Constance Alexander: Celebrating poetry’s integral role in our culture during National Poetry Month
My passion for poetry started with nursery rhymes my mother recited to me before I could read. Humpty Dumpty, Peter…
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Constance Alexander: Personal and professional journeys merge, pave path to road less-traveled
When Mary Thorsby enters a room, she exudes the natural geniality of an extrovert. With a ready smile and a…
Constance Alexander: Devastating tornados left future of Mayfield arts community in limbo
Between November 13 and December 18, the Ice House Gallery in downtown Mayfield was exhibiting “Impressions,” an array of creative…
Constance Alexander: Celebrating bell hooks, west Kentucky writer with international audience
The other day I easily exceeded my daily goal of 10,000 steps in the most unlikely spot, the Murray State…
Constance Alexander: Hats off to writer Hilma Wolitzer, a woman who persists at the age of 91
Goddess of the rueful chuckle, provocateuse of domestic drudgery, flaunter of feminine/feminist angst, writer Hilma Wolitzer has been a hero…
Constance Alexander: Recent Western Kentucky tornados transformed lives and landscape
“When you walked in, you weren’t in Mayfield anymore,” Jana Duffy declared. Her vision for her upscale, fashion-forward clothing store…
Constance Alexander: Wilkinson’s “Perfect Black” invites readers on a journey through many terrains
The title of the first poem in Crystal Wilkinson’s book, Perfect Black, is “Terrain.” On the facing page is the…
Constance Alexander: United Campus Workers of Ky. gives voice to COVID-weary university employees
After more than two years of masks, quarantines, needles, and other COVID-related woes, the public is weary of restrictions and…
Constance Alexander: ‘Look on my works, ye mighty’ and despair’ — ancient words with relevance today
Every ten years, according to the United States Constitution, the census counts heads to come up with the number of…
Constance Alexander: Three little words are crushing America’s news literacy, clouding fact and fiction
At the beginning of every semester, Leigh Wright, associate professor of journalism at Murray State University, asks her students where…
Constance Alexander: There’s still time to do the right thing and remove symbols of country’s racist past
Imagine celebrating the bicentennial of Calloway County later this year. The official proceedings are likely to take place on the…
Constance Alexander: Before, during and after mothers give birth, doulas attend to their needs
Her tee-shirt says, “Do More of What Makes You Happy,” and the smile on Sarah Cunningham’s face as she describes…
Constance Alexander: Murray artisan Diane Daubert engages ancient tradition to create unique works
In November, Murray artist Diane Daubert entered two small sculptures into “Impressions,” a juried art exhibit sponsored by the Ice…
Constance Alexander: Following historic storms, helping hands reach out in so many ways
Last week, with news of approaching tornadoes, Kristy Sisk left her house in Princeton, and rushed to the outskirts of…
Constance Alexander: Cunningham’s memoir takes readers on pleasant journey through his first 15 years
Justice Bill Cunningham does not rely on shock value to engage his audience. Instead, he invites readers of his memoir…
Constance Alexander: The wounds suffered by victims of school shootings last a lifetime
Jessica remembers hurrying because she was late for the prayer circle. As she recounts the events of that morning, December…
Constance Alexander: Struggles of fictional KY family reflect the past and foretell the future
On December 7, 1941, news of the attack on Pearl Harbor interrupted regular radio programming, disrupting religious services, movie screenings,…
Constance Alexander: Celebrating the holiday season with books by Kentucky writers
Swamped by yuletide frenzy, supply chain snags, and rising inflation? This could be the year to practice the Icelandic ritual…
Constance Alexander: Meetings offer safe space for caregivers seeking information and solace
Once a month, a klatsch of caregivers carves out sixty minutes to attend a support group at the Senior Citizen…
Constance Alexander: Wherever caregiving is necessary, support from hospice providers helps
“The day they said ‘hospice’ I called work and told them.” At the time, Kristy did not have much information…
Constance Alexander: Paducah poet Marissa Davis achieves literary notoriety; she’s just getting started
In July, when a stunning poem by Marissa Davis showed up on Rattle, I got emails from literary friends around…
Constance Alexander: There are no easy solutions in sight for the elderly and those who care for them
In Murray, Route 94 morphs into Main Street right around the university. Because it is a straight stretch of road,…