Our Graduate Students — Not only does the English Department have one of the largest MA programs in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, but we also have two very active graduate student organizations: The English Graduate Student Association (EGSA) and the Children’s Literature Graduate Organization (CLGO). This fall EGSA and CLGO are collaborating on a series of events related to Banned Books Week. Starting on Monday, September 22, and running through Friday, September 26, this week-long extravaganza will include panel discussions, film screenings, and public readings of banned or challenged texts. EGSA and CLGO are in the process of finalizing their schedule for Banned Book Week, and as soon as this schedule is set, I will share it with the department. I am very pleased that our graduate students are working together and taking initiative in planning this series of events, and I urge everyone to support our students by attending one or more of these events.
Kudos— As you know, I like to use my Monday Missives to share news about recent accomplishments by members of our department. Here is the latest news:
Lil Brannon, the Director of the UNC Charlotte Writing Project, recently learned that the work of the UNC Charlotte Writing Project is featured this year in the National Writing Project’s Annual Report. The report celebrates the collaboration between our Writing Project and Discovery Place, and it features quotations by Lacy Manship, Associate Director, and Steve Fulton, 8th Grade Teacher at Kannapolis Middle School. Our site was one of four selected nationally to partner with science museums to deepen the intersections of science and literacy. Here is a link to the pages of the annual report that feature our project: http://www.nwp.org/ar13/educators-innovate.html
Grace C. Ocasio, a graduate of our MA program, recently published a poetry collection titled The Speed of Our Lives. She is having a reading and book signing at Park Road Books on Friday, August 22, at 6:00 pm.
Upcoming Events and Deadlines— Here are some dates to keep in mind:
August 18 — First day of classes for the fall semester.
August 19 — Convocation will take place at 9:30 in McKnight Hall.
August 22 — The All-College Faculty meeting will take place at 9:00 in CHHS 155.
August 22 — The first English Department meeting will take place from 11:00-12:30 in 290B Fretwell.
Quirky Quiz Question — According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, August 11 is the last of the Dog Days of Summer. The term “Dog Days of Summer” is related to ancient beliefs about the heat generated by the Dog Star. Can anybody recall the name of the Dog Star?