Steven L. Hamelman, professor of English at Coastal Carolina University, will give a public lecture, "Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Ten Iconic Scenes in the Wilderness of Classic American Fiction," on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. in Wall Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Hamelman is the 13th recipient of the Distinguished Teacher Scholar Lecturer Award, presented each year by Horry Telephone Cooperative (HTC) to a Coastal Carolina University faculty member who has outstanding abilities as a teacher, scholar and communicator. The recipient of the honor delivers a lecture during the fall semester on an original topic drawn from his or her area of expertise.

Hamelman earned a bachelor's degree in English from Colgate University, a master's degree in English from the University of Maine at Orono, and a doctorate in English from Brandeis University. He began his career at Coastal Carolina University in 1991 as an assistant professor of English and became professor of English in 2001.

Hamelman's articles and reviews on early American fiction and popular music have appeared in Legacy, Literature Interpretation Theory, Studies in American Fiction, Popular Music and Society, South Atlantic Review and other journals.

Hamelman has served on many university committees and is a member of the faculty rock 'n' roll band Virtue Trap. He is the author of the book "But Is It Garbage? On Rock and Trash," which explores the relationship between rock music and consumer culture.