William Faulkner spent a lot of time brooding and writing about the uneven evolution of the human race. Even at its worst, and Faulkner saw some of the worst humanity could offer from his vantage point in the pre-civil rights movement Deep South, he believed the human spirit would overcome.

"I believe that man will not merely endure. He will prevail," Faulkner once wrote.

The same thread of hope, often shaped through deep pain, is in Toni Morrison's work.

Despite their age differences -- Morrison is approaching 80 and Faulkner is long dead -- there are plenty of similarities between the two American authors. Their work toils in the fields of race and social justice, and they are widely viewed as definitive voices of their generations.

Southeast Missouri State University's Center for Faulkner Studies this week celebrates the authors' literary influence with a conference Thursday through Saturday. More than 50 presenters from 25 states and six countries will take part, said Bob Hamblin, center director and Southeast English professor.

"We run this biennial conference featuring Faulkner and some author that has some similar interest in theme or technique," Hamblin said.

Previously, the conference examined Faulkner and Missouri native Mark Twain, and Faulkner and late 19th-century author Kate Chopin.

Returning this year is Roseanna Whitlow's reader's theater presentation, this year titled "Faulkner, Morrison and Nobel: A Performance." Whitlow, instructor of communications studies at the university, crafted her script using the Nobel Prize speeches of Faulkner and Morrison.

"I've gotten to know Faulkner very well after six years, and it's fun to immerse myself in the lives of his novels," Whitlow said.

Admission to the conference is free and open to the public. For more information, call 986-6155.

mkittle@semissourian.com

388-3627

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388 N. Henderson Ave., Cape Girardeau, MO