While the city itself could be doing more to note Agee's history here, it's not as if Knoxvillians haven't been recognizing Agee's life in significant ways. Last year, the University of Tennessee and the Knox County Public Library produced a month-long series of events celebrating James Agee. A centerpiece of that was the James Agee Centennial Film Festival, organized by the Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound -- it was certainly the most comprehensive (and most noteworthy) screening of films related to Agee, probably ever.
Of course, that was a long time in coming and took a lot of work. And I imagine it will be a similar wait before we see such recognition for Karl Wagner in Knoxville. Hopefully, people like John Mayer will keep pushing for a Wagner festival (or other observation) until enough people agree to make it happen. We will certainly support those efforts.
Coury, ed.
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cturczyn writes:
While the city itself could be doing more to note Agee's history here, it's not as if Knoxvillians haven't been recognizing Agee's life in significant ways. Last year, the University of Tennessee and the Knox County Public Library produced a month-long series of events celebrating James Agee. A centerpiece of that was the James Agee Centennial Film Festival, organized by the Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound -- it was certainly the most comprehensive (and most noteworthy) screening of films related to Agee, probably ever.
Of course, that was a long time in coming and took a lot of work. And I imagine it will be a similar wait before we see such recognition for Karl Wagner in Knoxville. Hopefully, people like John Mayer will keep pushing for a Wagner festival (or other observation) until enough people agree to make it happen. We will certainly support those efforts.
Coury, ed.
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.