This Week in English | December 3 – 9, 2018
Holiday Open House on Wednesday
We hope that you’ll favor us with your company and good cheer this Wednesday afternoon from 2 – 4pm in the Wicks Room. We’ll have cookies and warm cider on hand and if you’d like to contribute something tasty, additional treats are welcome. Students, faculty, family, and friends of the department are all invited!
Crouse, Ellis, and Hildebrandt in New Writing Series on Thursday
The New Writing Series features three members of the creative writing faculty at UMaine in a special event, the second of two, designed to showcase the literary talent in our midst. Writers Joanna (Jody) Crouse, Kathleen Ellis, and Leonore Hildebrandt will read from their work on Thursday, December 6, at 4:30pm. Like all NWS events, it is free and open to the public.
Graduate Faculty Spotlights
Curious about the research and creative work that members of our graduate faculty have underway? Take a look at the expanded roster of faculty spotlights, which now includes Elizabeth Neiman, Caroline Bicks, Laura Cowan, Jennifer Moxley, and Sarah Harlan-Haughey. Undergraduates who would like to know more about the Master’s Degree in English are encouraged to speak with their current instructors and/or program coordinator Dylan Dryer for more details. The deadline for applicants seeking a teaching assistantship (which includes an annual stipend of $14,600 and tuition waivers) is January 15.
Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King Memorial Scholarships
Ten English majors received Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King Memorial Scholarships earlier this fall. This merit-based scholarship honors the memory of the mother of one of our most celebrated alums, Stephen King. Meet this year’s recipients:
Eric Arnold is a senior majoring in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. He is currently interested in pursuing a career in technical writing. Eric is seeking the potential to extend his education after graduation.
Lydia Balestra is a senior earning her B.A. in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. She wishes to pursue a teaching career to encourage the creativity of young writers.
Hannah Dyer is a junior majoring in English with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Hannah intends to teach at the post-secondary level and publish her poetry.
Catherine Gottwalt is a senior majoring in English and Journalism with a focus in Creative Writing. She is also a member of the University of Maine Honors College. A tutor at the University, she now aspires to teach high school English in her future.
Christopher King is a senior majoring in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. He is also majoring in History with a minor in Maine Studies. A mentor to other students on campus, Christopher has developed a passion for ensuring student success and intends to continue in this helping profession after graduating.
Madalyn Jackson is a senior majoring in English. She is also a member of the University of Maine Honors College. Maddy hopes to work in publishing and editing when she graduates, and already has developed impressive editorial skills and knowledge through her experience as the head copy editor of The Maine Campus.
Nicholas Jordan is a senior who is majoring in English and minoring in History. Upon graduating from the university in the spring, he intends to pursue a teaching career. The Classical Education Model interests him, and his ideal workplace would be for Mirus Academy in Ellsworth.
Nisha Patel is a senior who is working towards a double major in English and Philosophy. The existential realm of literature and philosophy interests her greatly. When she has spare time, Nisha delights in writing free-verse poetry.
Nola Prevost is a sophomore majoring in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. She aspires to be a novelist.
Gordon Woodin is a senior majoring in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. He has an additional minor in Psychology.
Routine Departmental Business
The next department meeting is scheduled for this Thursday, December 6, at 2pm in the Hatlen Room (NV 406). Please send agenda items to english.chair@maine.edu by end of day on Tuesday. Minutes from the Graduate Studies Committee meeting of November 29 are now available.
Looking Ahead
On Friday, December 7, “Collective Ground” opens at the Lord Hall Gallery (5:30-8pm). Double major Mary Manley is among those whose work is featured in the annual Senior Art Exhibition.
On December 12, the UMaine Bookstore will host the 12th annual celebration of poet Emily Dickinson’s birthday in an event starting at 4pm. For more information, contact organizer Kathleen Ellis.
There are still seats available in English 440, the seminar Professor Carla Billitteri will lead this spring on contemporary African-American literature. “This is a seminar about contemporary works of poetry, drama, and social criticism that aim at constructing the future today, in the belief that the future speaks to us today—or even, as June Jordan seems to imply in her elegant phrase ‘tomorrow words today,’ that the future ‘words’ our present; it creates, by way of telling, our present.” Full description attached.
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Enjoy the penultimate week of classes, everyone. We hope to see you on Wednesday for a relaxing break from the big projects that semester’s end tends to bring.
Steve
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This Week in English 41 was sent to faculty, students, and friends of the department on Monday, December 3, 2018. If you would rather not receive these weekly bulletins, please reply with <unsubscribe> in your subject line. Earlier installments are archived on our website.
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