UW-L English Studies Blog

An Invitation for Faculty

Remember the nice invitation you received in your mailbox last Friday?  English students are hosting this event for faculty and students on this Friday evening in the Ward Room of Cartwright.  There will be a buffet-style food table, literary trivia games, awards to faculty and students, and the initiation of new Honors Society members.

I know how work-centered many of you have been these first few weeks, and the students know this as well.  They know about all of the job candidates and so forth, but they could not change the date of this event due to booking schedule.  So, you may be asked by a student in one of your classes if you will be coming to this event.

I hope you’ll consider going!

Sharon Jessee

Upcoming Events

Hi, everyone,

The English department is featured prominently in events taking place this week across campus. Sharon Jessee will be presenting her paper, “The Heteroglossia of Green: American Ecology from Ralph Waldo Emerson to Toni Morrison,” as one of four UWL Scholars celebrating Chancellor Gow’s Inauguration. The scholars’ presentations will take place Thursday, October 18th, at the Cleary Center. A reception for the scholars’ presentations will begin at 3PM, followed by the presentations, beginning at 4PM.

That same afternoon (Th 10/18), Brian Turner will read from his Iraq war poetry collection, Here, Bullet, in the Port O’ Call Lounge at Cartwright Center, beginning at 5:30. Mr. Turner’s reading, and related class activities Wednesday and Thursday, have been organized by Matt Cashion.

Both events have been widely publicized, in the Campus Connection, in the Raquet, on our English Department web page blog, and in the La Crosse Tribune. I hope many of you will be able to find the time to support our colleagues’ activities, and to remind interested students to try to attend.

Finally, thanks to all of the faculty and students who made our 3rd semi-annual kickball social and cookout celebration a success. The faculty once again prevailed in kickball (with only a minimum amount of cheating). And a good time was had by all.

Dick Sullivan

Sharon Jessee Presentation

Inauguration Scholars to speak on Oct. 18

Four Inauguration Scholars, chosen by the Inauguration Scholar subcommittee, will give their presentations beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, in the Great Hall, Cleary Alumni & Friends Center. A reception for the Inauguration Scholars will precede the presentation at 3 p.m. in the Gathering Place, Cleary Alumni & Friends Center.  READ MORE...

Sharon will present "The Heteroglossia of Green: American Ecology from Ralph Waldo Emerson to Toni Morrison."  Jessee is professor of English and of Women Gender and Sexuality Studies at UW-L. She contributed to the English department's American Literature curricular reform in the 1990s in integrating diversity into courses for general education and for majors. Currently, her book manuscript, "Voice Upon Voice: Polyrhythm in Toni Morrison's Trilogy," is in its final revision and editing phase before it is submitted for consideration to university presses.

Brian Turner Visit

Greetings! 

If any of you, or your students, would like to attend a class visit by Brian Turner, our guest poet, he will be speaking to my Forms of Poetry class at 5:00 in Room 338 on Wednesday, October 17th.  You are welcome to attend!!!

Mary V. Davidson   

P.S. More information about his visit should be posted soon!

A Farewell

From Susan Crutchfied

This May we gathered to bid farewell to Mary Morzinski (who retires to Montana) and David Wood (who takes a position at Northern Michigan University). They will be missed!

Faculty and Staff Reminders

From:   Dick Sullivan

• Our next Department meeting will be Wednesday, May 2nd, 3:45, in CWH432.

Reminder of other events:

1. Our semi-annual student/faculty Potluck and Kick-Ball outing will be this Friday, April 27th, beginning at 4PM, at the Myrik Park Shelter. 
2. Our English Club/Sigma Tau Delta students ar hosting "Literacy and Lyrics" (food drive and concert) Tuesday May 1, Port-O-Call Lounge in Cartwright, 7-9PM.
3. The last Speak! open mike readings at the Cellar will be Wed May 2, beginning 8PM
4. Joe Gow will present at our last English Department Colloquium Friday, May 4, at 2:30, in CWH 207

Upcoming Faculty Colloquia

Greetings, everyone:

I thought I would point out to everyone the updated English Department Faculty Colloquia sign-up sheet, which is pinned to the cork board outside the Department office.  The sheet indicates the following dates and speakers for the remainder of the 2006-2007 Series.  All meetings run from 

• 2:30-4:00pm and take place in CWH 207. 

Please mark your calendars.

• Friday, March 23: Mary Morzinski will be discussing American Sign Language.
• Friday, April 13: Jean Janecki, of the Department of Modern Languages, will be discussing Lorca.
• Friday, May 4: Joe Gow will be discussing a subject that remains under negotiation.

Ciao,
David Wood

Grammar Girl Podcast

I just received this from a former student--it's an interesting site that MIGHT be helpful, to a degree. At least students would know that correct grammar use is being "podcast."

Mary Davidson

__________

Here is a website for your students to access. It's called 'Grammar Girl' and is a free podcast, each one being a quick proper grammar lesson. I have subscribed to it hoping it will clear up some mistakes I still make. Check it out and see what you think. I just thought it would be a good way to bridge the generational gap with the younger freshman cause you download the podcast and put in on your computer or iPod to listen to it........Awesome Dude. I think I need a generational gap slap upside the head after saying that. The address is:

• http://grammar.qdnow.com/

Request a Traveling Tutor

Do your students need help with their writing?

Request a Traveling Tutor!

Writing Center tutors are now available to give presentations in your classes on these topics:

1. APA Citation Format
2. MLA Citation Format
3. Basic Punctuation Use
4. Avoiding Plagiarism
5. Common Editing and Proofreading Mistakes
6. Proper Use of Standard English

Interested in requesting a tutor?

Send the information below to Natalie Szymanski, Traveling Tutor Director, one of the following ways:

1. by email, szymansk.nata@students.uwlax.edu, or phone (262)498-5465
2. by campus mail to the English Department (433 Wimberly)
3. in person at the Writing Center (304 Wimberly)

Natalie Szymanski

Publication Seeks Submissions

The La Crosse River Marsh Coalition is looking for submissions for their annual publication. One of the editors told me that they are receiving plenty of entries from the public schools but are really interested in manuscripts from "adult" writers. Please pass the word along to students--or to anyone you know who might be interested. Green fliers are available on the bookshelf in the hallway outside the English Office. Entries "may be in any form: fiction or nonfiction, essay, narrative, anecdote, letter, poem, etc. There is no length requirement or limit. . ."

Mary Davidson