The University of Illinois at Chicago will host a symposium celebrating the distinguished career of Sterling Plumpp, professor of English and African-American studies.

Plumpp, a recent $1 million winner in the Illinois Lottery, has taught at UIC since 1971. He will retire with emeritus status later this month and travel to South Africa and Mississippi to gather research material for current and future writing projects before resuming teaching part-time.

Plumpp says he looks forward to having more time to devote to writing and supporting and nurturing the talents of young African-American writers.

Dwight McBride, professor and head of the African-American studies department, says "Sterling has given so much to UIC, to the department of African-American studies and to African-American letters. This symposium is a show of our appreciation for all his years of hard work and dedication."

Friday, Dec. 7
9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

UIC Chicago Circle Center, Room 713
750 S. Halsted St.

The symposium will feature discussions on blues, African-American poetry and South African literary relations. A poetry and jazz performance will be held in Plumpp's honor later that evening at the UIC Theatre.

Internationally recognized for his blues-and jazz-based poetry, Plumpp is the author of 14 books including "Black Rituals" (Third World Press, 1987); "Ornate with Smoke" (Third World Press, 1988); "Blues: The Story Always Untold"; and "Blues Narratives" (Tia Chucha Press, 1999). Plumpp won the 1999 Richard Wright Literary Excellence Award for his outstanding contributions to literature and is a recipient of the Carl Sandburg Literary Award for poetry, three Illinois Arts Council Literary Awards and other honors for his work.