Author to present on Appalachian community, fact and fiction

The University of Southern Indiana will host a presentation from Dr. Judith Hoover, professor emerita of communication at Western Kentucky University, at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 25 in the David L. Rice Library Reading Room. The presentation, titled "Beyond Monongah: When Fact and Fiction Combine," is free and open to the public.

Hoover is the author of "Beyond Monongah: An Applachian Story," a historical fiction novel about the 1907 Monongah mining disaster in which 362 men died following an underground coal mine explosion. The book was named a Kirkus Best Book of 2016 by publisher Kirkus Media.

She served as professor at Western Kentucky University for 20 years before retiring and receiving emerita appointment in 2007. She had previously worked at Vanderbilt University and as a high school instructor. She has a bachelor's degree in social science from Murray State University, master's degrees in communication, history and government from Western Kentucky University and a doctoral degree in speech communication from Indiana University.

The presentation is presented as part of USI's Core 39 Speaker Series and is sponsored by the Core 39 Committee, the Master of Arts in Communication Program, the College of Liberal Arts and Academic Affairs. For more information, contact Dr. Leigh Ann Howard, professor of communication, at 812-464-1741 or lahoward@usi.edu.