The Honors College will host a series of events centered around this year’s Campus Read, “James” by Percival Everett.
The book is a retelling of Mark Twain’s classic 1884 novel “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” which is the story of a runaway orphan and an enslaved man’s raft journey down the Mississippi River as they seek freedom unavailable to them in the so-called civilized world.
As “Huckleberry Finn” is told from the perspective of its title character, “James” is told from the perspective of the enslaved Jim.
The campus community is invited to attend the following events:
“History Alive: Mark Twain” at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 2 in the Mountainlair Ballrooms
Alum Doug Riley returns to his alma mater to provide a monologue and discussion in the character of Mark Twain about his life, Huckleberry Finn and the book “James.”
Riley has portrayed the historic characters Stonewall Jackson and Mark Twain for nearly two decades, presenting his characters in hundreds of performances throughout the state, and while working for the West Virginia Humanities Council’s History Alive! Program.
Note that since the PRT does not run on Sundays, students who live on the Evansdale area of campus and wish to attend the event are encouraged to use Mountain Line buses.
“Why are Huckleberry Finn and ‘James’ Relevant to Readers Today” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10 in the Gluck Theatre
Join Tim Sweet, Eberly Family Distinguished Professor of American Literature, Mark Brazaitis, professor of English, and Ben Bascom, assistant professor of English, for a discussion about why the literary legacy of Twain’s novels is as important in 2025 as it was in 1885 when it was published, and how Everett’s retelling continues the conversation Twain started 140 years ago.
“The Historical Discussion of ‘James’” at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 in the Gluck Theatre
Faculty members from the School of Social Work will discuss the method of communication referred to as “code switching,” and how it is used in the novel and our everyday conversations.