On Tuesday, October 2nd, 2018 at 4 p.m., in the Grand Reading Room of the Claire T. Carney Library, Prof. Frederick Lewis will present a feature-length documentary that he produced on the life of writer Paul Laurence Dunbar.Documentary to be Presented at

On Tuesday, October 2nd, 2018 at 4 p.m., in the Grand Reading Room of the Claire T. Carney Library, Prof. Frederick Lewis will present a feature-length documentary that he produced on the life of writer Paul Laurence Dunbar.

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The presentation and documentary detail the life of Paul Dunbar, one of the first African-American writers to gain worldwide fame.  

Dunbar was the son of former slaves who with the help of Frederick Douglass, got his poems recognized by publications of the period; one of his most notable efforts was Majors and Minors.

Giving credit to Dunbar’s talent was the famed American writer, William Dean Howells, in his review of the collection in Harper’s Weekly, where he called Dunbar, “the most promising young colored man in America.” The review propelled Dunbar’s work both nationally and internationally.

Lewis is a 1979 alumnus of SMU (UMass Dartmouth) and has distinguished himself as a producer, writer, director and program/production manager of films. To his credit, he produced, wrote and directed the Emmy-winning documentary Golden Distance, a story about the early history of the Boston Marathon.

Since 2001, Lewis has taught an advanced narrative production class that has created over 50 short films. He has received the Presidential Teacher Award from Ohio University for transformative teaching, curriculum innovation and mentoring. He has also left his foot-print at Boston University, Rhode Island School of Design, and at the International Film and Television Workshops in Rockport, Maine.

Of particular note, two retired professors’ voices from UMass Dartmouth are featured in the documentary; Everett Hoagland is the voice of Frederick Douglass, and Alan Rosen is the voice
of William Dean Howells.

The program is free and open to the public, with a light reception to follow. Parking is available on campus in lot 13.

For further information, contact Maria Sanguinetti at msanguinetti@umassd.edu or call 508-991-5096.