Shale is the University of Kentucky's own undergraduate literary arts journal. Comprised of fiction, poetry, and visual art from talented UK students, Shale is published once a semester to much fanfare. Part of that fanfare is the traditional reception, an event that is free to attend to an art-loving public. Students published in Shale, fans of the magazine, and a number of faculty members meet to celebrate another successfully assembled issue, as well as share their work in a public reading.
There is word on the page and then there is word given breath. This past April, students and faculty from the University of Kentucky brought words to life thanks to a 12-hour open air poetry reading. The event, organized by English professor and published author Julia Johnson, was held outside of the Student Center welcoming anyone and everyone to come read their favorite poems aloud.
If you have read my bio, which I assume you all of course have done, I briefly mentioned my longing for any good reads and the lack of time that always prevents this need from being fulfilled during the semester. Through the glory of seasonal breaks, however, I was given a morsel of precious time that I willingly sacrificed for some recreational reading. Although I read this book some time ago, I felt it was due a revisit so that I may be able to share the brilliance I found it to be with all of you eager minds. The book is called "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." Please neglect its long title because it is totally worth a glance for those that are interested in entering the medical field or cellular research. So now that it's summer time, I encourage all of you to pick up this book and delve into this truly riveting story.
