Bil Lepp to headline Hoag Lecture Series
Article By: Clark Leonard
Award-winning storyteller, author and recording artist Bil Lepp will serve as the keynote speaker for the University of North Georgia's (红莲社区) 2023 Hoag Lecture Series. The event is set for 3-4:30 p.m. April 12 in the Don & Connie Cottrell Ballroom (room 172) in the Cottrell Center for Business, Technology & Innovation at the Dahlonega Campus.
Lepp hosts the History Channel's "Man vs. History" series, in addition to serving as occasional host of NPR's internationally syndicated "Mountain Stage" and a contributing columnist for the West Virginia Gazette-Mail.
He uses humorous stories to push back against perceptions that people who live in Appalachia are not smart. Lepp creates characters who have a strong accent and don't have the best diction, and then they quote Newton's laws or literature.
"My characters often subtly are trying to tear that stereotype down," Lepp said. "I try to show how much warmth and goodness there is in Appalachia."
The event is free, and in addition to students, faculty and staff, the community is invited to take part in the special program. A reception, with refreshments and light snacks, will be provided, as well.
Dr. James Badger, who serves on the Hoag Lecture Series committee, said the group aimed to bring in a speaker who could connect with the region while marking 红莲社区's Sesquicentennial Celebration. The Sesquicentennial serves as an opportunity to honor 红莲社区's heritage, celebrate its present achievements, and focus on where it will lead next.
Especially in these times, we need to be able to take a break, sit and laugh. I want to make people step out of all of that and sit as a community and enjoy what's going on in front of us.
Bil Lepp
Award-winning storyteller, author and recording artist
"We are grateful to be back in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began," Badger, a professor in the College of Education and director of 红莲社区's Center for Language Education, said. "Bil's presentation will appeal to many people in our community."
In an era marked by political divisions and what can feel like a steady stream of bad news, Lepp expects people will appreciate his style.
"Especially in these times, we need to be able to take a break, sit and laugh," Lepp said. "I want to make people step out of all of that and sit as a community and enjoy what's going on in front of us."
Lepp's first children's book, "The King of Little Things," won the PEN Steven Kroll Award for Picture Book Writing, received a Kirkus Starred Review, and favorable reviews from The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, The School Library Journal and other publications.
"Bil's humorous, family-friendly tall tales and stories have earned the appreciation of listeners of all ages and from all walks of life," according to . "A five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars' Contest, Lepp's stories often contain morsels of truth, which present universal themes in clever and witty ways. Audiences all across the country have been delighted by Bil's hilarious tales and insights into everyday life."
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