ORONO, Maine - A Shakespeare scholar who grew up reading Stephen King's books will hold a University of Maine position named in his honor.
Caroline Bicks will be the inaugural Stephen E. King chair in literature. King graduated from the University of Maine in 1970 with a degree in English, and has remained connected to the school.
Bicks says King's study of literature at UMaine "really helped shape him as a writer."
Bicks, who teaches now at Boston College, will continue teaching, writing and research. The position also has a focus on bringing the humanities to a larger audience. "He's always been a figure who bridged that gap between academia and a wider, popular audience," Bicks says, so that focus makes sense.
Bicks' work also bridges that gap - she's one of the authors of a book of Shakespeare-inspired cocktails and hors d’oeuvre, as well as historical works on women's writing and women characters in Shakespeare.
She says she's looking forward to "getting a chance to bring my scholarship to a bigger audience, and to getting a chance to make connections to the different groups on campus at the University of Maine, but also to the community at large in Maine."
The Stephen E. King chair in literature was established with funding by the Harold Alfond Foundation.
