COMMENTARIES/REVIEWS

Constance Alexander	"A Long Way From St. Lucy" T.S. Eliot wrote “April is the cruelest month.” …But The Academy of American Poets hopes to prove him wrong yet again. This April marks the 12th Annual National Poetry Month. We celebrate by starting the month with local writer and commentator Constance Alexander and her story about the year she became a poet. Read the commentary here.
Constance Alexander is a writer from Murray, Ky. Her books are available at the Murray State University Bookstore or through Amazon.com.	Past Commentaries: "No Daughter of Mine" "My Mother's Bones"
Duane Bolin	"Final Exams" For students and faculty in universities all over the world, months of hard work and dedication culminate into one dreaded week: final exams. Here at Murray State University, the sleepless, caffeinated nights begin today and commentator Dr. Duane Bolin offers a bit of remembrance and encouragement for students as someone who’s sat on both sides of the professor’s desk. Read the commentary here.
Dr. James Duane Bolin is a professor in the Department of History at Murray State University.	Past Commentaries: "Does One Vote Count?" "Diffusion of Knowledge" "Tearing Down" Listen to and read more past commentaries here.
Brian Clardy	"On Herbie Hancock and the Vindication of Jazz" When Herbie Hancock took the award for Album of the Year at the 2008 Grammy Awards about three months ago, shocked critics cried out, “what were the voters thinking?” Commentator Dr. Brian Clardy considers what they were thinking… Looking at the past 50 years of Hancock’s innovative career, Clardy says, it’s about time. Read the commentary here.
Dr. Clardy is an Assistant Professor of History at Murray State.	Past Commentaries: "The Humanity of Louis Armstrong" "Benny Golson and the Art of Jazz Composition" "Remembering William F. Buckley Jr." Listen to and read more past commentaries here.
Michael Cohen	"The Bad Quarto by Jill Patton Walsh" "The Bad Quarto" is the name of the fourth mystery novel in the series featuring college nurse turned detective Imogen Quy, by author Jill Patton Walsh. Following the controversial death of Professor Talentire, Quy becomes involved with an amateur theatrical production of a play titled "The Bad Quarto." Hear what mystery novel expert Michael Cohen thinks about this academic whodunit. Read the commentary here.
Michael Cohen is Professor Emeritus at Murray State University. His book Murder Most Fair: The Appeal of Mystery Fiction was published by Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.	Past Commentaries: "Manhunt: The 12 Days Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson" "A Death in Belmont by Sebastian Junger" "Desert Heat by J.A. Jance"
Roy Davis	"The Pruitt Sisters" When thinking of your childhood, you may be able to recall a few blurry memories or grainy images tucked away in a dusty corner in the back of your brain… But, for commentator Roy Davis, these images come in crystal clear. In this installment in his “memory series,” he takes us back to the early 1940s, when he was a young boy growing up with his neighbors, The Pruitt Sisters… whom he describes as the real-life personification of those little old ladies stereotyped in cartoons. Read the commentary here.
Roy Davis is an artist/craftsman based in Murray, KY. You can see his custom built wooden coffins and crematory urns at his web site www.vintagecoffins.com	Past Commentaries: "Riding Tiny" "First Memories"
Renae Duncan Dr. Renae Duncan is the Chair of the Department of Psychology at Murray State University.	"Feral Cat Day" Be good to our feline friends today. It's National Feral Cat Day. For over 15 years, The Alley Cat Allies have been dedicated to advocating non-lethal and ethical feline population control. Doctor Renae Duncan explains the process of "Trap-Neuter-Return" and how you can get involved. Read the commentary here.
Joe Fuhrmann	"Is Our Money Friendly to Blind People?" We can identify the American dollar by its famous green coloring, but how identifiable is it for the blind? Dr. Joe Fuhrmann talks about some changes he would like to see. Read the commentary here.
Dr. Joseph Fuhrmann is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of History at Murray State University. He specializes in Russian History and is the owner of "Christopher's Coins" doing business at the Hear of Hazel Antique Mall in Hazel, Kentucky.	Past Commentaries: "New Series of Coins Honoring our First Ladies" "New Series of Coins Honoring the US Presidents... All of Them" "US Presidents and US Coins" Listen to and read more past commentaries here.
James La Valle Dr. James La Valle is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Murray State University.	"The Language of MSU's Non-Discrimination Policy" On March 1st, 2008, Murray State’s Board of Regents voted to add the words “Sexual Orientation” to their Non-Discrimination Policy. For some, this amendment has been a long awaited blessing, but it had not come without criticism from community members. Read the commentary here.
Richard Nelson	"Public Decency Shouldn't be Taken for Granted" What one might consider to be “immoral” or “obscene” might be perfectly acceptable to someone else. Nevertheless, some Kentucky law makers are pushing for legislation on the definition of “decency.” Policy Analyst and Commentator Richard Nelson agrees with these law makers and talks about how far “free speech” can go before he thinks the bar for public decency needs to be raised. Read the commentary here.
Richard Nelson is a policy analyst for The Family Foundation, a nonprofit public policy organization. He currently resides in Trigg County with his family.	Past Commentaries: "Murray State Opens the Door to Radical Sexual Politics"
Patience Renzulli	"Dream on Old Dog" According to Animal Behaviorist Dr. Nicolas Dodman, adult dogs spend about 10 to 12 percent of their sleep time in a dream state, while puppies spend much more time in this state. Responding to some emails, Commentator Patience Renzulli tells a story about one of her sleepy old dogs who in his dreams, becomes young again. Read the commentary here.
Patience Renzulli and her husband Bill live in Paducah and you can visit their website at DogWalkers.net for cool stuff for dogs and their people. You can view her blog by clicking here.	Past Commentaries: "The Death Penalty" "When Everything is Right?" "The Sad Story of a Senile Servant" Listen to and read more past commentaries here.
Helen Roulston Helen Roulston is an Associate Professor of English and Philosphy and Chair of Film Studies at Murray State University.	"Citizen Kane to Wuthering Heights" Bernard Herrmann is perhaps one of the most influential film composers of the mid-twentieth century. If you've seen films like Jason and the Argonauts, Taxi Driver, or anything by Hitchcock, you've heard his music... Despite his career in film, Herrmann had a love for opera. Early in his career, while working with the Mercury Theatre, he wrote an opera adaptation for Wuthering Heights Helen Roulston reads from her presentation entitled, From Citizen Kane to Wuthering Heights: Bernard Herrmann's Creation of Gothic-Inspired Operas given at the biannual conference of the International Gothic Association was in the Aix-en Provence of France. Read the commentary here.
Kenneth Thomas Kenneth Thomas of Murray is a psychologist who treats court-referred participants in domestic violence.	"To Change the World" In the wake of the Virginia Tech Massacre, students and community members across the nation have joined together in hopes to prevent violence in their neighborhoods. But Psychologist Kenneth Thomas says why that might not be enough and offers his expertise on what he thinks needs to happen. Read the commentary here.
Martin Booth Tracy Martin Booth Tracy of Murray is retired and a part-time consultant on community - based social service programs in central and Eastern Europe with the International Labor Organization.	"Craig Morris - From Farm Boy to Towering Intellect" From inventor Nathan B. Stubblefield to anecdotist and Navy Chaplain Howell Maurice Forgy, Calloway County has been home for many historic intellectuals. Commentator Martin Booth Tracy talks about how one Murray native by the name of Edward Craig Morris stayed true to his Kentucky roots while curating for the American Museum of Natural History in New York and excavating the Andean Mountains of Peru. Read the commentary here.
	Past Commentaries: "Reverend Howell Maurice Forgy"
Robert Valentine	"Turkey Day" This year marks our 230th Thanksgiving since it was first issued in 1777 by the Continental Congress. As you gather around a large Turkey and give thanks for safety and happiness in the same manner George Washington once did, you might ask yourself, Whose idea was it to eat a turkey? Well, Commentator and Storyteller Robert Valentine has some morsels of information for you to chew on in an amusing Thanksgiving send-up. Read the commentary here.
Robert Valentine is a professional Speaker, Storyteller, and Senior Lecturer at Murray State University in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications. Visit his website: RobertValentine.com.	Past Commentaries: "Punkin"
Scott Vanderploeg	"Big Words" According to the National Assessment for Adult Literacy, over 40% of the US Population read at a basic or below basic level. What's more is that the percentage of adults with proficient reading skills has declined over the past 10 years. Dr. Scott Vander Ploeg talks about the importance of effective language skills in a commentary he calls Big Words. Read the commentary here.
Scott Vander Ploeg is a scholar and writer who contemplates our culture from Madisonville, Kentucky.	Past Commentaries: "Luck of the MG-TD" "Governor's Scholars Program" "My Dinner with Russell Jim" Listen to and read more past commentaries here.

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