines: Welty Addresses Racism" at the South Central Modern Language Association annual convention held in Houston.

 "Through this paper, I explored the historical events and political climate Eudora Welty encountered as she continually strived to write about the human side of her home state of Mississippi," Natale said.  "I sought to debunk the prevailing theory that Welty did not take a stand against racism by citing examples of her bravery in exposing the effects of prejudice on both the perpetrators and the victims of violence through her essay, "Where is the Voice Coming From.'  I also looked at Welty's more subtle treatment of the issue of racism in 'Powerhouse' and 'A Worn Path.'"

 While at the business meeting following the presentations, Natale was elected secretary of the Eudora Welty Society for 2006.

 "I will automatically become president of the society in 2007," Natale said.  "This was a great surprise and a great honor.  I look forward to representing Westminster in this new role at future conferences.

 Natale, who has been with Westminster since 2001, earned her undergraduate and master's degrees from Westminster College.

 Contact Natale at (724) 946-7348 or e-mail nataleda@westminster.edu for more information.

Delores Natale