Gordon Hirsch on Sherlock Holmes

Professor Gordon Hirsch contributes to a UMNews video about the University Libraries' Sherlock Holmes Special Collections, the largest archive of Holmes material in the world. Having, say, original copies of Holmes' stories in the Strand Magazine here on campus "gives a student a real connection to history," notes Hirsch, and an opportunity to make unexpected discoveries: "You can really see Victorian values and Victorian attitudes in the advertisements in this sort of popular journal." The archive also features a replica of Holmes' 221B Baker Street room on the fourth floor of Wilson Library, which students might compare against scenes from the new Sherlock Holmes movie starring Robert Downey, Jr.

Ellen Messer-Davidow Awarded Stark

Professor of English Ellen Messer-Davidow was awarded the Dr. Matthew Stark Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Faculty Award Sunday December 13 at the College of Liberal Arts Commencement. The award recognizes Professor Messer-Davidow's distinguished writing, teaching, and service in the areas of civil rights, public education, and social justice. The Stark awards were created this year, based on a generous donation from Dr. Matthew "Matt" Stark, a former professor at the University of Minnesota and former executive director of the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union. Messer-Davidow represents the award's first faculty recipient; English major Joshua Capodarco, honored at the same ceremony, is the second student recipient.

New Faculty Books

English faculty continue to publish at a brisk pace: Creative Writing Program Director Ray Gonzalez celebrated the release of Faith Run: Poems (University of Arizona Press) in September and Cool Auditor: Prose Poems (B.O.A. Editions) in November. . . . Professor John Watkins also published his second book of the year, Shakespeare's Foreign Worlds: National and Transnational Identities in the Elizabethan Age, co-authored with Carole Levin (Cornell University Press), following up on the co-edited volume Shakespeare and the Middle Ages (Oxford University Press). . . . Professor Dan Philippon edited a collection of articles from the popular DNR magazine Minnesota Conservation Volunteer entitled Our Neck of the Woods: Exploring Minnesota's Wild Places (University of Minnesota Press). . . . Finally Professor Maria Damon co-edited with Ira Livingston Poetry and Cultural Studies: A Reader (University of Illinois Press). Congratulations to all!

MFA Awards

The MFA Program announces the recipients of new research fellowships for MFA students: Colleen Coyne (poetry), Claire Stanford (fiction), and David Malley (nonfiction). These fellowships of $1,000 go toward supporting the completion of the MFA thesis. . . . Brian Laidlaw was awarded the MFA Progam's first annual Book Arts Fellowship for his project, "Americana Mantra--Boxed Set." His proposal was selected from among several outstanding projects. There will be a public presentation of the project in the spring. . . . Colleen McCarthy (poetry), Sara Culver (fiction), and Priscilla Kinter (nonfiction) were nominated by the MFA program for the Associated Writing Programs' 2010 Intro Journals Project. Winners selected by AWP's panel of judges will have their writing published in participating journals such as Hayden's Ferry Review, Mid-American Review, and Quarterly West.

Undergraduate Wins Stark Award

English senior Joshua Capodarco has won the College of Liberal Arts Dr. Matthew Stark Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Student Award, which was created based on a generous donation from Dr. Matthew "Matt" Stark, a former professor at the University of Minnesota and former executive director of the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union. The award recognizes a CLA student who has demonstrated "distinguished service, writing, teaching, involvement, or public leadership in one of more of the following areas: civil liberties, civil rights, public education and social justice." The honor is presented annually at the December CLA Commencement Ceremony and carries with it a financial award of $1000. Capodarco has an extensive background in service learning, taught English in Senegal (he wrote about it here), and is currently serving as undergraduate TA for the English course Literature of Public Life. Congratulations Josh!

Garrison Keillor Visits Class

Alumnus Garrison Keillor (BA 1966) stopped by the English course "Introduction to Creative Writing" last week and told students: "The world is waiting to hear from you. We're bored with our own generation." More....

Contributing to New Literary History

Two English faculty contributed to A New Literary History of America, the well-reviewed Harvard University Press collection edited by Greil Marcus and Werner Sollors which covers American culture since 1507 via literature (and blues and FDR's fireside chats, etc.). David Treuer was on the editorial board and contributed two essays, one on Longfellow's Hiawatha, and Paula Rabinowitz wrote about the aforesaid FDR.

MFA Program in Top 20

The Department of English's Creative Writing MFA Program is ranked 14 in a listing of the top 50 MFA programs in Poets & Writers's November/December issue. The ranking is based on an on-line list maintained by poet Seth Abramson and based upon research and MFA applicant surveys. The top 20 ranking reflects the Program's (and the Department's) dedication to full-funding for each MFA candidate, the strength of its faculty (60 plus books published in a decade), and the impressive record of alumni accomplishments. Cheers!

English in the News

Long-time Department of English lecturer Eric Daigre (PhD 2001) writes about literacy and service learning-oriented English courses for the new issue of Diversity & Democracy produced by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU). The article is entitled "Literature, Literacy, and Multiculturalism in the Expanded Classroom." . . . English professor David Treuer wrote the article "I'm Holding Out for an Anti-Hero" for the LA Times. . . . MFA alumna Laurie Lindeen offers a music-influenced craft essay in Columbia College's literary journal Fictionary.

The Publicly Engaged Classroom: Service Learning & Beyond! Monday Oct 5th 2:30pm in Lind 207a

The Department is pleased to present the first in our 2009-10 eNow!
series on public engagement NEXT MONDAY OCT 5 at 2:30 pm in Lind Hall 207A.

The Publicly Engaged Classroom: Service Learning & Beyond!
English professors Josephine Lee and Ellen Messer-Davidow, PhD alumnus
Mitch Ogden, and long-time English service learning instructor Eric
Daigre (PhD 2001) will discuss and provide models for courses
incorporating service learning components, publicly engaged scholarship,
and other classroom engagement possibilities.

Professor Lee has included service learning components in drama and
Asian American Studies classes. Professor Messer-Davidow has taught such
publicly engaged classes as GWSS 4502/ENGL 4090 Women and Public Policy
and ENGL 1907W Social Texts (to read her syllabi in advance, email
sutt0063@umn.edu). Daigre has taught ENGL 3505/06 Community Learning
Internships since the course was conceived by Daigre and former
professor Tom Augst, as well as ENGL 3741 Literacy and American Cultural
Diversity. Ogden incorporated a service learning component in his
Introduction to Shakespeare course, as a graduate student here.

Join us for chocolates, a glass of wine, and a lively discussion!

eNOW: The Department of English Discusses Public Engagement

Please join the English Department for various discussions and presentations on Public Engagement and Service- Learning. The following link will bring you to dates and times for these events:


http://english.cla.umn.edu/engagement/events.html

UROP INFORMATION SESSION!

Monday, Sept. 28 9-10am 207a Lind Hall
With Bagels, Fruit and Juice!

Want to research something you love? Want to create a curriculum for your future teaching career? Want to study more in depth something you've learned in class? AND would you like to get paid $10/hour for it?
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) is your chance to work with a faculty mentor on a creative activity or research project with financial support from the University of Minnesota. UROP Students receive stipends of up to $1400 and expenses of up to $300. UROP is available to ALL students in ALL colleges. Come to Lind 207a to hear from past English UROP Students and Professors. Don't let this opportunity pass you by!

Thousands of students and faculty across the University have already discovered the benefits of these hands-on research opportunities in laboratories, studios, libraries, and field sites. Participating students have developed detailed knowledge of research methods while their faculty sponsors have gained the assistance of enthusiastic and capable students.

To find out more about undergraduate research and the UROP program, visit http://www.research.umn.edu/undergraduate/. Application materials for UROP are available on the web at http://www.research.umn.edu/undergraduate/UROP/urop_how_to_apply_2.htm. The application deadline for Spring 2010 projects is October 5. If you have questions about UROP, please contact Rebecca Rassier at rassi003@umn.edu.

UROP ALUMNI!! Have you participated in a UROP project that pertained to your English major? If so please send a short description of your project that details your experience in order to help fellow English majors with their literary research and endeavors. Please send information regarding your UROP project to Emily Claypool, clay0114@umn.edu.

Welcome, International Exchange Students!

Please Welcome International Exchange Students in English studies for 2009-2010: Xu C. (China), Hyoeun C. (Korea), Jeongwon L. (Korea), Maria F. (Austria), Joo Yun L. (Korea), Manuela N. (Austria), Silvio G. (France), and Morgane D. (Belgium). Some are here for fall semester only, others for the full academic year. They are taking a variety of courses in literature, American Studies, ESL, writing, business, and other subjects.

Welcome back!

The Undergraduate Studies Office in the Department of English would like to welcome three new student staff members to its office for the 09-10 Academic Year.

Both Raven H. and Moira P. are working as peer advisors. They are excited and eager to work with our staff and with students! Stop by Lind Hall 227 to meet Raven and Moira and ask them any questions you have about the Department or yours courses.

We would also like to welcome Emily C. as our Research Assistant!

We are thankful to have such great students working with us this semester. Remember to stop by Lind Hall 227 anytime to schedule an advising appointment or just talk with our students and staff.

UM Students and Alums in Alive

Five current or recently graduated English BAs contributed to the August-September issue of Alive Magazine, a national publication by and for young women that kicks the usual "celebrities, sex, and dieting" content to the curb. Two are Alive interns who wrote and/or designed for the issue: Regan Smith (BA '09) and undergraduate Meghan Hanson. Former Alive intern Jamie Joslin Millard (BA '09) is now Alive's development director. Spring '09 graduates Allie Riley and Derek Swart also wrote for the issue. All but Riley were members of the 2009 Ivory Tower staff, Hanson as co-Editor-in-Chief; Riley published a poem in the latest Ivory Tower, which is the undergraduate literary magazine of the University of Minnesota created by a year-long English course.

Department Welcomes Interim Chair

Geoffrey Sirc (PhD 1985) is now serving as the interim chair of the Department of English. Professor Sirc is the author of English Composition as a Happening (Utah State University Press, 2002) and, with Anne Frances Wysocki, Johndan Johnson-Eilola, and Cynthia L. Selfe, Writing New Media: Theory and Applications for Expanding the Teaching of Composition (Utah State UP, 2004). He joined the Department in 2006 from the University of Minnesota General College. Former chair Paula Rabinowitz wrapped up her three-year term at the end of June. The Department offers our thanks for her dedicated service! . . .Thank you also to Professors Lois Cucullu and Julie Schumacher, who finished their terms as Director of Graduate Studies and Director of the Creative Writing Program, respectively. Professor Ray Gonzalez takes over as the Director of the Creative Writing Program. Regents Professor Madelon Sprengnether is Director of Graduate Studies.

MFA Alumni Awards & Publications

The Dirt Riddles, a debut collection of poetry from Michael Walsh (MFA 2006), won the inaugural Miller Williams Poetry Prize from the University of Arkansas Press and will be published in 2010. His fiction can be found in the 2008 anthology Fiction on a Stick (Milkweed Editions). . . . Matt Burgess (MFA 2009) will publish his debut novel Dogfight with Doubleday in fall 2010. . . . Lightsey Darst (MFA 2003) publishes her first full-length collection of poetry Find the Girl with Coffee House Press in spring 2010. Her chapbook Ginnungagap is available now from Red Dragonfly Press. . . . Erin Hart (MFA 1995), the author of Lake of Sorrows and Hallowed Ground, presents the new mystery False Mermaid (Scribner) in spring 2010. Congratulations!

Dislocate #5 Out Now

Dislocate, the international literary magazine edited and produced by MFA graduate students in the Department of English, presents its fifth issue available at bookstores and online. The Transitions issue celebrates creative work from writers and artists on the subject of political, social, geographic and cultural transitions. The journal includes acclaimed authors Kevin Wilson, Peter Johnson, Nin Andrews, Todd Boss, and poetry by Haitian poet Jacqueline Beaugé-Rosier, published for the first time in English and French.

Baxter in NY Review of Books

Edelstein-Keller Professor of Creative Writing Charles Baxter publishes a review of Katherine Anne Porter's Collected Stories and Other Writings (Library of America) in the June 11 New York Review of Books. "There has been a tendency among quite a few of Porter's critics," Baxter writes, "to criticize her life instead of her work and to give it low marks." While acknowledging the flatness of her novel Ship of Fools, Baxter compares her best short stories to Tolstoy's, "unsurpassed in American literature in their genre."

Three English Fulbrights

Three English BA graduates are among 14 University of Minnesota students (10 undergraduate and four graduate) who received Fulbright grants for 2009-10 to pursue graduate study in a foreign country. Daniel Groth, a 2009 summa cum laude candidate for a bachelor's in English, has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant to South Korea. Groth will assist in an English language classroom in a secondary school. Groth's long-term plans include medical school, and he intends to learn about South Korea's health care system. Carmen Price, a 2008 summa cum laude graduate in English and German studies, has received a Fulbright Full Grant to Germany. At the Free University of Berlin, Price will take graduate-level courses on intercultural education and will conduct research on German educational initiatives aimed at increasing immigrant and minority representation in higher education. She will also volunteer as a tutor in the community. Jenna Rose Smith, who graduated in 2007 with a bachelor's in English and studies in cinema and media culture, has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant to South Korea. Smith will assist in an English language classroom in a secondary school, and will pursue her interest in Korean language and film. Smith also plans to volunteer with a community organization serving people with disabilities. Congratulations!

Dissertation Awards

The Graduate School awarded Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships for 2009-10 to the following four English PhD students: Sara Cohen for "Medical Screening: Illness, Cyber-bodies, and Digital Death in 21st- Century Visual Culture" (advisers Paula Rabinowitz and Siobhan Craig); Molly Kelley Gage for "Sorting Scraps: The Archive and the Future of Democracy" (adviser Paula Rabinowitz); Kevin Riordan for "Dying Words and the Mechanics of Haunted Reading" (adviser John Mowitt); and Sharin' Schroeder for "Non-consensus Realities: Fantasy and the Child in Victorian Religious Debates" (adviser Brian Goldberg). . . . The Graduate School also awarded Thesis Research Grants to PhD students Amy Griffiths, Nicholas Hengen, and Laura Zebuhr. Congratulations!

PhD Candidate Fellowships & Prizes

Adam Schrag has received the Graduate School’s Leonard Film Fellowship. Steve Healey will teach next year at Michigan State University as the CIC Postdoctoral Fellow. Anne Roth-Reinhardt won the Ruth Drake Dissertation Fellowship. The first Garner/McNaron/Sprengnether Dissertation Fellowship goes to Renee DeLong. Emily Anderson received the Samuel Holt Monk Memorial Prize for Published Scholarship. The two winners of the Audrey Christensen English Library Acquisition Prize are Sunyoung Ahn and Gregory Murray. Donald Swanbeck won the FLAS Fellowship for this summer and the coming academic year. Congratulations!

Graduate Research Partnership Fellows

The Graduate Research Partnership Program Fellowships this year go to: Sara Cohen for "Watching While Looking Away" (Project adviser: Jani Scandura); Molly Kelley Gage for "Sorting Scraps: The Archive and the Future of Democracy" (Paula Rabinowitz); Eun Joo Kim for "Modern Structural Shifts and Postmodern Concerns: Reading the Korean Language in Theresa Hak Kyung Cha's Dictee" (Jigna Desai); Joshua Mabie for "'Finding the Place': T.S. Eliot's Search for Dwelling in the English Landscape" (Edward Griffin); Edward McPherson for "America, 1899: A Novella" (Charles Baxter); Joshua Morsell for "Threats, Bombs, and Frame-Ups: The Dirty History of the Timber Wars" (Dan Philippon); Kevin Riordan for "Noh Archives and the Global Repertoire" (Josephine Lee); Maurits Van Bever Donker for "Writing the subject after Apartheid, or learning to 'learn to live'" (Quadri Ismail); and Jewon Woo for "'Feel Right': Creating the Culture of Critical Sympathy and the Amistad in 1839" (John Wright)

Graduate Student Awards

The Graduate School awarded Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships for 2009-10 to the following four English PhD students: Sara Cohen, Molly Kelley Gage, Kevin Riordan, and Sharin' Schroeder. The Graduate School also awarded Thesis Research Grants to PhD students Amy Griffiths, Nicholas Hengen, and Laura Zebuhr. . . . The Graduate Research Partnership Program Fellowships were awarded to: Sara Cohen, Molly Kelley Gage, Eun Joo Kim, Joshua Mabie, Edward McPherson, Joshua Morsell, Joshua Ostergaard, Kevin Riordan, Maurits Van Bever Donker, Jewon Woo, and a DOVE GRPP to Davu Seru. . . . The first Garner-McNaron-Sprengnether Fellowship for summer research was awarded to Renee DeLong. The Ruth Drake Fellowship was awarded to Anne Roth-Reinhardt. The recipient of the 2009 Samuel Holt Monk Memorial Prize for Published Scholarship is Emily Anderson. . . . Adam Schrag has received the Graduate School’s Leonard Film Fellowship. Steve Healey will teach next year at Michigan State University as the CIC Postdoctoral Fellow. The two winners of the Audrey Christensen English Library Acquisition Prize are Sunyoung Ahn and Gregory Murray. Congratulations to all!

More Student Awards

MFA candidates Colleen Coyne and Sheena K. Fallon each received a Gesell Summer Residency (two weeks) at the Anderson Center in Red Wing, Minnesota. . . . Winners of the Marcella DeBourg Fellowships ($1000) this year are Coyne and Eric Brownell. The fellowships are offered annually to Department of English graduate students interested in "giving creative expression to women's lives." Congratulations!

Julie Schumacher on MPR

On Thursday May 7, English professor Julie Schumacher, the outgoing director of Creative Writing, was a guest on MPR's Midmorning show talking about the emerging writers who may be the next literary stars. Among her recommendations: Wells Taylor's short story collection Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned, Kao Kalia Yang's memoir The Late Homecomer, and Karen Russell's collection St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves.

Congratulations Graduates!

The English Department would like to invite you & yours to join us in celebration of the 2009 English B.A. Commencement.

Open House & Reception
Friday, May 8, 2009
4:00-6:00 p.m.
207A Lind Hall
207 Church Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

The celebration includes graduates and their guests, CLA advisers, and English Department faculty, instructors, and staff.

Please RSVP with the number attending by Monday, May 4, 2009 to Mona Fattah - monaf@umn.edu

English in the News

Daryl Parks (BA honors 1994) was profiled in the Star Tribune Wednesday feature "Professor's life took dramatic turns; now he guides others." After his BA, Parks earned two more degrees at the University of Minnesota (MEd and PhD) and now is associate professor of literature and language at Metropolitan State University. . . . Adjunct assistant professor of English Michael Tortorello, who teaches Introduction to Editing, on April 1 started writing a gardening blog for the New York Times. . . . The Ivory Tower undergraduate literary and arts magazine (see above) is featured in the Minnesota Daily.

MFA Alum Wins Minnesota Book Award

Brian Malloy (MFA 2006) won the Minnesota Book Award for young people's literature for his novel Twelve Long Months (Scholastic). The awards were announced Saturday April 25 at the 21st Minnesota Book Awards gala event in St. Paul. Malloy is currently teaching Introduction to Creative Writing for the Department of English. This year's nominations for the Minnesota Book Awards included books from three Creative Writing professors (Julie Schumacher, Charles Baxter, and Ray Gonzalez), two MFA alumni (Laura Flynn and Malloy), two MA alumna (Margaret Hasse and Alison McGhee), and one BA alumnus (Tim Nolan)

Job Search Workshop - New Time

On Wednesday May 6th at 3:30 pm in Ackerman Hall Room 309 the Department of English will hold a workshop on the job search process for students at all stages in their graduate career. Participants will learn what the job search entails and how they might begin positioning themselves vis-à-vis this important process. Following the general workshop on the job search there will be a meeting for all students going on the job market in fall 2009. This second meeting will begin at the conclusion of the first. Those who are considering going on the market this year should attend both sessions.

Student Awards

The 2009 Gesell Award winners in creative writing are: Josh Morsell, Creative Nonfiction (Honorable Mention: Heather McPherson); Matt Burgess, Fiction; and Brian Laidlaw, Poetry. . . . First-year PhD student Donald Swanbeck (medieval field) won two of the very competitive FLAS fellowships to study Arabic during summer 2009 and academic year 2009-2010. . . . The 2009 ArtWords: Writing at the Weisman Contest winner, Graduate Category, is Brian Laidlaw for "Persephone Creates the Seasons," based on "Cross with Red Heart" by Georgia O'Keeffe. The Undergraduate Category winner is Misha Levchenko for "Justification for the Existence of Liars" based on "World's Fair Mural" by James Rosenquist. . . . Undergraduate Studies student engagement research assistant and English major Josh Capodarco won a President's Student Leadership Award, presented to approximately one-half of one percent of the student body for their exceptional leadership and service to the University of Minnesota and the surrounding community. Congratulations to all!

**Shooting Star** (Powered by FUSE)

Are you a creative writer? Have you been published? Now is your chance.

Shooting Star is now open and looking for submissions of creative work. Shooting star is an online journal that is looking to publish undergraduate students' creative work in all genres. Shooting Start is particularly interested in genre-bending creative works!

Are you interested in submitting? You can send all submissions to fusemn@gmail.com.

You can visit Shooting Star's website by following this link

Award Winners

Charles Baxter's story, "Royal Blue," which appeared in the Spring 2008 American Scholar, has been nominated for a National Magazine Award. The winners will be announced at an event at New York's Lincoln Center on April 30. . . . Congratulations to MFA candidates Shantha Susman and Katie Leo, who were awarded this year's Academy of American Poets James Wright Prize in Poetry. The judge was poet Kathleen Jesme. Leo, who won the 2009 Scribe for Human Rights Fellowship, summarizes her activities in the Human Rights Program Update February issue.

New Faculty Awards Granted

The Imagine Fund Annual Awards this year became available to University of Minnesota faculty for research in the arts, design, and the humanities through a generous grant from the McKnight Foundation and new internal reallocations from the University of Minnesota Graduate School and the Office of the Vice President for Research. Of the 217 awards representing $651,000 in support, 16 awards went to English faculty. Our 2009 winners: Timothy Brennan, Tony C. Brown, Michael Dennis Browne, Evelyn Ch'ien, Siobhan Craig, Lois Cucullu, Maria Damon, Genevieve Escure, Ray Gonzalez, Michael Hancher, Qadri Ismail, Ellen Messer-Davidow, Paula Rabinowitz, Katherine Scheil, Charles Sugnet, and Omise'eke Natasha Tinsley.

Stories from abroad = Prize???

Have you been abroad? Are you currently abroad? Now is your chance to tell everyone about your experience abroad.

The English Department is proud to sponsor a new blog entitled Tales from the Road Tales from the Road is an online resources for undergraduate English majors, minors and International students to contribute creative works pertaining to their experience "abroad." We are now accepting student submissions of poetry, fiction, non-fiction and all other genres that pertain to students international experience.

Did we mention that we are hosting a contest with a grand prize? All students that turn in submissions by May 6th will be entered into a contest to be judged for one of three prizes. The top literary submissions (as judged by our office) will receive a $50 gift card to the University of Minnesota book store. Two runner-up prizes will be given to second and third place submissions (this time its a $15 gift card to the University of Minnesota book store.)

Are you interested? You can find more information by visiting the website Tales from the Road Please send any questions concerning submission guidelines to englmaj@umn.edu with "Tales from the Road questions" in the subject line.

We encourage all current undergraduates with experience abroad to submit!

Academy of American Poets James Wright Prize

The winners of this year's Academy of American Poets James Wright Prize are Shantha Susman and Katie Leo. Both Shantha and Katie are current graduate students here in the Department of English!

Congratulations Shantha and Katie!

Shantha was awared the prize for her two poems "Franklin" and "Umbilicus" and Katie was selected for her two poems "Miss Saigon Wants a Well-deserved Vacation" and "Oppenheimer Dreams and Island."

The judge was poet Kathleen Jesme. Jesme is the author of three booksof poetry:
The Plum-Stone Game - 2009 from Ahsahta Press
Motherhouse, 2005, winner of the 2004 Lena-Miles Wever Todd Poetry Prize from Pleiades Press
Fire Eater - 2003 from University of Tampa Press.

Have you had your creative work published?

Have you had your creative work published recently? Whether it was in an online journal, literary magazine, etc., you should feel proud of your work!

We are interested in recognizing students with published work by posting their information on our website! If you have had your work published within the last year please send an e-mail to englmaj@umn.edu with "Student publications" in the subject line and outline what you published, where you published it (please include a link to the online resources if available) along with your year in school, major(s) and minor(s) and full name.

We look forward to hearing from all of our accomplished writers!

Congratulations to Mark Brenden

Congratulations to English Major Mark Brenden for being published in the online literary magazine Pike Magazine! Mark had a short piece of fiction published in April's installment of Pike Magazine. Check his story entitled "Until the Dancer Comes in a Short Short Dress" by clicking on this link.

Mark's work has been described as "dotted with fresh adverbs and adjectives, a talent for which must be attributed to more than simply one's native land."

Congratulations to Mark (yet again) for his success, courage and drive!

---

Have you ever heard of Pike Magazine? Pike Magazine is an online literary magazine created and run by University of Minnesota English alumnus Brooks Doherty! Brook's work, along with Mark's story, are just a few great examples of what English majors can do with their education!

Are you a creative writer too? You can submit works for publication by visiting Pike Magazine's website and clicking on the "Submit your Pike Art."

Are you a leader?

The Fellowship of Undergraduate Students of English (FUSE) is looking for new leadership for next year's group. Have you always thought of yourself as a leader but haven't had the time to get involved with FUSE? Now is your chance. FUSE is accepting applications from any undergraduate English major or minor that is interested in leadership. You can find a list of the officer positions below:

All Officer Duties
-Regular attendance of FUSE meetings is required. There are approximately 10-15 meetings per semester (negotiable based on class or prior obligations). Officers should be involved or up to date in some shape or form.

-Attendance of Officer meetings at designated by the president (maybe once a month or 3-4 times per semester).

Individual Officer Duties Breakdown
President:
-Collaborate with other officers to make sure tasks are being accomplished.
-Coordinate officer meetings.
-Support/problem solve and oversee tasks
-Oversee the election of new officers for following year
-Maintain contact with English Department as needed for collaboration on activities including Book Exchange or other projects.

Event Coordinator:
-Create and implement events for FUSE
-Coordinate set up/take down for each event
-Work with PR officer to make sure event is well advertised.
-Events can include but are not limited to: FUSE movie nights, workshops, live performance attendance, etc.

Meeting Manager:
-Schedule meeting time and place for weekly Fuse meetings.
-Help guide discussion and topics of meetings.

Public Relations/Marketing:
-Market student group by creating fliers or other forms of advertising.
-Manage Facebook group, blog, and e-mail list.
-Work with all other officers to get information about FUSE programs that should be included in all forms of communication.

Additional Officer (as needed)
-Assist in any tasks needed from other officers.
-Participate in idea generation.
-Help fill in for roles when others are unable to.

To Apply
-Turn in a list of ALL positions that you are interested as well as a paragraph detailing your interest in the position as well as why you think you would do well at this position.
-Please include your name, e-mail, and phone number.
-Applications can be turned in to Stephen or Josh at FUSE meetings or in Lind 227.
-Applications are due by April 24th at 4pm.

Are you interested in FUSE? You can check them out by visiting http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=17727084512.

Congratulations to Mona Fattah

English department staff member Mona Fattah has been accepted into the Occupational Therapy Masters Program within the Center for Allied Health Programs (CAHP). She was able to complete the prerequisite coursework through the Regents Scholarship Program.

March's Engage English Scholar of the Month is...

Warda G.!!! Warda is a junior double-majoring in English and African American and African Studies. She has been involved in community work through Jane Addams School for Democracy and Bryant Coyle Center. Warda has also been and active participant in the Al-Madina Cultural Center. Thank you Warda for your commitment to excellence and we hope that you continue your studies and community engagement!

Here is what she has to say about getting involved:

• Why is it important to you to get involved?

It is a great way to discover myself. Getting involved in the Twin Cities area has helped me see the diversity of this community and how I can both learn from it and contribute to it.

• How has getting involved changed your education?

Getting involved has broadened my frame of reference. Being a participant at Jane Addams School has changed what I thought of learning and teaching. The cross-cultural discussions and the diverse participant I have met there have influenced my decision to major in English literature and African Studies. I am also planning to study abroad in Kenya Fall 2009 and hopefully that experience will be useful in shaping my senior thesis as well as relating what I have learned here in the US to that part of the world where I come from.

• Has getting involved changed your career path?

Yes. When I transferred to the University of MN I was registered as Political Science major, during orientation I was with a group of CLA-English majors and I spent my first year taking Biology, Society and Environment major requirements and I did not know exactly what I would do with any of this! Working with Jane Addams School for Democracy and Brian Coyle Center has helped me understand my potential and set attainable goals. I still have not decided on exactly what I want to be, but being involved has helped me see what that could look like. I am hoping my experience in Kenya next fall will continue to influence my interests and lead to fulfilling career.

• What suggestions do you have for other students that are interested in getting involved?

Community Engagement Scholars Program (CESP) is a great program that helps you make the most out of volunteering. Talk to your professors or professors from your major, it’s a great way to find out major related areas that you can get involved in.

Thank you again Warda! Do you think you have what it takes to be next Month's Engaged English Scholar of the Month? Talk to one of your English professors and ask them to nominate you for this recognition. Also, you can contact Josh Capodarco (capod001@umn.edu) if you feel that you should be nominated but you can't find a professor. We look forward to hearing from all of you doing great community work.

Best American Essays and Short Stories

Regents Professor Patricia Hampl's "The Dark Art of Description" has been selected for the anthology Best American Essays 2009. The essay was formerly published in the spring 2008 Iowa Review. . . . A story by third-year MFA candidate Ethan Rutherford was chosen for Best American Short Stories 2009. "The Peripatetic Coffin" first appeared in the spring 2008 American Short Fiction, which is currently featuring the story online.

Book Exchange

FUSE is sponsoring a Book Exchange in Lind Hall 227. What, you may ask, is a book exchange? Simply put: Take a book, leave a book. Got any books you don't want anymore? Don't throw it away, put it in the book exchange box in Lind Hall 227 and check out the shelf in Lind Hall 226 for books that you might want in exchange (it's so literal!).

Now that Spring break is over...

Now that Spring Break is over and you've had the chance to reflect on your semester (right?) why not look into some interesting things happening in the English Department this semester?

As always, the Fellowship of Undergraduate Students of English meets every Tuesday from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in Coffman Union. Plus, on March 31st FUSE will be powering a special MOVIE NIGHT. FUSE will be showing One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (a film adaptation of Ken Kesey's famous novel) in Coffman 305. This showing is open to all students. Come for some snacks, some drinks and some Jack Nicholson! You can find more information by visiting FUSE's website.

Also, if you haven't already you might want to look into attending one of the Chair Search talks. This is your chance to get your voice heard about what the Department will look like in following years. Please contact Rebecca Aylesworth for more information regarding this opportunity.

As always, one of the best ways to get involved and meet staff and faculty is by attending events within the Department. One event that might interested potential writers is the event Celebrating New Books by English Faculty. This is your chance to meet with professors such as Maria Damon, Ray Gonzalez, Timothy Brennan and more! You can find more information by clicking on the following link here

Prospectives Visit

The Department of English welcomes prospective graduate students March 26-28. Events scheduled include a faculty roundtable, library visit, tour of the Twin Cities, and meeting with graduate students. We look forward to meeting you!

Josephine Lee Wins Teaching Award

Professor Josephine Lee has received an Outstanding Contributions to Postbaccalaureate, Graduate, and Professional Education Award, one of eight recipients across the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. The award ceremony will take place April 27 at the McNamara Alumni Center. Professor Lee previously won the Horace T. Morse-Minnesota Alumni Award for Outstanding Contribution to Undergraduate Education in 2002-03.

MFAs Win SASE Awards

MFA alums and an MFA candidate won three of seven 2009 SASE/Jerome Awards, sponsored by the Jerome Foundation, which grant up to $3,000 to emerging Minnesota writers. The winners: poet Michelle Matthees (MFA 2001), novelist Scott Muskin (MFA 1998), and current fiction third year Ethan Rutherford.

Cross-Cultural Conversation

On Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 the Undergraduate Studies office hosted Cross-Cultural Ties: Students bringing the world together. This was a panel discussion geared at international and intercultural engagement. Students that attended had a chance to hear from Professors with experience abroad, Undergraduate students with experience abroad and International Students that are now studying in the U.S.

Panel members spoke about how their experience has changed their life and perspective! For example, on panel member said "the greatest thing about study abroad is that it does give you a new perspective on the world...it gives you a critical perspective. When you come back from abroad you can become a better citizen." This was just one of many amazing insights and suggestions that panelists expressed.

Many panelists suggested that international experience was essential for understanding your own role in our global system!

Do you want to know how you can get involved? You can always visit the Learning Abroad Center for more information about traveling abroad. Also, you can experience many cultures right here in the Twin Cities. Through service experience you can work with diverse communities without leaving the state. For service learning opportunities and volunteering you can visit the Career and Community Learning Center.

Thank you to all of our panelists for their knowledge and insight. We hope to hear from other English majors with their experience abroad and in Minneapolis.

If you would like to share your story about your international experience, or your experience here at the U please send an e-mail to Josh C. (capod001@umn.edu). Also, if you would like more information regarding the event please send an e-mail to Josh C.

Did you miss the Study Abroad Information Fair?

On Thursday, February 26th, Students met with Study Abroad Alumni, Professors and Learning Abroad Center staff to learn more about the Study Abroad Process. In case you missed this event here is a run down of information you'll need to know.

If you're interested in Study Abroad you'll want to visit the Learning Abroad Center to learn more about where, when and how you can go!

If you are unsure where you want to go, and you may be scared about going for a full semester, you might be interested in a Global Seminar. Global seminars are 3 week long programs that introduce you to an geographic area, its culture and its language. Just a few examples include:

Global Seminar in Montpellier France (no previous experience in French required!)
Global Seminar in Grenada Spain (no previous experience in Spanish required!)
Global Seminar in New Zealand
Global Seminar in Dubai
Global Seminar in China

Also, you can prepare for a short trip through SPAN. SPAN helps you to design research abroad!

Also, here is what a few students have to say about studying abroad:

Allie R. "Learn as much about the program and the city you want to go to. That way you can make the most of it!"

Atoni T. "The year I spent abroad was the best experience of my life, the best year of my life."

Jeff. B. "The time I spent abroad was the best time of my life! I got to see amazing sights, travel to Ireland and France, and absorb new cultures all while earning course credit!"

Sam O. "My time abroad was life changing and enormously fulfilling. The relationships I developed and the experiences I had will be with me forever."

If you still have more questions about how you can study abroad, you can always visit your academic adviser!

Regents Professor Profiled

Madelon Sprengnether, who was named Regents Professor in 2008, is featured in UMNews. The interview tracks her interests from Shakespeare to current theories on memory. "I've been lucky to be at a university, in a department, and in a particular moment of time when I could follow my interests," she notes. Regents Professor Sprengnether is currently writing a book-length memoir titled My Ghostly Stepfather.

Looking to add to that bookshelf?

The English Department Graduate Student Organization is holding a book sale! The Book Sale begins on Thursday, February 26th 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Lind Hall 1.

A rock bottom economy means rock bottom prices! Paperbacks are selling for 50 cents. Hardcovers and Anthologies for $1. And they said you can't get anything for a dollar.

Also, a special bag sale will occur from Noon to 2:00 p.m: All you can fit into one bag for 2 dollars!

Read your way through the recession! Stock up on cheap books.

Have you been abroad?

The Undergraduate Studies Office in the Department of English is excited to host two new events this semester!

On Thursday, February 26th between 3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. the English Department is sponsoring In Pursuit of Study Abroad Info Fair! This event will occur in Nolte 140 and will include free Mesa Pizza, drinks and snacks from Holy Land. The Learning Abroad Center will also be hosting a First Step Meeting during this time. Students will also be able to meet with Study Abroad Alumni, Professors with experience abroad and Learning Abroad Center members to go over all the logistics.

On Tuesday, March 3rd from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The English Department is sponsoring Cross Cultural Ties: Students Bringing the World Together. This will occur in Rapson Hall 56. This is your chance to listen to a panel discussion focusing on intercultural engagement in the English Department. Study Abroad Alumni, International Students and professors will all talk about their experiences! Free food and drinks will be provided!

Did you miss the UROP info. panel for English majors?

If you were unable to attend the UROP meeting last Thursday, then you missed some amazing presenters (Thanks again!) and some fabulous Pizza Luce (Support local businesses!). Unfortunatly, we cannot recap the Pizza Luce experience. However, we can fill you in on some of the important details that you missed!

The submission deadline for UROP proposals is Monday, March 2, 2009. A great source for information, as well as the application, is available on the UROP website: http://www.urop.umn.edu/. Rebecca Rassier, the CLA UROP coordinator, who spoke at the panel, is a great resource for answers to questions and help along the path towards the application process. She can be contacted at rassi003@tc.umn.edu.

Dr. Donald Ross, who has worked with several English students in the past on UROPs and is in the process of working with another student on a UROP currently, spoke about how to approach professors as potential faculty advisors. Before you submit your UROP proposal, you have to have a faculty advisor that approves your proposal and has agreed to work with you. Dr. Ross cautioned against being afraid of cold-calling professors. It is all right to approach a professor about working with you on a UROP that you have never had a course with as long as the topic that you want to explore directly coincides with the professors own personal research – the more recent the better. Dr. Ross suggested checking the English faculty page (or the faculty page of any humanities professor) to see if their research compliments the work that you want to do in your UROP proposal. It may also be a good idea to have written your three-page topic proposal before you meet with your potential faculty, so that they have something concrete to approve. It is advisable to do a UROP on a topic matter that you have studied in at least one previous course. This will greatly strengthen your UROP application.

Sara Cohen, Josh C, and Adam Schrag spoke about the opportunities available through the Voices from the Gaps website, which is currently being remodeled. It’s an exciting time to get involved with VG, which specializes in researching the often underrepresented multicultural feminine voices of the 21st century. If this sounds exciting to you, contact Sara Cohen cohen224@umn.edu, Josh C capod001@umn.edu, or Adam Schrag atschrag@umn.edu for more information.

Direct general questions to Larisa G. gars0020@umn.edu

MFA Alum on New York Times Blog

Kate Hopper (MFA 2004) contributed the entry "Afraid to Love Her Preemie" to the New York Times blog Motherlode February 12. Hopper writes frequently about mothering, writing, and teaching on her own blog Mother Words and teaches writing at the Loft Writing Center in Minneapolis.

Research + Professor = Money?

Have you heard about the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program? The UROP is your opportunity to work with professors on a research project. This is your chance to build your research abilities (something that would look great on a Graduation School application). UROP's are open to all Undergraduate students with options for self-guided or professor run projects.

One unique opportunity within the Department of English is:
The University of Minnesota's award winning project Voices from the Gap is willing to host UROP students. For more information about UROP you can come to the UROP information panel on Thursday February 12th. Also you can check out opportunities by visiting the UROP opportunities website.

New Volunteer Opportunity in English Department

The Undergraduate Studies office in the Department of English is looking for students that are interested in event planning for two English Department events. We are currently looking for 10 students interested in helping to plan, coordinate, set up and staff two events focusing on Study Abroad/International Exchange.
The Undergraduate Studies office recently received two grants designed to increase awareness of study abroad opportunities and increase awareness of intercultural engagement within the Department. Below are brief descriptions of the grants and activities included in event planning:

The Innovation for Broader Engagement grant will introduce students to Learning Abroad Center (LAC) opportunities, to other students who have returned from abroad and to other ways to include international study in degree programs. Event planning for this event will include:
- coordinating a time and location
- contacting students, LAC staff, professors and other individuals as possible presenters
- buying material and food for event
- advertising the event.
- recording and documenting the event toward publicizing the possibility of international study within degree programs at the U of M.
Students with previous experience abroad are encouraged to apply for the Innovation for Broader Engagement grant event.

The Intercultural Engagement grant will introduce students and staff to the intercultural exchange happening within the Department. Event planning for this event will include:
- coordinating a time and location
- contacting students, staff and other individuals as possible presenters
- working on a creative project for presentation at event.
- buying material and food for event
- advertising the event, and
- recording and documenting the event toward publicizing the intercultural exchange happening in the English Deparment
Students with multicultural backgrounds are encouraged to apply for the Intercultural Engagement grant event.

These positions are unpaid and completely voluntary. However, this is your chance to get to know members of the English Department, work with professors and build your resumé with event planning and management experience. Five (5) positions are being offered for each event. These positions include:
- Chair – oversee all event planning and coordinate all members.
- Public Relations/ Communications – Contact students and staff members, design and put up posters, advertise event,
- Event Planning – setting up event/ pulling down event, staffing event
- Budget – Obtaining material, coordinating payments
- Recording – Written and visual recording of events, transferring written and visual material to Department website (must attend events). Students with technical experience in audio-visual programs will be given special preference.

Apply for a position (you may apply for multiple positions) with a resumé outlining your event planning experience and also a short letter (informal) describing the position(s) you wish to apply for and your qualifications. Please send all material to Joshua Capodarco (capod001@umn.edu) no later than February 12th. Thank you all for your interest and we hope to see all your applications

January/February's Engaged English Scholar of the Month is:

Samone !!! Thank you to Samone D. for your commitment to excellence! Samone is majoring in English and Communication Studies. She has been actively involved in several student groups and organizations such as [Shades of Red] HIV/AIDS Awareness Week, Orientation and First-Year Programs, and the Queer Student Cultural Center. She had also been a Community Engagement Scholar for almost three years, volunteering at the Minnesota Internship Center.

Here is what Samone said about getting involved:

• Why is it important to you to get involved?

I don’t think our education should exist in a vacuum. If you want to work for and with others to “make the world a better place,” there are plenty of opportunities for that right here in the Twin Cities.

• How has getting involved changed your education?

As a university student, it was easy to get wrapped up in academic achievement or my ability to get employed after college, but the volunteer work I’ve done gives me a “reality check” and helps me question the material I learn in the classroom.

• Has getting involved changed your career path?

I didn’t become an English major because I wanted to teach, but I’ve come to realize that I may only be happy if I work in an educational environment. Working on scholarships, housing, and college applications with students can be difficult work but I really enjoy doing it, so my future plan is to become a school counselor.

• What suggestions do you have for other students that are interested in getting involved?

I would recommend anyone who would like to make volunteering part of their college career to take a service-learning class and/or become a Community Engagement Scholar. You can reflect on experiences, brainstorm with other volunteers, and make friends. Who doesn’t like that?

Do you think you have what it takes to be nominated for the Engaged English Scholar of the month? Contact one of your professions and ask them to nominate you. If you don't have a close relationship with a professor you can nominate yourself by sending an e-mail outlining your credentials to Josh C. at capod001@umn.ed. We encourage you to go out volunteer, attend student groups and more!

Department News

Professor Michael Dennis Browne's oratorio with composer Stephen Paulus To Be Certain of the Dawn is now out on BIS Records. . . . Professors Ellen Messer-Davidow and David Treuer are featured in the winter 2009 issue of the CLA magazine Reach. . . . English is one of seven University departments system-wide to win a $10,000 Engaged Department Grant from the Office of Public Engagement. The grants are meant to advance the integration of public engagement into department research and teaching. . . . Screenwriting instructor John Olive opened a new play Pharaoh Serket and the Lost Stone of Fire at Seattle Children's Theatre. . . . Professor Charles Baxter's novel The Soul Thief is out in paperback.

Awards & Nominations

Professor Julie Schumacher's novel Black Box has been named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. . . . Nominations for Minnesota Book Awards include three Creative Writing professors (Schumacher, Charles Baxter, and Ray Gonzalez), three MFA alumni (Laura Flynn, Joe Hart, and Brian Malloy), two MA alumna (Margaret Hasse and Alison McGhee), and one BA alumnus (Tim Nolan). . . . MFA alumna Flynn, author of the memoir Swallow the Ocean, also took home a "Keeper" award in late January from Metro magazine. . . . 2009 SASE/Jerome finalists include MFA alums Michael J. Opperman, Scott Muskin, Margie Newman and Michelle Matthees, as well as current MFAs Libby Edelson and Ethan Rutherford. Congratulations to all!

Publication & Fellowship News

PhD candidate Steve Healey published part of his dissertation project in the February issue of Writer's Chronicle. His article is entitled "The Rise of Creative Writing and the New Value of Creativity." Healey will be presenting "The Creative Writing Boom and the Poetics of Post-Industrial America" as part of our eNow! "Poetics, Politics, and Place" series February 23 at 2:30 pm in Lind Hall 207A. . . . Professor Omise’eke Natasha Tinsley was chosen a Spring 2010 Institute for Advanced Study Faculty Fellow for her project “Water, Shoulders, Into the Black Pacific."

Alumni at Museum of Russian Art

The staff of the Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis now counts three English alums on its nine-person staff, including President and Director Judi Dutcher (BA 1984). Curator of Russian Art and Artifacts Maria Zavialova received her PhD in English and Comparative Studies in Discourse and Society in 2008, and Misha Dashevsky (BA 1999) serves as assistant to the President. The stunning exhibit Transcendent Art: Icons from Yaroslavl, Russia winds up on Saturday January 24: 54 icons painted in the 17th and 18th centuries are on display, on loan from the Yaroslavl Art Museum. Upcoming exhibits include Russkiy Salon: Select Favorites and Newly Revealed Works, opening February 2, and Postage Stamps: Messengers of the Soviet Future, opening March 7.

Happy 2009!

Happy Holidays and Happy 2009 to all Undergraduate Students. At the Undergraduate Studies office we would like to wish everyone a happy new year and hope that all students will continue to bring excellence to the U of M English Department. This time of year is full of new things: a new year, a new president (!!!), and a new semester. This is your chance to improve on or change your involvement here at the U of M.

Just one of many ways to get involved this semester is to stop into the Undergraduate Studies office located in Lind Hall 227. You can meet with your academic adviser to discuss different ways to get involved and personally shape your education.

Also, you may want to check out the recently formed Fellowship of Undergraduate Students of English (FUSE). FUSE is a way to meet other English majors and have fun. This semester FUSE is looking for students that are interested in creating student interest groups. FUSE is open to all students and any interest. Please contact Stephen C. (cour0096@umn.edu) if you are interested.

This is just one of many ways to get involved. Feel free to stop by Lind Hall 227 and ask for the Peer advisers if you ever have any questions. Thank you to all students for their commitment to excellence this past semester!

Susan Wolfson Lecture

The English Graduate Student Organization and the Nineteenth-Century British Subfield present a lecture by Professor Susan Wolfson of Princeton University: "Byron's Ghosts" April 16, 2009, 4pm, 207A Lind Hall. Support for this event has been provided by the Department of English, the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, the Coca-Cola Activity Initiative, English Graduate Studies, and the College of Liberal Arts, Research and Graduate Programs.