Katie Burnett in Conversation with UT Professor Bill Hardwig
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Katie Burnett in Conversation with UT Professor Bill Hardwig
January 23, 2026
The Denbo Center for Humanities & the Arts Associate Director Katie Burnett appeared in conversation with UT Professor Bill Hardwig at the East Tennessee History Center on November 12, 2025 to discuss his new book, How Cormac Works: McCarthy, Language, and Style (LSU Press, 2025). Highlighting McCarthy’s fascination and experimentation with language, Katie and Bill considered McCarthy’s vivid descriptions of East Tennessee and Knoxville in his novels.
The conversation was paired with a discussion led by Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection manager Eric Dawson, who shared McCarthy-related film pieces at the Knox County Public Library’s Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound. Steve Smith, Dean of UT Libraries, was also on hand to share news about recent McCarthy acquisitions by UT’s Hodges Library.
The event was well attended and the conversation was dynamic and informative!