ENGLISH TIMES Volume 8, Issue 2 December 1, 2004

CLARK UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT/UNIVERSITY NEWS

English Department English Department Faculty Search Writing Contests The English Department is conducting a DEADLINE: search for a new full-time faculty member in Friday, March 18, 2005 Antebellum American literature. Undergradu- 12:00 NOON—no exceptions ate and graduate students are strongly encour- Open to all Clark undergraduate students, Inside this issue: aged to attend the finalists’ presentations next including matriculated COPACE students semester. Keep on the lookout for updates. • Loring Holmes and Ruth Dodd Drama 1 • May Term 2005 in Contest (Prize: $250) Luxembourg • Prentiss Cheney Hoyt Poetry Contest • English Department writing contests (Prizes: $50-$250) • English Department May Term 2005 in Luxembourg • Short Story Contest (Prizes: $50-$250) faculty search May 15-June 11 • Leroy Allston Ames Essay Contest 2 • From the Chair (Prize: $250) The Leir Center Luxembourg-Clark University 3 For further information, please check our • Undergraduate (LCL-CU) will once again offer the May Term Shakespeare Confer- during spring 2005 in the Grand Duchy of website: ence at Holy Cross Luxembourg. The LCL-CU continues its com- www.clarku.edu/departments/english 4 mitment to providing international perspec- or come to the English Department office. • Faculty news tives and learning experiences for students 5 • Graduate Student and faculty. Three courses will be offered business from May 15 through June 11. Chair’s Tea • Alumnae/i News

Undergraduate and graduate students may HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO enroll in one of three May Term courses— MONDAY, DECEMBER 6 Sense of Place: Drawing in Luxembourg; Be- EVERYONE is welcome. Please join Professor yond Armageddon: Enmity to Amity in Gertz 3:30-4:30 in her office for this se- Europe; and Seeing the Light: At the Cross- mester’s last Chair’s Tea: engaging conversa- roads of Art and Science. tion, tea and scones. This is a wonderful opportunity to get to know Professor Gertz and Applicants should submit the completed ap- to meet other English Department faculty, plication with required transcript to the office majors, and graduate students. of Study Abroad Programs no later than Fri- day, January 28, 2005 . Senior Honors Student

Kristen Small has been accepted into the senior honors program in English and will be working with Professor Betsy Huang.

We’re on the web! www.clarku.edu/departments/english Clark University, Department of English, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA, 01610 Phone: 508-793-7142 • Undergraduate email: [email protected] • Graduate email: [email protected]

Page 2 ENGLISH TIMES

FROM THE CHAIR

We've had quite a few stellar events this semester, and I hope you had the opportunity to come to at least a few of them. President John Bassett brought in Robert Pinsky, who gave a wonderful performance reading his own poetry. The Higgins School of the Humanities' African American Intellectual Series, organized and convened by Winston Napier, brought in two specialists on Hip Hop: Marcyliena Morgan and Tracy Sharpley-Whiting. And as much as I enjoyed these events, I have to confess I'm still partial to the events I organized: Harry Wu and Dan Piccuta, who dis- cussed Mr. Wu's on-going battle for civil rights in the People's Republic of China, and Farideh Koohi-Kamali, who presented a fascinating talk on Women and Islam, focusing on Iranian women, Iran, and the Kurds. In addition to these events, we had our monthly Chair's Teas and a jam- packed, highly successful, and stimulating Alum and Chowder Fest. If you weren't able to attend these events, do not despair. In Spring 2005, we will also have some events (in addition to the Chair's Teas) that may very well interest you. As some of you know, we'll be searching for a specialist in Antebellum American literature. If all goes as planned, we'll be bringing our top three candidates onto campus in January and Febru- ary. In addition to getting to know the Department and Clark, each of them will be giving a talk. Please do try to make one of the sessions in which the candidates meet with various groups (students, faculty) as well as the talks. Your input is very valuable to us. Especially students' reac- tions to the individual candidates help us gauge how good a candidate might actually be in the classroom. While the events I've been describing were/will be faculty-generated, the English Department may also be involved in a student-conceived event. If all goes as planned, we will have a poetry and fiction workshop one day in February (we'll be sending news of these workshops as soon as possi- ble). These creative writing workshops will be for students only, and they will mainly be organized and run by the Junior and Senior Representatives to the Chair, Nick Delaini (who'll be stepping in for Ksenia Varlyguina--who came up with the idea--since she'll be studying abroad in spring) and Susan Munroe. Please feel free to contact them ([email protected]; [email protected]; kvar- [email protected]) or me ([email protected]) if you'd like to help or participate. There will be additional events in spring, but I did want to draw your attention to these two at this point in time. Finally, I also wanted to ask the alumnae and alumni among you to send along news, keep us updated, and also, please, feel free to make suggestions about what you would like to see in the English Times. This request doesn't come out of the blue. I was working furiously in my office one glum November day, when a knock dislodged me from the task at hand, and I grumbled, mumbled my way to the door. Opening it, I was absolutely stunned and delighted to see one of my former

Where life comes to literature to literature life comes Where students, Debbie (Hendel) Sonin from my very first class here at Clark. With her family no less. Put simply, we faculty love to hear from you.

All the Best, Have a Productive and Fruitful Close to your Semester, Happy Holidays,

SunHee Kim Gertz Professor and Chair of English

Volume 8, Issue 2 Page 3

DEPARTMENT/UNIVERSITY NEWS

Fourth Annual Undergraduate Junior and Senior Conference on Shakespeare Representatives to the Chair

On April 16, 2005, the fourth annual under- Senior: Susan Munroe graduate conference on Shakespeare in the Junior: Ksenia Varlyguina, who will be New England area will convene at Holy studying abroad spring semester. Nick Cross. Each year, this conference (initiated Delaini will be the new Junior representa- by our own Virginia Vaughan) is held at a tive. different college or university and invites undergraduates from New England institu- tions to participate. First Hervey Ross Oratorical Contest Undergraduates are encouraged to submit papers (15-minute reading limit, translating Alumnus Hervey Ross is sponsoring the into ca. 8 pages) to Holy Cross on the topic first oratorical contest at Clark University. of “Shakespeare and the Art of Human The contest is focused on the art of public Kindness.” In the past, our English Depart- speaking and the oratory and is open to all ment graduate students have also been in- Clark students. The theme of this first con- vited to moderate the sessions. test is “Speeches from the American Poli- So, if you’re interested in delivering a pa- tic.” per, submit a proposal of about 300 words Guidelines: to (or if you’re interested in moderating a Students will present a 6-8 minute speech session, contact): originally performed by an American politi- Professor Helen Whall cal figure. This includes candidates for of- Box 142 A fice, as well as those involved in political College of the Holy Cross movements. Any speech originally per-

Worcester, MA 01610-2395 formed pre-1964 is acceptable. Have a great break! Deadline: February 12, 2005 Submission: Contact Professor Gino DiIorio by Decem- ber 20 via email at [email protected]. You must include your name, address, Jake Selinger Receives the email address, phone number, and two University of East Anglia speeches you are considering for your presentation. Please pick your first and second Exchange Program choices. Scholarship for an English major who If needed, a preliminary round will be held wishes to study abroad with our partner Tuesday, February 8 in Little Center. The institution in England, the University of final presentation will be held Tuesday, East Anglia. Jake will be studying there February 22 in Atwood Hall. Spring 2005. Prizes: 1st prize: $500 2nd prize: $300 3rd prize: $200

Page 4 ENGLISH TIMES

FACULTY NEWS

William G. Tapply Receives Rave Reviews

According to an article by eelgrass in the shallow wa- Judith Jaeger, has this to Hallie Ephron in the Sep- ter,’ and begin false-casting, say: “For most writers, one more tember 26, 20o4 edition of whatever that is.” book published each year information on the Boston Sunday Globe, represents a steady career Professor “William G. Tapply writes If you were reading through and reason to be proud. Tapply is about fly fishing so seduc- the October 6-19, 2004 edi- With the release of six books available on the tively in ‘Bitch Creek’ that tion of The Improper Bosto- this year, Clark English in- web at even I, who have the atten- nian, you would have also structor, William Tapply has www.williamgta tion span of a gnat, wanted come across Mr. Tappy in an reason to celebrate.” pply.com to drive up to the little tidal article on mystery writers. creek he describes emptying Pick up the fall 2004 edition into Casco Bay, find the of Clark News and once stripers in some nervous again you will be reading water along the edge of the about Mr. Tapply. Editor

Lea Graham Receives Award, Has Article Published, and Presents at Conference

Lea Graham is the recipient Ms. Graham wrote a critical mon West in the Poetry of of the Francis A. Kinnicutt article, “Out of the Ordi- Thomas McGrath and An- Award, which is awarded nary: The Collaboration of drew Suknaski” in Septem- through the Worcester Art Michael Anania and Ed ber at the “Prairies” Confer- Museum to women artists Colker,” which will be pub- ence at the University of specifically for the purpose lished by Samizdat Press in Manitoba. While there, she of travel and furthering an anthology on the work of chaired a panel as well at their craft. Ms. Graham will the poet, Michael Anania. the request of Dennis Coo- be traveling to Costa Rica ley, a well-known Canadian next summer to spend a Ms. Graham also presented poet. month writing as part of an her paper, “Cows and Cars artists’ colony. and Tall Tales: The Com-

Sione Aeschliman has Article Published Sione Aeschliman’s article on audience analysis, “The Misdirected Letter: An Argument for Acknowledging Audiences,” recently appeared in the Minnesota English Journal.

Volume 8, Issue 2 Page 5

GRADUATE STUDENT BUSINESS

Spring 2005 Colloquia Schedule All colloquia are held at 2:30 p.m. in Leir Seminar I, unless otherwise noted.

February 9 April 6

Matthew Brown Marina Mertens Graduate Student Council: Stephanie Kader Meghan Gayton President— Zhifang Wu, Visiting Professor Jean-Paul Breaux Shiva Aliabadi March 2 April 27 Representatives— Trisha Wooldridge Joe Flis Jan Herbst Jordan DeMaio Sascha Zivkovic Sascha Zivkovic Shiva Aliabadi Sebastian Fett Graduate Reps. For March 30 Department meetings: Graduate Student Council Jordan DeMaio Multi-disciplinary Conference Trisha Wooldridge

ALUMNAE/I NEWS

Congratulations to Rebecca Mackay, MA ‘96 Rebecca was married last year and recently received her Ph.D. from Binghamton Univer- sity. Her dissertation was on painting and the Victorian heroine.

Matthew McAllester, MA ‘02, in Iraq Alumnae/i, send Our thoughts are with Newsday staff correspondent, Matthew McAllester who has re- us an e-mail turned to Iraq reporting the news. and we’ll include your news in the next issue. Dana Perkins, MA ‘93, Plays Dracula

Dana Perkins received a rave review in the October 15, 2004 edition of the Worcester Tele- gram & Gazette for his performance as Dracula at the Stageloft Repertory Theater in Stur- bridge, MA. According to James A. Karis II, Telegram & Gazette reviewer, “Regardless of the creative liberties taken by the playwrights, a successful ‘Dracula’ depends on a con- vincing performance by the actor in the title role, and this show has one. On Sunday, Dana Perkins’ Dracula was suave, but also vulnerable—making the fiend an almost pitiable figure. The actor put his own mark on the role, wearing a goatee and avoiding the obvious (albeit immensely entertaining) overacting of the screen’s most famous Count, Bela Lugosi.”

Page 6 ENGLISH TIMES ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY

James P. Elliott, Ph.D. Virginia Mason Vaughan, Ph.D. Professor of English. Trained as (on sabbatical AY 2004-05) textual editor in the field of Ameri- Professor of English. Professor Emeriti Faculty can literature, Professor Elliott has Vaughan specializes in Renaissance John Conron, Ph.D. been associated with the Edition of literature, especially in Shake- the Writings of James Fenimore 20th-century American literature speare, but as a cultural historian, Cooper for twenty years. she is also interested in appropria- Jesse C. Cunningham, Ph.D. History of the novel SunHee Kim Gertz, Ph.D. tions of Shakespeare’s texts from the 17th century to the present. She Professor of English, Department Serena Hilsinger, Ph.D. teaches courses in Shakespeare at Modernist literature and women Chair. Professor Gertz’s research the introductory and advanced level and publications are concerned writers. in addition to the seminar “Studies with semiotics and western Euro- in the Renaissance.” pean literature in the late Middle The Writing Center Ages. She also researches links be- Sione Aeschliman, M.A. is located in Corner House. The tween Asian and European litera- Writing Center offers assistance Expository Writing tures. with writing for any class in any President Bassett, Ph.D. Betsy Huang, Ph.D. discipline, at all stages of the William Faulkner writing process (trying to under- Assistant Professor of English. Pro- Louis Bastien, Ph.D. stand a writing assignment, fessor Huang researches and Intro to Lit and Composition teaches representations of ethnic brainstorming, composing, get- Major British Writers ting unstuck, writing, revising, and racial identities in 20th-century Intro to Medieval Literature American literature and popular seeking citation information, Tim Connolly, M.A. culture. editing, proofreading). News Writing Fern L. Johnson, Ph.D. Jim Dempsey, M.A. Professor of English. Professor Feature Writing The Center for Com- Johnson is a sociolinguist specializ- ing in the study of gender, race, and Peter Erickson, Ph.D. munity Engagement culture in language and is also Di- Advanced Shakespeare and Volunteering rector of the Communication and Anne Geller, Ph.D., (CEV) Culture program. Director of the Writing Center & is located on the first floor of Lisa Kasmer, Ph.D. Writing Program Corner House. The Center as- Assistant Professor of English. Pro- Expository Writing sists students in finding a com- fessor Kasmer’s research and teach- Lea Graham, Ph.D. munity service placement suit- ing interests center on 18th– and Writing on Travel able for a particular class re- 19th-century British literature, gen- Creative Writing: Poetry quirement or personal interest. der studies, postcolonial studies, English Poetry I Office hours are 9-5, Monday and print culture. through Friday. Stop by for the Diane Moul, Ph.D. “Coffee and Tea with the CEV’ Winston Napier, Ph.D. Intro. to Lit. & Composition any Wednesday between 1-4, or E. Franklin Frazier Chair, Associate Jen Plante, M.A. Professor of English. Professor Expository Writing Napier specializes in critical theory, Intro to Lit. & Composition 20th century African American lit- Leeore Schnairsohn, M.F.A. erary culture and African American Expository Writing philosophy. Claire Schomp, M.A. Stanley Sultan, Ph.D. Expository Writing (on leave - Spring 2005) There are copies of faculty Professor of English. Until recently, Bill Tapply, M.A.T. office hours outside the front Expository Writing Professor Sultan’s scholarly interest lounge. Please help yourself. was largely in the poetry, fiction, Creative Writing: Fiction Writing the Novel I and drama of modernist writers. In the past few years he has devoted Lucilia Valerio, Ph.D. more attention to critical theory, Intro to Lit & Composition literary history, and theoretical is- Women Writers I: pre-1900 sues in literary history. We’re on the web! www.clarku.edu/departments/english Clark University, Department of English, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA, 01610 Phone: 508-793-7142 • Undergraduate email: [email protected] • Graduate email: [email protected]