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Fall 2015 Number 002 english.utoronto.ca

ENGLISH, 40 YEARS AGO 5 Notes

restrained, even, at times, self-effacing; a MEMORIAL TRIBUTE sympathetic intelligence that sought NEW FACULTY FOR CHELVA openings for dialogue, not a self-serving AUDREY WALTON KANAGANAYAKAM intelligence that had no patience for the DECEMBER 1, 2014 other’s point of view. Since coming to the University of Toronto ten years ago, Written by I’ve had the great pleasure of working Professor Victor Li closely with Chelva in the English Department’s graduate program. In the course of many dissertation committee meetings, Ph.D. special field exams, and doctoral defences, my admiration for him grew steadily as I witnessed the skill with which he would gently pose questions to students, questions that would go straight to a problem in their writing but without putting them on the spot, questions that were designed not to intimidate but to tease out a more productive line of thought or argument. Chelva was a superb teacher and his loss will be felt deeply by all his students.

If my first meeting with Chelva was in 02. Singapore 19 years ago, my last meet- Audrey Walton is honoured and ing was with him on this campus, at a excited to be joining the University reception for new FRSC’s, 6 days before of Toronto faculty this fall. She is 01. his untimely death. We chatted about coming from Columbia University, I first met Chelva in Singapore in 1995. a special issue on South Asian writing where she recently completed a I was there as a Visiting Fellow at that he was planning to edit for the Ph.D. in English and Comparative Nanyang Technological University University of Toronto Quarterly. In Literature and served as an instructor and Chelva was there to interview a the days following, we exchanged in the English and the Core Curricu- Singaporean writer. The writer intro- emails about the issue’s scope and the lum Departments. Before beginning duced me to him as a fellow Canadian timeline for manuscript submission and her Ph.D., she taught English as a academic. Over a long lunch we spoke publication. He was very enthusiastic second language for several years, about postcolonial theory and literature, about the project and said that he an experience that shaped her interest about diasporic writing, about problems would soon line up potential contributors in multilingualism and globalization. that can complicate cross-cultural for the issue. His last email to me was on Her current book project, New Wine encounters and exchanges, topics of Thursday, November 20th. He signed in Old Skins: Vernacular Typology interest to both of us. What struck me off with the word “warmly.” This is the in Medieval English Poetry, 590-1390, most at that time was Chelva’s relaxed last word I will ever receive from him. examines the significance of sacred courtesy and warmth, his unfailing It is a word that sums up the man. If I poetry in English to the political and ability to acknowledge the importance could send him an email now I would social identity of the English Church, of the other’s presence. He clearly say: “Farewell dear Chelva. I’ll miss from England’s conversion at the end had a vast knowledge of postcolonial your presence at future dissertation of the sixth century to the flourishing literatures, especially the literature of meetings and defences. I’ll miss our of England’s vernacular theology in South Asia. But he wore that knowledge conversations. I’ll miss your radiant the fourteenth. This book participates lightly, unostentatiously. He was excited smile. Warmly, Victor.” in ongoing scholarly conversations to share his knowledge, but was just as about sacred language, vernacularity, eager to listen to what you had to say. 01. 02. and world religions. A second project Professor Chelva Professor explores the deep and extensive Over the years, we ran into each other Kanaganayakam Audrey Walton. structural similarities in two important at conferences and in 2004 he acted as receiving the Photography by early English anthologies—one in Latin, an external examiner for a doctoral dis- Fellow Royal Ashifa Rajwani the other in Old English—in order to sertation on Salman Rushdie, Michael Society of shed new light on England’s bilingual Ondaatje, and Bharati Mukherjee that I Canada. literary culture. Both projects explore supervised at Dalhousie University. At Photography the potential networks, points of all those meetings I observed the same courtesy of The contact, and paths of information that responsiveness and patient attention Royal Society of enable ideas to cross linguistic divides. to the other that I had noticed when Canada’s 2014 we were first introduced in Singapore. Annual General Chelva was possessed of an intelligence meeting © 2014 that was never aggressive or showy. Cosmos Image, All It was an intelligence that was always Rights Reserved. 5 Notes

NEW FACULTY THOM DANCER two book projects in this field. The first argues that settler colonialism—the pro- cess through which colonizers from an “old” world seek to inhabit a “new” one already inhabited by others—manifests itself as a temporal and formal problem, not only as a geographic or spatial problem, in a range of nineteenth- century American texts. The second project explores how and where the Pacific appears “at home” in nineteenth- century America. Building on recent work that demonstrates how ideas about distant places like New Zealand circulated in the nineteenth-century U.S., this project contributes to the growing awareness of the place of the Pacific in American literature and culture.

Melissa’s research often situates Ameri-

03. can literature in relation to geographies Thom Dancer joins the Department as nonhuman forces. The book puts this beyond U.S. borders or to issues, like an Assistant Professor of Contemporary mode of inquiry into practice in its settler colonialism, that impact many Literature. He comes to Toronto from readings of novels by Ian McEwan, national histories. She often brings these Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. His J.M. Coetzee, Zadie Smith, and David interests into her teaching as well. She scholarship and teaching centre on the Mitchell, who themselves advocate also likes to teach fairly non-canonical 21st century novel as it intersects with modest responses to the pressing texts, like antebellum sensation fiction, the multiple intellectual and scientific challenges of 21st century life. alongside better-known American texts developments from the last decades and to teach literature alongside histo- of the twentieth century, that offer new ries of print and visual culture. approaches to the human and social NEW FACULTY sciences: actor-network theory, affect MELISSA GNIADEK The questions that motivate both theory, assemblage theory, cognitive Melissa’s teaching and research have sciences, new materialism, new media been shaped by the various places she theory, speculative realism, and systems has lived, studied, and taught. Melissa theory. In particular, his research asks grew up in Massachusetts and attended how the novel provides new resources college there. Then she moved to New for thinking, reading, and acting in Zealand, where she earned a master’s the contemporary world. His work degree from the Department of English has appeared in journals such as at the University of Auckland. Melissa NOVEL, minnesota review, and moved back to the U.S. to complete her Contemporary Literature. doctorate at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. After completing her Ph.D., Thom’s book project Critical Modesty: Melissa remained in the U.S. but moved Contemporary Fiction after Critique to a very different city: Houston, Texas, intervenes in current debates about where she taught at Rice University. literary interpretation by arguing that Melissa knows that the move from a literary theory must develop better region at the southern border of the U.S. means of recognizing, respecting, and to Toronto, just north of U.S. national responding to the agency of texts. This space, will productively reorient her entails seeing literature not as an object perspectives on U.S. literature once to be known by masterful critics but again and she looks forward to conver- as a thinking and affecting object in its sations about this (and more)! own right. Drawing on thinkers such as 04. 03. 04. Bruno Latour, Gilles Deleuze, Isabella Melissa Gniadek is thrilled to be Professor Thom Professor Stengers, and Jacques Rancière, the joining the Department of English Dancer. Melissa Gniadek. book theorizes a mode of inquiry— at the University of Toronto this fall. Photography Photography critical modesty—that attends to the Her teaching and research centres courtesy of Profes- courtesy of Profes- ways texts act against and in concert on nineteenth-century American sor Thom Dancer sor Melissa Gniadek with a surprising array of human and literature. She is currently working on OF ENGLISH DEPARTMENT TO THE DONATIONS GIVING — generous friends andalumni. by thefaithinourprograms shownby we areextremelyproud andgratified of ourfacultyand students,and can. Weareproudof theachievements work inawaynoothercontribution Gifts totheDepartmentsupportour

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The English Departmental Trust The English Department Trust supports teaching in a way that no other contribution can. Donations to this trust play a crucial role in the quality of both graduate and under- graduate teaching and programs, as they support student Step 4: research, travel grants, and fellowships. The Brian Corman Graduate Prize Your Contact The prize is to be awarded to a graduate student or students in the Department of English, who are working on Restora- Information tion and/or 18th century studies, and who have distin- guished themselves both academically and by their leader- ship and contribution to the life of the University through Full Name:______student governance, community service or volunteer work. Address:______Emerging Writers Scholarship Fund

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The Linda Hutcheon Graduate Scholarship Telephone:______Donations will help create a scholarship to honour Uni- versity Professor Emeritus Linda Hutcheon for her stellar contributions to scholarship and teaching. This scholarship Name at graduation:______­_­______is shared between English and Comparative Literature. The student recipient will alternate between both units annually. The A.S.P. Woodhouse Prize Awarded to the best PhD thesis in the Department of English in honour of Professor A.S.P. Woodhouse. Please send donations to the following Records of Early English Drama (REED) address: REED is a major international humanities research project that is transforming our understanding of the social and cultural life of Great Britain before 1642. Donations University of Toronto support the publication of the series and the develop- 170 St. George Street ment of its dynamic website. Toronto, ON M5R 2M8 Henry Beissel Scholarship in Creative Writing Awarded to a Student enrolled in the Creative Writing Program in honour of Henry Beissel.

Vincent A. De Luca Graduate Award If you wish to donate online, Awarded to a student enrolled in the Graduate program please visit the following website: in the Master’s Program in the Department of English. https://donate.utoronto.ca/give/show/57 ! 02 English Fall 2015 Contents/Masthead

04 002/ MASTHEAD WELCOME

Fall 2015 Number 002

Editor Ashifa Rajwani (MA) W Content Editor Ashifa Rajwani — Special Thanks Welcome Message Jonathan Lung A message from the Professor and Jaclyn Shapiro Chair of the Department of English Joseph Ticar Alan Bewell. Diana Tyszko

Front Cover / Back Cover Image Gerstein Library / 06 Jackman Humanities Building Photography courtesy of Strategic EVENTS Communications & Marketing

Art Direction & Design www.typotherapy.com

Printing Flash Reproductions

Correspondence: Department of English University of Toronto Ashifa Rajwani, Communications, Alumni & Undergraduate Assistant

Publisher Department of English University of Toronto 170 St. George St., Room 613 Toronto, ON M5R 2M8 english.utoronto.ca

Department of English Magazine is published once a year by the Department of English and is circulated to alumni and friends E of the Department of English, — University of Toronto.

Published Incredible Events September 2015 Naomi Klein discussing her new book, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate at the first of the Avie Bennett Chair in Canadian Literature series. Contents/Masthead English Fall 2015 03

08 FEATURE 12 BOOKSHELF

B —

Faculty Publications Professor George Elliot Clarke contemplating Toronto’s nickname, F The 6. — 14 Professor Brian Corman: What makes the English Department ENGLISH so great? Ask Professor Brian Corman. COMMUNITY 10 STUDENTS

S — E — Student Life The English Student Union (ESU): The voice of the undergraduate Faculty, Staff, and Students students. Professor Thomas Keymer, Guggenheim Fellowship recipient and appointed University Professor. 04 English Fall 2015 Welcome WELCOME — 40 years of English. We look forward to celebrating 40 more. W — 5

Professor and Chair of students who majored in English the Department of English was much smaller and their cultural Alan Bewell and ethnic backgrounds were more homogeneous. Most of our classes focussed on periods and genres of his year is the fortieth literature, with British, American, and anniversary of the establish- Canadian literature being dominant. Tment of the combined English Today, in classes that are composed Department at the University of of an extraordinary multiplicity of Toronto. Prior to 1975, although there people coming from many different was only one graduate department parts of the world who represent at U of T, each college had its own a diversity of cultures and values, English Department. On the front teaching English is much more and back covers of this newsletter global in its outlook and much are pictures of where the English more concerned with providing our Department was located and where it students with an understanding is now. The only thing that does not of why literature matters in a complex change is change itself, so even as we multicultural context. Reading as a way celebrate the fortieth anniversary of of understanding one’s own distinctive a centralized Department of English values and of appreciating the different that vision has itself been modified values held by others has never mat- by a new tri-campus vision of English, tered more. Utilitarian ideas about with distinct undergraduate depart- what education should be have ments now existing on three different become very popular these days. campuses and a single graduate program Still, having the intellectual tools housed in the Jackman Humanities to understand oneself and others Building on St. George campus. Beyond better, to communicate effectively, these ongoing changes in administrative to access ideas and evaluate them structure, English at U of T is very critically, and to understand the different now than when the Depart- narrative forms by which people ment of English was established in shape their lives and worlds, these 1975. At that time, the number of have benefited our students and Welcome English Fall 2015 05

alumni tremendously, and we are exciting things happening here. Professor proud of the education that we We want to stay in touch. If you have and Chair of provide and of the fact that this any comments about the Newsletter, the Department Department ranks among the top please feel free to contact Ashifa of English, Alan Bewell. ten places in the world for the Rajwani ([email protected]), Photography study of English. who was responsible for putting this © University of newsletter together. Toronto. All Rights I hope you will enjoy this year’s Reserved. Newsletter. Our goal is to provide you with a better sense of the 06 English Fall 2015 Events

E — EVENTS 5 — Writer-In-Residence: The 1st Avie Bennett event, 10th Anniversary of the Shani Mootoo Friday, February 6, 2015 Creative Writing Gala, Spring Reading, Vincent A. The next Writer-In-Residence Reading will take place January, DeLuca Lecture and Writer-In-Residence seminar. 2016 Location: Massey College 2014-15 is another year of incredible events at English. Written by Professor Smaro Kamboureli Shani Mootoo’s first novel,Cereus Blooms at Night (1996), took the Canadian literary scene by storm. Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the Giller Prize, among other awards, it has already attracted a lot of critical attention. Her subsequent novels enjoyed similar success: He Drown

She in the Sea (2005) was longlisted for 03. the Dublin IMPAC Award, and Valmiki’s Daughter (2008) for the Scotia Bank Giller Prize. Her fourth novel, Moving Forward Sideways Like a Crab, has just been released from Doubleday.

Born in Dublin, Ireland, to Trinidadian parents, she grew up in Trinidad and 02. 04. relocated to Vancouver when she was Creative Writing Gala The Avie Bennett Chair in her twenties. She currently lives in in Canadian Literature Event Prince Edward County. Wednesday, March 25, 2015 Tuesday, April 7, 2015 The next Creative Writing Gala Location: Isabel Bader Theatre will take place on Monday, Mootoo conducted a reading in March 28, 2016 The Isabel Bader Theatre was full and January in Massey College. Despite Location: Thomas Fisher Rare buzzing. The audience was excited for the bitter cold, the Massey College Book Library the first Avie Bennett Chair in Canadian library was full. Mootoo kept the Once again, the Creative Writing Literature event, an annual lecture audience engaged reading from a Gala was held in the Thomas Fisher series organized by Professor Smaro selection of her poetry and from the Rare Book Library. This beautiful Kamboureli, named in honour of Dr. following novels: The Predicament of space that houses over 600 manu- Avie Bennett for his important contri- Or, Cereus Blooms at Night and Moving scripts and works that pre-date the butions to literature and publishing in Forward Sideways like a Crab. mid-15th Century has become the Canada. The event called “Literature location for the annual gala. Matters,” featured two internationally renowned authors: Naomi Klein and The gala celebrates the MA in Thomas King. Creative Writing program, which is in its 10th year. This program The topic of discussion: Climate change. founded by Professor Emerita Rose- Klein’s recent book, This Changes Every- mary Sullivan, has a number of scholar- thing: Capitalism vs. the Climate takes a ships dedicated to Creative Writing hard look at the failures of capitalism. including the Avie Bennett Emerging King, a renowned storyteller, took on Writers Scholarship, the Adam Gilders climate change in the form of a story. Scholarship and the newest addi- tion, the Henry Beissel Scholarship Regarding her choice of speakers, in Creative Writing. Prof. Kamboureli said that the series is meant to bring together a Canadian This year’s winner of the Adam literary author with another author or Gilder’s Prize was André Babyn. scholar to reflect on their own work and dialogue with each other on various 01. Events English Fall 2015 07

aspects of writing in general and Canadian literature in particular. King and Klein were a great match, she said, since King’s most recent novel, The Back of the Turtle, is about the impact of a horrific environmental disaster on a First Nations reserve.

When Prof. Kamboureli opened the lecture, she stated that literature matters, “because it has the capacity to make the familiar strange, and the strange familiar. It invites us to confront the limits of our understanding, and at the same time to imagine the experience of others… It can affect our private lives but it can also help create community, and thus have an impact on the public realm.” 05. Following the speakers, Lee Maracle, a Vincent A. De Luca Lecture Spring Reunion: Spring Reading prolific First Nations author, presented Series: Ian Duncan, Florence by Professor Richard Greene Green Bixby Professor of English Thursday, May 28, 2015 King with a ceremonial quilt that she Wednesday, April 8, 2015 The next Spring Reunion will had made for him. The quilt represented The next lecture will take take place in May, 2016 King’s life as a writer and storyteller. place in April, 2016 Location: Jackman Humanities The ‘robing’, a Stó:lo ceremony, Location: Jackman Building, Room 616 began with tributes offered by Joseph Humanities Building, Room 616 Written by Terry F. Robinson, Once again the Spring Reading, an Boyden, a novelist and short Chair, De Luca Lecture Committee event that has been held at the Depart- story writer, and Prof. Kamboureli. ment of English since 2008, took place Every year in the winter term, King was robed by Maracle and during Spring Reunion week. Spring the Department of English hosts Prof. Kamboureli. Reading consists of a series of events the Vincent A. De Luca Lecture in that take place at the end of May. 19th Century Literature, the Depart- Alumni of the University are invited to ment’s only endowed lecture series. explore the different events taking place The Lecture is given by an esteemed across campus. This year Professor scholar, recognized for his or her work Richard Greene, the Director of the in the fields of Romantic or Victorian Creative Writing Program here at the literature and culture. Department of English, read from 01. 04. his collection of poems, Dante’s House Shani Mootoo Thomas King, This past April, the Department (2013). Prof. Greene spent a summer reading from following the was pleased to welcome Ian Duncan, teaching in Siena, Italy through the her collection ‘robing’ ceremony. Florence Green Bixby Professor of of short stories. Photography by Woodsworth Study Abroad Program. English at the University of California, Photography by Ashifa Rajwani His time in Italy was the inspiration Berkeley. His visit to Toronto was a Diana Tyszko 05. behind Dante’s House. From the horse great success, thanks to the numerous 02. Ian Duncan, races taking place in Florence to the Nicole Grimaldi, Florence Green faculty members and graduate students Basilica di San Francesco in Siena, MA Creative Bixby Professor who met with him during the day, and to Dante’s House is a collection of Writing Student, of English, gave the excellent Departmental turnout for poems that symbolize Italy. winner of last the Vincent A. his late afternoon presentation: “Bildung year’s Adam DeLuca Lecture. of Humanity: Anthropology, Irony, and Gilder’s Prize Photography Prof. Greene is also the author of the Romantic Novel.” reading from courtesy of Prof. Boxing in the Compass (2009), which a collection of Ian Duncan won the Governor General’s Literary poems by Adam 06. This past winter also saw the launch Award for poetry in 2010. Gilder. Professor of the new De Luca Lecture webpage, Photography by Richard Greene now a permanent feature of the Depart- Jonathan Lung discussing his ment of English’s website. It lists past 03. collection of Naomi Klein, poems, Dante’s speakers and features a short biography discussing House. of Professor Vincent A. De Luca—a climate change. Photography by former faculty member in the Depart- Photography by Jaclyn Shapiro ment of English. So far, 21 scholars have Ashifa Rajwani given this lecture.

06.

Feature English Fall 2015 09

BRIAN F CORMAN: — 45 YEARS “One thing I do LATER know is U of T — will continue Interview by to be the best The North Building officially closed this Ashifa Rajwani year. The campus remains beautiful university and today, but it is now mature with physical produce the buildings and facilities to match. My fter 45 years of teaching, and best research colleagues in the Humanities will soon a variety of administrative in Canada.” be working in long-promised, new space. Aroles including Dean of Grad- uate Studies, Professor Brian Corman offered space at 1 Spadina Crescent The Department of English is known is retiring. A lot has changed at the in the original Knox College. Before for having amazing alumni, including University since Prof. Corman started. much-needed renovations could be internationally renowned authors. In 1975 there was the establishment of funded, the University purchased the What else do you think the Depart- a single Department of English through Medical Arts Building and that fine art ment is known for? What do you find what were then College departments deco building was transformed into our special about this Department that of English. The first home for the current home at the renamed Jackman others may not be aware of ? Department was at 7 King’s College Humanities Building (JHB). Circle (7 KCC as it is fondly referred to There are so many incredible things by Faculty and Staff at the Department). The move over to the JHB was an about this Department that make it so interesting one. The building had initially special from the amazing faculty, I had the opportunity to talk to Prof. housed doctor offices and the transition wonderful undergraduate and gradu- Corman about his time at the University, took several years. As faculty and staff ate students and dedicated staff. We some of the major changes that have made their way over to JHB, patients continue to grow and produce world happened, and the path he would like to would walk in expecting to see their renowned faculty. The Department, see the University take. doctors. A particularly memorable which boasts of Northrop Frye and incident occurred when a patient Marshall McLuhan to name a few, has You were here when English walked into a faculty member’s office never been better. And we still attract first became a unified University to drop off a ‘sample’. Needless to say the best students in the country. department, with an administrative it was not a ‘writing sample’. home at 7 King’s College Circle. What do you hope will happen You have been with the University in the future for the University? Yes, the Department was created for 45 years now. What are the in 1975, and it has proven a boon for most prominent changes you have There is no way of knowing what the English at the University. But it took seen happen? next 40 years will bring. I would like to a generation to emerge to what it is see more of former President David today. Initially, we were given a handful Over the years, the relationship between Naylor’s strategic plan Towards 2030 of offices at 7 King’s College Circle, our three campuses has changed sig- implemented. One thing I do know is a beautiful space above the stacks of nificantly. I started my career at Erindale U of T will continue to be the best the old wing of Gerstein Library with College (now known as University of university and produce the best many views of the front campus. But Toronto Mississauga or UTM). UTM research in Canada. the Department could not become started off as one building, the North Professor Brian truly unified without sufficient space to Building, a building that was meant to Corman house faculty and graduate students. be temporary. With the rapid expansion Photography We lobbied for that space for many of UTM, the North Building remained © University of years. Many years later, we were in use well past its best before date. Toronto. All Rights Reserved. 10 English Fall 2015 Students

S — STUDENTS — his has been a busy year From academic seminars to potlucks and silent auctions. for undergraduate and Here is a recap of events that took place this year. T graduate students. The English Student Union (ESU) and Graduate English Association (GEA) hosted a number of events. Co-Presidents Halyna Chumak and Sushani Singh report on what the ESU was up to this year. Margeaux Feldman, President of the GEA, summarizes what was keeping graduate students busy. Our annual backpack to Briefcase event also took place where students had the opportunity to attend and hear from alumni with English degrees about their career paths.

English Student Union (ESU) The English Students’ Union had another great year of events and socials, thanks to the Department adminis- 01. session that all students considering and we look forward to next year’s tration and the English undergraduate subject POSts in English were invited program, under the presidential student body. to, and was graciously supported by helm of newly-elected Co-Presidents

the Department of English. Sushani Singh and Lana Maleva! We hosted two academic seminars this year, and are especially grateful Throughout the year, the ESU’s Backpack to for the respective speaking contribu- Mentorship Program Co-ordinators Briefcase (b2B) tions of Professors Jeremy Lopez, also worked to pair upper-year Christopher Warley, and Alex Hernandez. Over the years the Department of student mentors with lower-year In the fall, Professor Lopez introduced English has welcomed alumni back to student mentees, with the hope that students to “The Invisible Man of talk about their careers and offer ad- incoming students could gain pro- English Renaissance Drama,” while vice to our students at an annual event gram—and campus-related insights Professor Warley asked “When is called, backpack to Briefcase (b2B). and anecdotes from their more Then?,” close-reading Shakespeare’s seasoned undergraduate counter- Sonnet 146. Professor Hernandez This year, the department had the parts. The IDIOM Journal’s Editorial similarly assisted us in the second- honour of welcoming Diana Arajas, Board for 2014-2015 also spent the to-last week of the spring semester, President of Poise Communications, year working diligently to raise funds giving a talk titled “Too Close to Home: Deputy Director, Ministry of the Attor- for the Journal’s publication, while The Uncanny of Eighteenth-Century ney General, Philip Enright, and Series soliciting, reading, selecting, and Tragedy,” and leading a discussion Producer for Cineflix Alix MacDonald. editing the chosen papers. about the uncanny afterwards. The purpose of the b2B event is Our year culminated in April, with The ESU also organized a reading to show students how alumni have a final general meeting to elect the by science fiction author (and former successfully utilized their degrees in English Students’ Union’s 2015- University of Toronto undergraduate) English. It provides an opportunity 2016 executive members, and the Jonathan Martin Dixit, who read from for students to hear career stories of official launch ofIDIOM , Volume his newly published first novel,Baby - alumni who have made the transition IX, which was jointly hosted by the World, in November, in addition to from university studies to the world Editorial Board and the Hart House two successful end-of-term pub night of work. It also provides upper-year Literary and Library Committee. socials. Our second social, in March, students and recent graduates with an The ESU would like to thank all followed a program information opportunity to network with successful students and staff who contributed alumni and learn tips for career success. to the success of our events this year, Students English Fall 2015 11

Backpack to Briefcase started in 2008 with only a handful of departments participating. In 2015-2016 there will be 45 departments participating in b2B.

02.

04. February started off strong with our be a useful resource for our current annual Cook the Books potluck and graduate students, enabling them to silent auction. Faculty and students better connect with others in their field; 03. Graduate English Associate donated items from an improv drama and also a useful recruitment aid for our (GEA) class, a baseball-coaching lesson, whis- prospective students, as they will be key tasting, and a Hobbit lunch. We able to get a clearer sense of the kinds This was an incredibly busy and raised enough money at the auction to of innovative research being done in active year for the Graduate English provide two GEA Karma Travel Grants our Department. Association. Shortly after Orientation of $200 each this year. The recipients week we had the annual Student- of this award are PhD Candidate Elisa Last but not least, the GEA is pleased Faculty softball game with the Tersigni and MA Candidate Abi Lemak. to announce the new executive students retaining the trophy for members for 2015-2016: Nicole Birch- another year. At the end of November At the end of February the GEA Bayley as President, Veronica Litt as we held the annual Research Round- Executive had to switch gears with Vice President, Katherine Shwetz table, which provides an opportunity the start of the strike. The GEA as Treasurer, and Joel Faber returning for faculty and graduate students Executive was incredibly impressed as Secretary. The outgoing executive working in different fields to share by how quickly members of the is excited to see what this dynamic their work with each other. This year GEA mobilized. It did not take long group will undertake next year. our presenters were PhD Candidate for English to become known on th Matt Risling (18 Century), PhD the picket lines thanks to our picket 01. 03. Candidate Erin Petrovski (Victorian), captains (Cristina D’Amico and Jordan The English From left Jon Kerr (Romanticism), Prof. Howie), our chant leaders (too many Student Union to right: Executive Diana Arajas, Lawrence Switzky (Modernism), and to name, but honourable mentions go Prof. Robert McGill (Canadian Lit). Committee President of to Nathan Murray and Jenny O’Kell), 2014-15. Poise Com- and the various donations of food (From left to munications, 2015 started off strong with an and hot beverages that we received right): Nicholas Deputy Director, extremely well attended “Academics from our Department administrators, Morra, Michelle Ministry of Read Things They Wrote as Kids” in faculty, and students. Despite the chal- Sraha-Yeboah, the Attorney January. Faculty members and students lenges we faced during this time, the Lana Maleva, General, Philip Sushani Singh, Enright, and came together at The Tranzac to GEA believes that the strike served to read comic books, diary entries, and Fay Lin, and Series Producer strengthen the bonds between graduate Halyna Chumak. for Cineflix Alix hilarious childhood stories, as part of students, faculty, and administrators. Photography MacDonald. the GEA’s initiative to give back to courtesy of Photography by the communities around us. At this With the strike behind us, the GEA Halyma Chumak Joseph Ticar event we raised over $300 for Story turned its attention to the 5th annual 02. 04. Planet—a local non-profit that runs Graduate English Conference, student A student Softball game asking career photo, students free after-school programs for children workshops, and completing a new and youths, where they can cultivate advice from against faculty. graduate student directory, which can Philip Enright. Photography the tools to become creative and be found on the GEA’s website (groups. Photography by courtesy of effective communicators. chass.utoronto.ca/gea/?page_ Joseph Ticar Margeaux Feldman id=2113). We believe that this will 12 English Fall 2015 Bookshelf

B — BOOKSHELF — The rhetoric of storytelling, early American literature and Caribbean fiction. Just some of the subject matter explored in this year’s faculty publications.

nce again our faculty has produced an amazing O and diverse collection of publications. For a complete list of all faculty publications, please visit our website’s faculty bookshelf: www.english.utoronto.ca/ facultystaff/bookshelf.htm.

Being able to tell a story can be done in a variety of ways. One of our Modernism: Keywords Hobbes, Sovereignty, and Early faculty members, Professor George co-edited by Professor Melba American Literature by Professor Paul Downes Elliot Clarke has taken the initiative to Cuddy-Keane tell a story in a different way. He has taken his love for Toronto and show- cased it in the form of a map. Prof. Clarke teamed up with the Toronto Public Library to create a new and interesting way to view our amazing city. Prof. Clarke wanted to showcase Toronto in a more imaginative way. He took his collection of Canadian poetry and combined it with geo- graphic references to places in the city. The result was a city ‘mapped by emotions’. This new way of looking Creating Legal Worlds: Story and Last Four Songs: Aging at Toronto, The Toronto Poetry Map, Style in a Culture of Argument and Creativity in Verdi, Strauss, showed different parts of the city by Professor Greig Henderson Messiaen, and Britten and how certain areas of the city by University Professor Emeritus Linda carried different meanings. The Hutcheon and Michael Hutcheon Toronto Map can be found online: www.torontopoetry.ca. The article that describes this project was show- cased in U of T Magazine, written by Scott Anderson.

Prof. Clarke has also commented on Toronto rapper Drake’s term for Toronto, The 6, in the following article: www.theglobeandmail. com/news/toronto/we-the-6-why- the-name-drake-gave-us-is-here-to- Those Who Write for Immortality: Civic London to 1558 (3 Volume Set) stay/article25421112/). Prof. Clarke Romantic Reputation and the edited by Professor Emeritus Anne Dreams of Lasting Fame Lancashire has great love for this city and makes by Professor Heather Jackson sure he showcases it whether it is in the form of poetry or discussing his take on Drake’s viewpoint. Bookshelf English Fall 2015 13

Professor George Elliot Clarke contemplating Drake’s term for Toronto, The 6. Photography by Jennifer Roberts

Re-Reading Mary Wroth Lord Strange’s Men Locating the Destitute: Space by Professor Katherine Larson and Their Plays and Identity in Caribbean Fiction by Professor Sally-Beth MacLean by Professor Stanka Radovic´

Doppelgänger Dilemmas: Anglo- Stalin’s Daughter: The Extra Pierre-Esprit Radisson: Dutch Relations in Early Modern ordinary and Tumultuous Life The Collected Writings, Volume 1: English Literature and Culture of Svetlana Alliuyeva The Voyages, Volume 2: The Poet by Professor Marjorie Rubright by Professor Emeritus Rosemary Sullivan Nelson Relations, Miscellaneous Writings and Related Documents edited by Professor Emeritus Germaine Warkentin 14 English Fall 2015 English Community

E — ENGLISH COMMUNITY — A C

elcome to the Department of English. Our community Wis made up of faculty, students, staff, and alumni. This year was an exceptional year of scholarships, grants, fellowships and award winners. Some of our winners are featured in this section. Professor Andrea Charise, B A this year’s Polanyi Prize winner. Andrea Charise, an assistant professor of health studies at U of T Scarborough with a graduate faculty Erin Webster is this year’s C winner of the A.S.P. Wood- appointment at the Department of house prize. English, St. George Campus has won the Polanyi Prize for her literary Erin Webster is this year’s winner research. Her teaching and research of the A.S.P. Woodhouse Prize. This focuses on health humanities Matt Risling was this award is given to a graduate student B year’s winner of the Brian approaches to health studies; English Corman Graduate Prize. who has the best doctoral thesis literature, especially the novel and submitted in the Department. Erin’s nineteenth-century British writing; The prize is endowed in recognition dissertation, titled Things Invisible to old age and age studies; embodiment; of Professor Corman’s scholarly Mortal Sight, uses rhetorical analysis critical theory, metaphorics, interdis- accomplishments and exemplary to recover an understudied dialogue ciplinary and narrative training for service to the University of among early modern scientific, philo- health professionals. Toronto as Chair of the Department sophical and literary works dealing of English and Dean and Vice-Pro- with subjects of vision and perspective. The Polanyi Prize is a prestigious vost, School of Graduate Studies. It is Erin brings in works by John Milton, prize awarded annually to five open to graduate students in English Margaret Cavendish and Francis outstanding researchers in five who work on Restoration and/or Bacon with optical treatises by fields. The prize is in honour of the eighteenth-century studies and have Johannes Kepler, René Descartes, achievement of John Charles Polanyi, distinguished themselves both Robert Hooke and Isaac Newton recipient of the 1986 Nobel Prize in academically and for their leadership and analyzes their contributions to Chemistry. The Government of the and contribution to the life of early modern debates surrounding the Province of Ontario has established the University through student seventeenth-century and application a fund to provide annually up to five governance, community service or of the mechanical optical technologies prizes to outstanding researchers in volunteer work. Matt’s innovative of the telescope, microscope and the early stages of faculty appoint- research on satire and science is camera obscura. ment at an Ontario university. gaining widespread attention in eighteenth-century studies, and his Professor Emeritus Eleanor Cook of strong record of teaching in the the Department of English was the English Department and service to the inaugural winner of the Woodhouse U of T community makes him a worthy Prize when it was first awarded in 1968. recipient of this prestigious award. English Community English Fall 2015 15

Professor Thomas Keymer, D Guggenheim Fellowship recipient and appointed D University Professor. This has been an incredible year for Professor Thomas Keymer. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship and was appointed University Professor, the highest honour the University accords to its faculty. Prof. Keymer specializes in Restoration, 18th Century and Romantic British and Irish literature with a particular interest in narrative, the novel, libel and censorship. Prof. Keymer is the Chancellor Jackman Professor of English and currently directs U of T’s Collaborative Program in Book History & Print Culture, based at Massey College.

Professor William Robins E appointed 13th President of Victoria University. E Professor William Robins is well known amongst the English and Medieval student body on St. George Campus. Known for his inspiring lectures and for his enthusiasm for subjects like Chaucer, he received the 2014 Outstanding Teaching Award from the Faculty of Arts and Science. This year, Prof. Robins will be the 13th President of Victoria University. As a fellow of Victoria College since 1996, and serving as acting principal of Victoria College in 2009, Prof. Robins will be stepping into a position that is familiar to him.

A. B. C. D. E. Professor Matt Risling, Erin Webster, Professor Professor Andrea Charise, Brian Corman A.S.P. Wood- Thomas Keymer, William Robins this year’s Graduate Prize house prize Guggenheim appointed Polanyi Prize winner. winner. Fellowship 13th President winner. Photography Photography recipient and of Victoria Photography courtesy of courtesy of appointed Uni- University. courtesy of Professor Matt Risling Erin Webster versity Professor. Photography by Andrea Charise Photography by Diana Tyszko Diana Tyszko ENGLISH, NOW