one step for mankind...

Naropa University's The Jack Kerouac School has just taken a HUGE step forward in appointing Junior Burke as acting chair of the department...

the chair controversy has been a long, bitter, outstanding fight between students, who feel that the chair position represents more than just a figure-head of the School (though we shouldn't downplay the idea of a figure-head in academia) and faculty who felt/ feel that a "collective chair" including all of the core and adjunct faculty was the most progressive way to represent the School...in the end the faculty's preference for collective chair proved inefficient and confusing to both students and the University in general...kudos go to the president of the University Tom Coburn and Anne Waldman who were both unwavering in their support for student concerns regarding the future of the Kerouac School program...

Junior Burke's newest novel "Something Gorgeous" published by Farfalla Press (05') is available here: http://farfallapress.net/something_gorgeous1.htm