THOMAS J. ABBOT
The 1996-97 P. A. Christensen Humanities Lectureship has been awarded to a BYU Spanish Department professor.
Russell M. Cluff, recipient of the award, will be the keynote speaker of the P.A. Christensen Humanities Lecture at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23 in 2084 JKHB.
The prize was awarded to Cluff for his outstanding research accomplishments, said Cheryl Brown, Associate Dean of Humanities and head of the committee which awarded the prize.
Cluff has completed a full-length article on the short story sequences of Mexico's Hernan Lara Zavala, Guillermo Samperio and Sergio Pitol.
Cluff also said he wrote an essay that will accompany a book of short stories by the Dominican writer Virgilio Diaz Grullon. The book is to be published by the National University of Mexico.
In addition to the essays, Cluff is continuing research. 'I am currently working on a book-length project concerning the short story sequence in Mexico,' Cluff said.
The Oct. 23 lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be a display of Cluff's research. His lecture is entitled 'Mexico and the Short Story Sequence Tradition.'
The Christensen Lectureship, given in remembrance of BYU English professor Parley A. Christensen, carries a $1,000 honorarium along with additional research and travel expenses that are meant to help further their research, Brown said.
Cluff said that the lectureship will aid his continuing research in Mexico and the Caribbean islands.
Recipients also receive a plaque that is displayed along with plaques of previous winners.