Darwin Turner discusses African American literature with Kent Mullikin. Turner speaks about black writers’ reactions in the face of criticism, forms of creative writing by black authors, and black authors’ working relationships with publishers.
In the second segment (14:30), the series on philosophy and public policy continues, focusing on the contributions of philosophers to the public debate concerning the aims of education; panel members recognize that differing political views of policy makers will also influence the outcomes of the wider discussion. The speakers are William Bennett, Steven Cahn, James Rachels, and George Sher.
Turner was a trustee of the National Humanities Center and, at the time of this interview, professor of Afro-American studies at the University of Iowa. Mullikin was assistant director of the Center.
At the time of this interview, Bennett was director of the Center. Cahn was associate director of the humanities division of the Rockefeller Foundation. Rachels was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of philosophy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Sher, a Fellow at the Center (1980-81), was professor of philosophy at the University of Vermont.
This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond and Kent Mullikin.
