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NORTH CAROLINA L I T E R A R Y RE V I E W
Winter 2022
TIRELESS AND SELFLESS PROMOTER OF NORTH CAROLINA LITERATURE ALEX ALBRIGHT: RECIPIENT OF THE 2021 JOHN TYLER CALDWELL AWARD FOR THE HUMANITIES award presentation remarks by Margaret D. Bauer, Editor
COURTESY OF NORTH CAROLINA HUMANITIES
I have the privilege of introducing to you Alex Of course, when it comes to NCLR, I am Albright, the 2021 recipient of the John Tyler certainly not unbiased. So I will let another’s words Caldwell Award, and I could not be more pleased.1 explain Alex’s contribution to North Carolina with As editor of the North Carolina Literary Review for the creation of NCLR. Jim Clark, former Dean of going on twenty-five years now, I owe Alex, my colthe School of Humanities and the Elizabeth H. Jorleague and friend, so much for the direction my own dan Chair of Southern Literature at Barton College, career took. wrote in his letter of support for Before his retirement in 2018, Alex’s nomination, NCLR “is a Alex was my colleague at East compendium of the best of the Carolina University. He joined the history and culture of North ECU Department of English faculty Carolina. As editor of NCLR, Alex in 1981. Just imagine the number tirelessly and selflessly promoted of students he inspired in his over North Carolina literature.” Profesthirty-five years at ECU, helping to sor Emeritus Clark continued, “It shape many into writers. At ECU, is impossible to overestimate the too, he created the North Caroimportance of NCLR to the cullina Literary Review, which gives ture of the state of North Caroliour students significant experina. It is truly a treasure, providing ence in editing and publishing to the intellectual and creative work take with them into the work force of the state a concrete ‘local habiafter graduation. Former Dean of tation and a name.’ Every issue is Arts and Sciences, the late Keats an immediate collector’s item for This is a special award Sparrow, once explained that he both its content and its design.” asked Alex to create what became Alex served as Editor for NCLR’s because it’s for a NCLR because he “wanted to make first five years, establishing its lifetime’s labors in sure [he] was getting the journal reputation for in-depth coverage promoting what has into the best hands possible,” addof the state’s writers – worldtruly been my pleasure ing, “Anything Alex does, he does renowned, just getting started, to promote. superbly.” Indeed. and those in between – and he —Alex Albright Within its first three years, was honored for this contribution NCLR won the Best New Jourto preserving and promoting the nal Award from the national Council of Editors of state’s rich literary history and culture with the R. Learned Journals and numerous awards for its Hunt Parker Memorial Award, given by the North unique design. Alex would credit, rightfully so, his Carolina Literary and Historical Association, and Art Director Eva Roberts for that design, but as Edithe Roberts Award for Literary Inspiration, given by tor, he had to be open to a design layout outside of ECU’s Joyner Library. the norm. From what I’ve witnessed, Alex has never Alex’s important contribution to promoting shied away from trying something new (He once North Carolina writers is also reflected in his edico-edited a whole collection of poems on collard tions of the North Carolina poems of A.R. Ammons. greens). In the decades since NCLR’s founding in But Alex’s interest in North Carolina extends 1992, long before a time when we all have access beyond literature. In the 1980s he wrote and coto easy-to-use graphic design software, that unique produced the UNC TV documentary Boogie in Black design influenced the look of literary magazines and White about an early African American movie across the country. produced by Lord-Warner Pictures and filmed in 1
Watch the whole ceremony, which premiered 29 Oct. 2021. Read the North Carolina Humanities press release about this award here.
ABOVE Alex Albright wearing his Caldwell Award medal during
his acceptance remarks, filmed in Greenville, NC, 29 Sept. 2021
