SVSU professor to speak on consequential figure in poetry, abolitionist movement

November 3, 2025

SVSU professor to speak on consequential figure in poetry, abolitionist movement

Eric Gardner's latest book sheds new light on Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

Saginaw Valley State University English professor and Midland resident Eric Gardner will speak about his latest book, "Frances Ellen Watkins Harper's Civil War and Reconstruction," during two events this month.

Gardner's groundbreaking biography of Harper, an important 19th-century African American author-activist, was recently released by Oxford University Press.

On Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 4 p.m., Gardner will offer a presentation in SVSU's Whittaker Lecture Room, room 106 in the newly remodeled Brown Hall. Gardner will focus on Harper's most famous poem, "Bury Me in a Free Land," to explore Harper's life, activism, writing and belief in the power of diversity to strengthen communities. SVSU Associate Provost Dawn Hinton and Professor of History Jennifer Stinson will join Gardner to share their knowledge of American and African American culture and history and to set up broader conversations. A Q&A will follow.

On Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m., Gardner will participate in an online forum sponsored by the American Antiquarian Society. He will be joined by scholars Sherita Johnson of Penn State University and Derrick Spires of the University of Delaware for a wide-ranging conversation on Harper and 19th-century African American literature and culture. More information and a registration link for this free event can be found at https://www.americanantiquarian.org/programs-events/frances-ellen-watkins-harpers-civil-war-and-reconstruction.

Gardner spent a decade researching and writing his book on Harper, conducting extensive archival research and delving into documents that were previously unrecovered.

Gardner joined SVSU in 1996 and began his fourth term as chair of the Department of English in 2024. He teaches courses in American literature and culture and is the author or editor of seven previous books. His scholarship has received both local and national acclaim, and he was the winner of SVSU's 2024 House Family Award for Teacher Impact.

The American Antiquarian Society is a national research library and community of learners dedicated to discovering and sharing a deeper understanding of the American past. Gardner was elected to their elite roster of members in 2024 for what AAS President Scott Casper described as his "field-changing scholarship in Black print culture."