Faculty in the Media

The scholarship of Professor Michael Hancher is referenced in The Times Literary Supplement review of the new edition of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. . . . Responding in part to the discovery of certain bones found buried under a British parking lot, Professor John Watkins looks at current U.S. foreign policy through the lens of Shakespeare & Richard III in Foreign Policy. He was subsequently interviewed on NPR about the story.

Upcoming Creative Writing Faculty Publications

Assistant Professor Peter Campion will be publishing his third book of poetry, El Dorado, with the University of Chicago Press in October. He is interviewed about the book by poet Katie Peterson. Professor Ray Gonzalez will present his 12th book of poetry, Beautiful Wall, in 2014 with BOA Editions, publisher of five of his earlier volumes. Finally, Professor Julie Schumacher just sold a novel with the working title Dear Committee Members to Doubleday. This will be Schumacher's second novel for adults; she's published five for younger readers since her first adult novel, The Body Is Water (1995). Congratulations!

5 X Friday: BA Alum Jerr Boschee

In the last decade, his seventh, social entrepreneurship innovator Jerr Boschee (BA English, 1966; MA, Comparative Literature, 1974) served as an adviser to England's Department of Trade and Industry Social Enterprise Unit, published his sixth book, trotted the globe giving master classes and presentations, was named three times to The NonProfit Times' "Power and Influence Top 50" list, and served as founding Chair of Encore! Service Corps International, which sends former Peace Corps Volunteers on short-term assignments in their areas of professional expertise. How did an English major arrive here? Read on . . .

5 X Friday: English Major Ana Bichanich

As the president of the student group for English majors and minors, FUSE, Ana Bichanich continues a tradition of innovative programming that earned FUSE a Student Unions & Activities Tony Diggs Excellence Award. FUSE brings together undergraduate and graduate students in mentoring relationships and encourages students to learn more about their professors through informal lunches. More . . . .

English major Ana Bichanich is the president of FUSE, the Fellowship of Undergraduate Students in English, a student group started four years ago. A senior with a minor in French, Bichanich is interested in a career in the publishing industry. This year she was one of two English majors chosen for a two-semester, 10 hour/week internship at the University of Minnesota Press, where thus far she has tracked down photo permissions, formatted manuscripts, learned "castoff" and "transmittal"--and received the honor of an author's acknowledgements page mention.
1. What is FUSE about and why should students get involved?
FUSE is about building a community among English majors and minors, the Department of English, and English graduate students. Our various programs offer help with applying to graduate school, building writing and editing skills, and building relationships with faculty and professors, along with fun events and conversations with other English majors and minors. It is always interesting to talk to others who are passionate about the same things you are passionate about. Students should get involved for their own benefit!
2. What is your favorite FUSE event thus far? What's coming up this semester that you're excited about?
I really enjoyed the Roaring '20s themed party! Everyone dressed up in era-style clothing, listened to jazz, and read selections of literature about or written during this exciting period. This semester, I am looking forward to the Kick-Off Event Wednesday, February 6, 6:30-8 pm in Lind 207A which is always really fun and a great way to start the semester. Other events to watch for this semester are our "Lunches with Professors," as well as another themed event.
3. You also intern for the University of Minnesota Press, in a special English-sponsored internship that gives students experience in the editing department for one semester and in production/marketing the next. What has most surprised you about working inside this University press?
The biggest, and best, surprise was the atmosphere of the work place and the kindness of the staff. From the start, they treated me with a lot of respect and never made me make coffee or do menial tasks that one imagines an intern to do. They also made sure that I understood the purpose of the work I did and genuinely cared about my experience, not just the work I was doing for them. I really look forward to spending another semester there.
4. How does this internship experience relate to your studies in English? How has it affected your views of your post-graduation future?
In classes, we question who first wrote down Beowulf or if Homer was one person, and we often identify or define works by who wrote them. Through this internship, I have seen how much credit the publishing houses deserve for the books they publish. The authors decidedly have the most important contribution, but the editors can heavily influence the way the text is shaped or presented. It is similar to the way society focuses on the director of a movie as its sole creator instead of acknowledging all of the hard work other people put into the film.
I applied to this internship to gain an understanding of the world of publishing to see if it was something I wanted to pursue post-graduation. Even after only one semester, I am certain that this is what I want to do.
5. Last really good book you read?
Most recently, I read, and enjoyed, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.
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5 X Friday: BA Alum Reina del Cid

Reina del Cid (BA '10) and the Cidizens are a folk rock band in the Twin Cities whose debut album, blueprints, plans, made radio station the Current's "Top 20 Local Releases of 2012." Reina (yes, her stage name) began her musical career while an English major at the U, posting YouTube videos popular enough to draw the interest of a major record label. As she told the Star Tribune, sticking to her studies felt right then, and now she's bringing literature influences to the music she makes with her bandmates. Or as she puts it, "I bring the words, and they bring the groove." More . . .

5 X Friday: BA Alum Arthur Schuhart

More than 20 years ago, he slammed at punk shows and poetry readings. Today, Arthur Schuhart (BA '87) is a dedicated English professor at a community college--which he characterizes as "the great transitional mechanism of American society." In between, he taught seventh graders in the Bronx as one of the first cohort of Teach For America recruits. Schuhart answers our queries about TFA, DCSlam, and his affection for military science fiction.

English in the Winter Issue of Reach

CLA's alumni magazine reach celebrates English BA alum and feminist writer Kate Millett, with contributions from Professor Emerita Toni McNaron and alums Arvonne Fraser and Jigna Desai. McNaron noted: "Millett's writings urged me to confront the classics, because she understood firsthand how limiting and debilitating it can be to an aspiring female undergraduate to keep studying ideas and works from theoretical positions that ignored characters and experiences like her own." In addition, books by English alums Amanda Coplin, Cheryl Strayed, and David Wojahn are reviewed in reach's "Bound to Please" section.