With ample respect to the legacy of Elvis Presley, Memphis’ rich musical history offers more than Graceland and The King. From Stax Records and Isaac Hayes, from Sun Studio and Jerry Lee Lewis, from W.C. Handy and B.B. King and Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins and Justin Timberlake and a…
Continue reading UofM conference explores intersection of popular music and social justice
Tom Shadyac — acclaimed filmmaker, boldface Hollywood name, University of Memphis instructor, philanthropist, de facto Memphian — received yet another award Tuesday night. But his acceptance speech wasn’t about Hollywood’s glitz or his career’s fame. Instead, he talked about Memphis. “There’s no accident that Memphis has this kind of energy,…
Continue reading Shadyac: ‘There’s no accident that Memphis has this kind of energy’
Taylor St. John bubbles with anticipation over “Shaming Jane Doe,” which opens at the University of Memphis’ Mainstage Theatre on April 4. It’s a play with a serious theme — the rise of sexual assaults on American campuses — that’s designed to make audience members contemplate their own views. “I…
Continue reading U of M’s ‘Shaming Jane Doe’ will challenge audiences’ own views
David Waters retired recently from The Commercial Appeal, but that didn’t mark the end of his journalism career or his impact on journalism in Memphis. A 1981 graduate of then-Memphis State University, Waters has joined the University of Memphis‘ newly created Institute for Public Service Reporting, where he will serve…
Continue reading 10 questions with David Waters of the Institute for Public Service Reporting
Sitting on the coastline of the Aegean Sea, the Turkish city of Izmir is renowned for its arts and cultural celebrations and Greek and Roman history. It’s also home to the Kukla Gunleri — the city’s annual International Puppet Days festival. “Every year, one of the major puppet festivals of…
Continue reading U of M associate professor leading workshop in Turkey
It’s good being Travis Blackwell these days. It’s hasn’t been that long since Blackwell was at the University of Memphis earning his bachelor of fine arts degree in theater design and technical production with an emphasis in stage management. But since his 2015 graduation, Blackwell’s quick ascension as a professional…
Continue reading From the U of M to Puerto Rico with Miranda and ‘Hamilton’
For months, students at the University of Memphis interviewed more than 20 civil-rights activists and other key figures in Memphis for a documentary timed around the 50th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King Jr. That documentary, “Once More at the River: From MLK to BLM,” premiered Tuesday night…
Continue reading ‘Once More at the River’ documents civil rights and activism in Memphis
The winter 2019 edition of Voices, the magazine of the College of Communication and Fine Arts at the University of Memphis, is out. Inside, you’ll find news and information about: The Mighty Sound of the South. U of M graphic-design students who designed video projection sets for the Midtown Opera…
Continue reading The winter 2019 edition of Voices, hot off the press
Antonio Tirado’s thesis at the University of Memphis’ Department of Architecture focused on creating Memphis ABLE, a learning center that would provide creative and appropriate environments for children with autism. Tirado earned his Master of Architecture degree in 2018. And now his thesis, “Empathic Design: Using Kinesthetic Architecture to Empower…
Continue reading U of M architecture graduate’s thesis earns statewide honor
A faculty member and a Ph.D. graduate student in the University of Memphis’ Department of Communication and Film have written a journal article about a pop-culture icon and musical heritage that has been published in the December 2018 edition of Communication, Culture and Critique. In “‘I Think of Him as…
Continue reading U of M’s Edgar, Rudrow examine fans and pop cultural heritage of Tupac Shakur
