College of Arts and Sciences pairs books, ¹ú²úÂé¶¹AV cheese at ‘book tasting’ event
Contact: Sarah Nicholas
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State’s College of Arts and Sciences invites the campus community to sample something new this month with its first “book tasting� event, a creative twist that pairs books, conversation and Mississippi State flavor.
“A&S Book Tasting: A Showcase of Authors� will be held Thursday, Feb. 19 from 4-5:30 p.m. in the John Grisham Room of Mitchell Memorial library.
The free event features faculty authors from across ¹ú²úÂé¶¹AV’s College of Arts and Sciences, each hosting a table where guests can browse books, meet the authors and enjoy selections of Mississippi State cheese. ¹ú²úÂé¶¹AV’s famous Edam cheese will be featured alongside other varieties made by the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.
Guests also can enjoy ¹ú²úÂé¶¹AV muscadine grape juice, along with a selection of other beverages and snacks.
Participating authors and works include:
—Ryan P. Semmes, “Exporting Reconstruction: Ulysses S. Grant and a New Empire of Liberty� (University of South Carolina Press, 2024)
—Josh Foreman, “Hidden History of Vicksburg� (Arcadia Publishing, 2025) and “Hidden History of New Orleans� (2020)
—Candace Lukasik, “Anthropologies of Orthodox Christianity: Theology, Politics, Ethics� (Fordham University Press, 2025)
—Michael R. Nadorff, “The Nightmare and Sleep Disorder Toolkit� (New Harbinger Publications, 2025)
—Ted Atkinson, “Monumental Designs: Infrastructure and the Culture of the Tennessee Valley Authority� (University Press of Mississippi, 2025)
—Marty Lang, “The Self-Sustaining Filmmaker� (Routledge, 2024) and discussion of his feature-length film “Stay With Me�
—Courtney E. Thompson, “Do Less Harm: Ethical Questions for Health Historians� (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2025)
—Samyak Shertok, “No Rhododendron� (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2025)
—Kemeshia Swanson, “Conversations with Jesmyn Ward� (University Press of Mississippi, 2025)
“The book tasting is designed to celebrate the scholarship, creativity and range of voices within the College of Arts and Sciences while offering a relaxed, social way to engage with faculty and increase collegiality,� said Karyn Brown, the college’s assistant dean for communication and media. “Guests are encouraged to circulate, sample and discover something unexpected.�
For more information about ¹ú²úÂé¶¹AV’s College of Arts and Sciences, visit .
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