{"id":32029,"date":"2025-10-12T19:10:30","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T23:10:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/?p=32029"},"modified":"2025-10-12T19:10:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T23:10:30","slug":"award-winning-writer-and-author-of-memoir-about-growing-up-in-tennessee-to-read-works-at-tusculum-university-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2025\/award-winning-writer-and-author-of-memoir-about-growing-up-in-tennessee-to-read-works-at-tusculum-university-event\/","title":{"rendered":"Award-winning writer and author of memoir about growing up in Tennessee to read works at Tusculum University event"},"content":{"rendered":"

GREENEVILLE<\/strong> \u2013 An award-winning author whose work has been published in multiple literary outlets will read some of her prose and answer questions during an appearance at Tusculum University<\/a>.<\/h3>\n
\"Dr.

Dr. Rachel M. Hanson<\/p><\/div>\n

Dr. Rachel M. Hanson, whose writing includes the \u201cThe End of Tennessee: A Memoir,\u201d which is set in Kingsport and Rogersville, will speak Thursday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. in Behan Arena Theatre. The community is invited to attend this free presentation, which is sponsored by \u201cThe Tusculum Review,<\/a>\u201d the university\u2019s international literary journal, and the institution\u2019s English<\/a> and languages program.<\/p>\n

The content of Dr. Hanson\u2019s presentation is best suited for adults and mature teenagers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are pleased to have such a distinguished author, whose inspiring and well-constructed writing is making a mark on the literary profession,\u201d said Kelsey Trom, professor of English at Tusculum. \u201cOur program takes great pride in bringing compelling authors to campus, whose writing gives audiences material of great substance to contemplate. Dr. Hanson will continue this tradition with impressive insight and impactful words on some extremely difficult life situations.\u201d<\/p>\n

An essayist, poet and fiction writer, Dr. Hanson also serves as executive director of Punch Bucket Lit, which she founded,\u00a0and a faculty director of Temple University\u2019s University College Bachelor of General Studies. She received the Olive B. O’Connor Fellowship in Nonfiction at Colgate University.<\/p>\n

Her work has won Best of the Net and the University of Minnesota\u2019s Walter Allen essay prize. Her essay \u201cWays of Leaving\u201d earned notable mention in Best American Essays, and her other essays can be found in \u201cCreative Nonfiction,\u201d \u201cThe Iowa Review,\u201d \u201cNinth Letter,\u201d \u201cNorth American Review\u201d and many other literary journals. Her poetry was selected for \u201cBest New Poets\u201d and has been published in \u201cThe Minnesota Review,\u201d \u201cJuked,\u201d \u201cNew Madrid\u201d and other literary spaces.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe End of Tennessee: A Memoir,\u201d published in 2024, discusses growing up impoverished, uneducated and surrounded by violence.<\/p>\n

\u201dIn lyrical, fragmented prose, she lays bare the impossible choice between self-preservation and her love for five younger siblings for whom she had become a second mother,\u201d states a summary of the book by The University of South Carolina Press, which published it. \u201cAs the years pass, Hanson struggles with guilt for leaving her siblings as she slowly realizes she could not save them.\u00a0\u2018The End of Tennessee\u2019\u00a0is a testament to a sister’s love, resilience and determination, a book for anyone who has left one life to create another.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trom said she could not stop reading the book once she started reading it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not a tell-all,\u201d she said. \u201cInstead, Dr. Hanson conjures the trapped feeling of her younger self, brings to life her siblings and parents in nuanced moments of both innocence and ruin and notes other adults who tried to help as well as those who didn’t. She embeds the grueling child care for five younger siblings that began when she was 7 and continued until she ran away at 17 in the Rogersville and Kingsport communities. This book is a masterclass in writing nonfiction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Hanson earned a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Utah and a doctorate in English literature and creative nonfiction from the University of Missouri. She also holds bachelor\u2019s degrees in political science and international studies from the University of Utah.<\/p>\n

Her presentation at Tusculum is free, but donations are welcome. In addition to reading her work and answering questions, people can speak with her further and enjoy fellowship at a reception afterward.<\/p>\n

Behan Arena Theatre is located on the lower level of Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center.<\/p>\n

Anyone with questions can email Trom at ktrom@tusculum.edu<\/a>. More information about the English and languages program is available at https:\/\/site.tusculum.edu\/english-2\/<\/a>. Additional detail about \u201cThe Tusculum Review can be accessed at https:\/\/ttr.tusculum.edu\/<\/a>. People can learn more about Dr. Hanson at https:\/\/rachelmhanson.com\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

GREENEVILLE<\/strong> \u2013 An award-winning author whose work has been published in multiple literary outlets will read some of her prose and answer questions during an appearance at Tusculum University<\/a>.<\/h3>\n

Dr. Rachel M. Hanson, whose writing includes the \u201cThe End of Tennessee: A Memoir,\u201d which is set in Kingsport and Rogersville, will speak Thursday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. in Behan Arena Theatre. The community is invited to attend this free presentation, which is sponsored by \u201cThe Tusculum Review,<\/a>\u201d the university\u2019s international literary journal, and the institution\u2019s English<\/a> and languages program.<\/p>\n

The content of Dr. Hanson\u2019s presentation is best suited for adults and mature teenagers.<\/p>\n

Read the full article…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[131,91,7,160,19,142,169,146,1,6,148,147,149,172],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nAward-winning writer and author of memoir about growing up in Tennessee to read works at Tusculum University event :: Tusculum University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2025\/award-winning-writer-and-author-of-memoir-about-growing-up-in-tennessee-to-read-works-at-tusculum-university-event\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Award-winning writer and author of memoir about growing up in Tennessee to read works at Tusculum University event :: Tusculum University\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"GREENEVILLE \u2013 An award-winning author whose work has been published in multiple literary outlets will read some of her prose and answer questions during an appearance at Tusculum University. Dr. Rachel M. Hanson, whose writing includes the \u201cThe End of Tennessee: A Memoir,\u201d which is set in Kingsport and Rogersville, will speak Thursday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. in Behan Arena Theatre. The community is invited to attend this free presentation, which is sponsored by \u201cThe Tusculum Review,\u201d the university\u2019s international literary journal, and the institution\u2019s English and languages program. The content of Dr. Hanson\u2019s presentation is best suited for adults and mature teenagers. Read the full article...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2025\/award-winning-writer-and-author-of-memoir-about-growing-up-in-tennessee-to-read-works-at-tusculum-university-event\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TUSCULUM UNIVERSITY NEWS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-12T23:10:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/Dr.-Rachel-M.-Hanson-300x257.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jim Wozniak\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jim Wozniak\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2025\/award-winning-writer-and-author-of-memoir-about-growing-up-in-tennessee-to-read-works-at-tusculum-university-event\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2025\/award-winning-writer-and-author-of-memoir-about-growing-up-in-tennessee-to-read-works-at-tusculum-university-event\/\",\"name\":\"Award-winning writer and author of memoir about growing up in Tennessee to read works at Tusculum University event :: Tusculum University\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-12T23:10:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-12T23:10:30+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/21b61c94e78ce303ab780be8b1e62dd7\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2025\/award-winning-writer-and-author-of-memoir-about-growing-up-in-tennessee-to-read-works-at-tusculum-university-event\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2025\/award-winning-writer-and-author-of-memoir-about-growing-up-in-tennessee-to-read-works-at-tusculum-university-event\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2025\/award-winning-writer-and-author-of-memoir-about-growing-up-in-tennessee-to-read-works-at-tusculum-university-event\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"News and Information\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Award-winning writer and author of memoir about growing up in Tennessee to read works at Tusculum University event\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/\",\"name\":\"TUSCULUM UNIVERSITY NEWS\",\"description\":\"News for Alumni, Parents and Friends\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/21b61c94e78ce303ab780be8b1e62dd7\",\"name\":\"Jim Wozniak\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4d61ad3ea2d16960d99f5aea77c2329e?s=96&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4d61ad3ea2d16960d99f5aea77c2329e?s=96&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jim Wozniak\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/author\/jwozniaktusculum-edu\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Award-winning writer and author of memoir about growing up in Tennessee to read works at Tusculum University event :: Tusculum University","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2025\/award-winning-writer-and-author-of-memoir-about-growing-up-in-tennessee-to-read-works-at-tusculum-university-event\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Award-winning writer and author of memoir about growing up in Tennessee to read works at Tusculum University event :: Tusculum University","og_description":"GREENEVILLE \u2013 An award-winning author whose work has been published in multiple literary outlets will read some of her prose and answer questions during an appearance at Tusculum University. Dr. Rachel M. Hanson, whose writing includes the \u201cThe End of Tennessee: A Memoir,\u201d which is set in Kingsport and Rogersville, will speak Thursday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. in Behan Arena Theatre. The community is invited to attend this free presentation, which is sponsored by \u201cThe Tusculum Review,\u201d the university\u2019s international literary journal, and the institution\u2019s English and languages program. The content of Dr. Hanson\u2019s presentation is best suited for adults and mature teenagers. Read the full article...","og_url":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2025\/award-winning-writer-and-author-of-memoir-about-growing-up-in-tennessee-to-read-works-at-tusculum-university-event\/","og_site_name":"TUSCULUM UNIVERSITY NEWS","article_published_time":"2025-10-12T23:10:30+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/Dr.-Rachel-M.-Hanson-300x257.jpg"}],"author":"Jim Wozniak","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jim Wozniak","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2025\/award-winning-writer-and-author-of-memoir-about-growing-up-in-tennessee-to-read-works-at-tusculum-university-event\/","url":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2025\/award-winning-writer-and-author-of-memoir-about-growing-up-in-tennessee-to-read-works-at-tusculum-university-event\/","name":"Award-winning writer and author of memoir about growing up in Tennessee to read works at Tusculum University event :: Tusculum University","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-10-12T23:10:30+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-12T23:10:30+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/21b61c94e78ce303ab780be8b1e62dd7"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2025\/award-winning-writer-and-author-of-memoir-about-growing-up-in-tennessee-to-read-works-at-tusculum-university-event\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2025\/award-winning-writer-and-author-of-memoir-about-growing-up-in-tennessee-to-read-works-at-tusculum-university-event\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2025\/award-winning-writer-and-author-of-memoir-about-growing-up-in-tennessee-to-read-works-at-tusculum-university-event\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News and Information","item":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Award-winning writer and author of memoir about growing up in Tennessee to read works at Tusculum University event"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/","name":"TUSCULUM UNIVERSITY NEWS","description":"News for Alumni, Parents and Friends","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/21b61c94e78ce303ab780be8b1e62dd7","name":"Jim Wozniak","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4d61ad3ea2d16960d99f5aea77c2329e?s=96&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4d61ad3ea2d16960d99f5aea77c2329e?s=96&r=g","caption":"Jim Wozniak"},"url":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/author\/jwozniaktusculum-edu\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32029"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32029"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32029\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32031,"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32029\/revisions\/32031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}