Sena Naslund Sena Naslund has a way with words. The English professor has received widespread praise for her literary prowess through a scholarly record that includes several short stories, critical essays and five books, two of which appeared in 1999. "Her work is memorable for its creation of a strong, interesting and compelling narrative voice, and for its unfolding of interesting and unusual scenes, situations, images and conceits," a reviewer wrote. Her last book, "Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star Gazer," is enjoying extensive commercial success following enthusiastic reviews from Time magazine, The Booklist, Chicago Magazine and The Christian Science Monitor. The book has been acclaimed as an "audacious, wondrous revisiting" of the classic "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville. Naslund reveals the pivotal times of the mid-19th century through Una, Ahab's wife, reflecting on issues of the day that included slavery, the position of women and the influence of religion. In addition to her publications, Naslund has been invited to present public readings at universities including Harvard, Brown, Emory and Iowa. She also has secured funding for fiction writing from sources including the Kentucky Foundation for Women, Kentucky Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. "Over the past decade, Sena Naslund has emerged as a strong voice in contemporary American fiction, and her presence as a faculty member of the University of Louisville has greatly enhanced the reputation and prestige of our Creative Writing Program," a nominator wrote.