The 2025-2026 Roy Acuff Chair of Excellence Season
Rebecca Makkai holds the prestigious Roy Acuff Chair of Excellence for the 2025-2026 academic year. Her first event is Thursday, September 18 at 7 p.m. in Mabry Concert Hall. This event is free and open to the public and will include a reading as well as book signing.
About Rebecca Makkai: The author of the New York Times bestselling as well as four other works of fiction, Makkai's third novel, , , was a finalist for both the 2019 Pulitzer Prize and the 2018 National Book Award and was the winner of the ALA Carnegie Medal and the LA Times Book Prize, among other honors. A 2022 Guggenheim Fellow, Rebecca teaches graduate fiction writing at Middlebury College, Northwestern University, and the Bennington Writing Seminars, and she is Artistic Director of . Learn more about Rebecca’s work by .
As the 2025-2026 Acuff Chair of Excellence, Makkai will be visiting APSU creative writing classes, working directly with students and regional community members, and curating a reading at this spring’s Zone 3 Writers’ Festival (April 16-18, 2026).
About the Acuff Chair of Excellence
In 1985, country music legend Roy Acuff generously established an endowment to enrich
the arts community at APSU and in Clarksville Montgomery County. The result was the
Roy Acuff Chair of Excellence, which brings regionally and nationally acclaimed artists
to APSU to share their expertise with students and the community in a dynamic atmosphere
of unrestricted experimentation. The Acuff Chair rotates between APSU's four creative
arts areas—Art + Design, Creative Writing, Music, Theatre & Dance—and has been filled
each year with residencies by nationally and internationally known artists since its
inception.
Former recipients of the Roy Acuff Chair of Excellence include:
Rich Griffith (2022-2023): Graphic Designer
Sonya Clark (2017-2018): Textile Artist
Scott McCloud (2013-2014): American cartoonist and comics theorist, author of the classic study, Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
Ian Berry (2009-2010): Contemporary art specialist, Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs and Curator at The Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College
Linda Norlen (2005-2006): Graphic designer and critic
George McCauley (2001-2002): Ceramicist
Frances Whitehead (1997-1998): Sculptor
Jim Nutt (1993-1994): Painter
Ted Orland (1988-1989): Photographer/artist
Sarah Kay (2021-2022): Spoken Word poet
Dorothy Allison (2016-2017): Novelist and essayist
David Huddle (2012-2013): Poet, fiction writer, and essayist
Louise Erdrich (2008-2009): Author of twelve novels as well as volumes of poetry, children's books, and a memoir of early motherhood
Michael Blumenthal (2004-2005): Poet and memoirist, author of Against Romance and All My Fathers and Mothers
David Bradley (2000-2001): Scholar of African American history and novelist, author of The Chaneysville Incident
Carolyn Forche' (1996-1997): Poet
John Haines (1992-1993): Two-time Guggenheim Fellow, poet and essayist
David Madden (1987-1988): Fiction writer, playwright, critic and author
Arthur Kopit (1986-1987):Internationally acclaimed American playwright
Christopher Lewis (2023-2024)
Doug Goodkin (2023-2024)
Michael Wayne (2023-2024)
Emma Moonier (2023-2024)
Warren Wolf (2023-2024)
Windborne Singers (2023-2024)
Gregg Goodhart (2023-2024)
Robert Slack (2023-2024)
Jake Runestad (2023-2024): Choir
John Rommel (2018-2019): Trumpet
Gomalan Brass (2018-2019): Italian brass quintet
Warren Jones (2018-2019): Collaborative pianist, vocal coach, and conductor
Miró String Quartet (2018-2019)
Boris Allakhverdyan (2018-2019): Principal clarinetist of the L.A. Philharmonic
Lorna McGhee (2018-2019): Principal flute of the Pittsburgh Symphony
Charles Niedich (2014-2015)
Willie Anthony Waters (2014-2015)
Anna Celenza (2014-2015)
Orchid Ensemble (2014-2015)
Jo-Michael Scheibe (2014-2015)
Rhonda Larson (2014-2015)
The Ying Quartet (2010–2011): String Quartet
Sydney Guillaume (2010–2011): Composer and vocalist
William Bennett (2010–2011): World-renowned flutist
Paul Schoenfield (2010–2011): Composer and pianist
Clifton Ware (2010–2011): Vocal pedagogue, master teacher, tenor soloist and author
Cantus (2006-2007): An artist-led, professional a cappella vocal ensemble with eight male members
Bodo Igesz (2006-2007): Famed opera singer and stage director of the Metropolitan Opera
Tony Plog (2006-2007): Conductor and composer with commissioned works from ensembles around the globe
John L. Whitwell (2006-2007): Director of bands, Professor of Music and Chair of the Conducting Area at Michigan State University
Lee Hoiby (2006-2007): American classical pianist and composer
Elizabeth Walton Vercoe (2002-2003): Composer
Carol Scott-Kassner (2002-2003): Author of music education literature
Dalton Baldwin (1998-1999): Pianist
Matthew Harp Allen (1998-1999): Ethnomusicologist
Donna Loewy (1998-99): Vocal coach/accompanist
David Holsinger (1998-1999): Band composer
Frederic Goossen (1998-1999): composer/music theorist
Cedric Dent (1998-1999): Grammy award-winning singer, pianist, arranger, conductor and producer
Tim Gerber (1994-1995): Music educator and co-author of the popular text, Music! Its Role and Importance in our Lives
Ron Nelson (1990-1991): Composer of choral, band and orchestral works
SITI Company-Will Bond, Darron West, Ellen Lauren (2024-2025): Director, Creator
Rosie Herrera (2024-2025): Choreographer
Big Dance Theatre Company (2024-2025): Guest artists and performance
Alicia Haymer (2024-2025): Director
Ronald Keaton (2019-2020): Actor
Antoinette DiPietropolo (2019-2020): Director
Freddie Ashley (2019-2020): Director
Second City Fully Loaded (2015-2016): Guest artist and performance
Cheryl Sanders Cirq du Soliel (2015-2016): Guest artist and performance
Axis Dance Company (2015-2016): Guest artist and performance
Rick Berger (2015-2016): Guest artist
Jeanette Lovetri (2015-2016): Somatic voice specialist
Lishi Lou and Lucky, Too (2015-2016): Performance
David Weinstein (2015-2016)
Rachel Keebler (2011-2012): Theatre design
Sarah Haas (2011-2012): Guest artist, dance
Second City (2011-12): Performance
Peiling Kao (2011-2012): Guest artist, dance
Tim Miller (2011-2012): Performance
Keith Fitzpatrick (2011-2012): Guest artist, dance
Annmarie Duggan (2011-2012): Guest artist, lighting design
Anthony Zerbe (2011-2012): Performance
Lawrence Goldhuber (2007-08): Choreographer, dancer, actor, and performance artist
The Second City Touring Company (2007-2008): Premiere comedy club, theatre, and school for improvisation
Mark Block (2007-2008): Guest artist; modeling and talent agency
Annmarie Duggan (2007-2008): Guest artist; lighting design
Karen E. Maguire (2007-2008): Actress, writer, teacher, director, and producer
7 Stages Inc./Bernard Koltes (2007-2008): Non-profit theatre company focused on social, political, and spiritual values of contemporary culture
Louis Fantasia (2003-2004): Actor, director, producer, theatre critic and arts commentator
Kelly Morgan (1999-2000): Actor, director, producer, choreographer, teacher and administrator in stage, film and television
Elizabeth Van Dyke (1995-1996): Award-winning actress and director
Howard Stein(1991-1992): Actor and author
