2010-2011 Food for Thought: UO Hosts Conference on Food Justice
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Newsletter of the University of Oregon Department of English English 2010-2011 Food for Thought: UO Hosts Conference on Food Justice Allison Carruth English Department Professor n February, the English Department makers and practitioners; connecting mem- and answer session with Darra Goldstein, joined forces with the Wayne Morse bers of the local food and agriculture com- founding editor of Gastronomica, and an Center for Law and Politics and King munity with groups from around the world; art exhibition. The exhibition, held in the Estate Winery to present “Food Jus- investigating the relationship between so- LaVerne Krause Gallery at Lawrence Hall, Itice: Community, Equity, Sustainability,” cial media and the rise of regional food featured work by artists concerned with is- a three-day conference exploring the his- movements; and considering the roles that sues related to farming, community gar- tory and future of the food system. Orga- women, youth, and indigenous groups play dening, sustainability, and urban food. nized by Allison Carruth (Assistant Pro- in farming and food culture. The Food Justice conference conclud- fessor of English) and Margaret Hallock The conference opened with an ad- ed with a plenary address by world-re- (Director of the Wayne Morse Center), the dress on food security by Dr. Frederick nowned writer, scientist, and environmen- conference brought together scholars, pol- Kirschenmann, a leading voice in the inter- tal activist Dr. Vandana Shiva. Shiva’s talk, icymakers, artists and farmers for a wide national conversation on sustainable agri- entitled “Food and Seed Sovereignty: Cre- range of panels and events. culture. Conference highlights included a ating a People’s Food System,” drew 1,000 The goals of the Food Justice confer- food fair, a keynote panel on food system attendees. As Caruth explained to The Reg- ence included providing scholars from dif- futures with Amy Bently (New York Uni- ister-Guard, Shiva “shows us that we need ferent disciplines with an opportunity to versity) and Timothy S. Griffin (Tufts Uni- community-centered agriculture and glob- share their research; promoting collabo- versity), a roundtable discussion with food al, interdisciplinary coalitions…if we are to ration between scholars, activists, policy- leaders from around the country, a question confront the agricultural status quo.” Inside This Year’s Newsletter Center for Teaching Writing: A New Writing Tutorial 6 Greetings from the Department Head 2 UO Honors English Alumnus Jeff Whitty 7 Department Hosts Distinguished Speakers 3 In Memoriam 8 Professor Suzanne Clark Prepares to Retire 4 UO Hosts Kesey Day 9 Course in the Spotlight: Theories of Literacy 5 New Faculty Books 10 UO Commemorates the Freedom Riders 5 Department Notes 12 A Winter in Literary London 6 Lisa Gilman, Director of Folklore, Completes Documentary 16 English 2010-2011 Greetings from the Department Head ear Friends, Learned Societies for the 2011-12 aca- Stanford, Berkeley, Washington, and other As my fifth and penultimate year demic year. The intellectual energy these great universities by building the Fund for in the Department Head’s office new colleagues will introduce to the De- the Support of Graduate Students. As I am draws to a close, I am delighted partment promises to make next year an sure everyone reading his letter already Dto reflect on what we have accomplished exciting one for all of us. knows, the importance of strong graduate during the last twelve months. It was a Faculty were by no means the only tar- students at a major public university can- spectacular year for the recruitment of fac- gets of our ambitious recruiting efforts this not be overstated. Our PhD candidates re- ulty, and we will be welcoming four new year. In addition to bringing accomplished ceive a year of training in composition and colleagues to the Department in Septem- literary pedagogy, after which they spend ber. I am very pleased to announce that five or six years as UO classroom teach- Mark Whalan, currently a Senior Lecturer ers. Indeed, it would not be too much to at the University of Exeter in England, will say that the quality of a UO undergradu- become the Robert D. and Eve E. Horn En- ate education, especially in the area of dowed Chair in English. Mark’s specialty writing, is directly linked to the strength is American modernism, and he has written of the English Department’s graduate pro- extensively on the fiction and poetry of the gram, which provides the intellectual and Harlem Renaissance era. Mark’s wife, Dr. instructional backbone of the undergradu- Lee Rumbarger, is also an accomplished ate experience. If supporting undergradu- scholar of modernism and an experienced ate education in English is a priority for teacher of writing, and we are very fortu- you, we invite you to help us by contrib- nate to welcome her to the Department as uting to the Department’s Fund for Excel- a Career Instructor. lence in Graduate Studies. Experience has As if this were not enough excitement shown that contributions to this fund have for one year, we have added two talented a strong ripple effect on the quality of the junior colleagues to the faculty, as well. Harry Wonham University as a whole. English Department Head Stephanie Clark, a recent PhD from the I would like to thank everyone who is University of Illinois, specializes in Old scholars into the Department, we are pre- receiving this newsletter—colleagues, stu- and Middle English and will be joining us paring to welcome one of the strongest dents, friends, and alumni—for your sup- as a tenure-track Assistant Professor. And groups of incoming PhD and MA students port and encouragement as we close the arriving from the University of Texas at we have ever had. We attribute some of books on one academic year and gear up Austin, where he is completing his doc- this success to the increasing prominence for 2011-12, my last as Department Head. torate in Native American literary studies, and visibility of our academic programs; It remains an honor and a pleasure to serve will be Kirby Brown. Kirby joins the fac- but our ability to bring the most talented this vast organization of hard-working, ulty as a tenure-track Assistant Professor graduate students in the nation to UO also creative, and generous people. in September, but he has already hit the has a great deal to do with the support of ground running by earning a prestigious alumni and friends of the Department, who Sincerely, fellowship from the American Council of have helped us become competitive with Harry Wonham Annual Giving Reminder The English Newsletter is published annually by the If you receive a letter or phone call from UO Department of English. UO Annual Giving and decide to make a contribution to the University, consider des- Please send your news or This year’s newsletter was ignating the English Department as a recipi- comments to: prepared by: ent of your gift. Such gifts make a difference in what the Department can do to enhance [email protected] Janna Ireland educational opportunities for our students or Writing and Design and provide valuable research and instruc- tional resources for our faculty. If you wish to make a contribution now, Paul Peppis Richard Stevenson please make your check payable to the Uni- Newsletter Editor Photographs versity of Oregon Foundation, designated Department of English for the Department of English, and send it 1286 University of Oregon Paul Peppis directly to the University of Oregon Foun- Eugene OR 97403-1286 Faculty Editor and Writer dation, 1720 East 13th Avenue, Suite 410, Eugene, OR 97403-1905. Thank you! 2 Department Hosts Distinguished Speakers his spring, the English Depart- ment helped bring to campus two distinguished speakers. At the 2011 Collins lecture, held in TApril, renowned political theorist, activist and professor of linguistics at the Mas- sachusetts Institute of Technology Noam Chomsky spoke about “Global Hegemony: The Facts, the Images.” In May, award- winning author Mat Johnson read from his new novel Pym and discussed Ameri- can and African American literature, black superheroes, and his work writing graphic novels about African Americans. Collins Speaker: Noam Chomsky This April, the University of Oregon and the English Department welcomed Noam Chomsky Mat Johnson Noam Chomsky as the third speaker of Photo © Donna Coveney Photo courtesy of Mat Johnson the Collins Distinguished Speakers Se- ries, an occasional public forum devoted Noam Chomsky to be the 2011 Collins edu/channel/2011/04/23/noam-chomsky- to the intellectual exploration of moder- Speaker: “From Manufacturing Consent: global-hegemony-the-facts-the-images/ nity, ethnicity, and globality in the culti- The Political Economy of the Mass Media vation of a democratic public. Organized (1988), through Profit over People: Neo- Mat Johnson and administered by Professor David Li, Liberalism and Global Order (1998), to In May, the English Department wel- the series features writers, scholars, and 9-11 (2001), Professor Chomsky has been comed Mat Johnson, an award-winning artists of national and international rec- the most persistent and sagacious voice of author of novels, non-fiction, and graph- ognition. Past speakers include National universal reason, the voice of global dem- ic novels. Among other honors, Johnson Book Award Winner, Ha Jin and Junot ocratic dissent.” In response to Professor is a recipient of the James Baldwin Fel- Díaz, the Pulitzer-winning novelist. Con- Li’s invitation to share his views on “neo- lowship and the Hurston/Wright Legacy sidered one of the fathers of modern lin- liberal capitalism and its global hegemo- Award. He is a faculty member in the guistics, Chomsky has been better known ny, especially its seductive discourse of Creative Writing Program at the Univer- since the 1960s as a political dissident, ‘freedom’ and ‘liberty,’” Chomsky spoke sity of Houston.