English Department Events
Walter Harding Lecture
Walter Harding, who taught in SUNY Geneseo's English department from 1956 to 1982, was arguably the twentieth century’s most important scholar of Henry David Thoreau. Among his seven books on this great American writer, The Days of Henry Thoreau, first published in 1966, stands out as the definitive biography. Professor Harding edited or compiled 34 additional books, including works on other American transcendentalists such as Bronson Alcott and William Ellery Channing. At his retirement, he held the highest ranks awarded to a SUNY faculty member, Distinguished Professor and University Professor. He was the first SUNY faculty member to be awarded the degree of Honorary Doctor of Letters.
In 1941, Walter Harding helped to found the Thoreau Society, which houses the world’s largest collection of Thoreauviana.
After his death in 1996, the annual Walter Harding Lecture was established with the generous financial support of the Harding family.
Harding Lecturers
2024: Alan Michelson
2023: Robin Wall Kimmerer
2022: Cecily Parks
2021: Carolyn Finney*
2019: Gregory Spears
2018: Spencer Crew*
2017: Bill McKibben*
2016: Elizabeth Witherell*
2015: Pier Gabrielle Foreman
2014: William Cronon
2013: Laura Dassow Walls*
2012: Megan Marshall*
2011: Martha Nell Smith*
2010: Caleb Crain*
2009: Michael Warner*
2008: Frances Smith Foster*
2007: Betsy Erkkila*
2006: Ed Folsom
2005: Ronald A. Bosco
2004: Joel Myerson
* video and/or audio links available below
Genesee Valley Literary Forum
Hosted by SUNY Geneseo’s Creative Writing program and the Department of English, the Genesee Valley Literary Forum brings writers of regional, national, and international stature to Livingston County for public readings and conversation.
2023-2024
Kristen Gentry
Anni Liu
2022-2023
Stephen Schottenfeld
Stephen J. West
2021-2022
Jack Wang
2020-2021
Albert Abonado
Sonya Bilocerkowycz
2019-2020
Christina Milletti
Aisha Sharif
Adam Falkner
Previous visiting writers have included Joan Naviyuk Kane, Sonja Livingston, Fred D’Aguiar, Cheryl Savageau, Leslie Pietrzyk, Kadija Sesay, Liz Rosenberg, Idra Novey, and others. For inquiries about the Genesee Valley Literary Forum reading series, please contact the Director of Creative Writing, Sonya Bilocerkowycz (sbilocerkowycz@geneseo.edu).