Kay Walter
How would you define yourself?
Professor of English, University of Arkansas at Monticello; Director, UAM MFA in Creative Writing; Editor, The English Pub; Quilt Maker
Please describe yourself and your areas of interest.
Dr Kay Walter is a tenured professor of English, the British Literature Specialist, at her undergraduate alma mater, University of Arkansas at Monticello. She is a Companion of the Guild of St George, a member of the Ruskin Society, and a lifemember of the Ruskin Art Club as well as the Friends of Ruskin’s Brantwood (FoB) and the Ruskin Society of North America, the Arkansas Library Association, the Carson McCullers Society, Hostelling International USA, the Royal Oak Foundation, and Arkansas Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts (ACTELA). Her publications include a blog post on Literacy & NCTE, the official blog of the National Council of Teachers of English, Minnesota English Journal, Arkansas English Journal, Arkansas Libraries, CEAMAG Journal, Moveable Type, Philological Review, and Lifewriting Annual. She writes regularly for and is the editor of The English Pub and has also written about Ruskin, his home, and his influence for FoB Journal, The Companion, and Ruskin Art Club Newsletter. She is the 2023 winner of the LaNell Compton Prize awarded by the Arkansas Library Association and the 2026 keynote speaker for the Arkansas Undergraduate Research Conference. Her primary work focuses on supporting success in first-generation university students and novice instructors.
Why did you become a Companion of the Guild?
I became a Companion of the Guild to honor the relevance of Ruskin’s ideas for facing contemporary challenges. Ruskin’s influence in my own life encourages me to champion the best in each human I know as we make our varied contributions, working together to improve our world.
Web link: actela.weebly.com/blog--newsletter