CURRICULUM VITAE: JAMES R. SCRIMGEOUR
September 2008
Education
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
PhD, English, 1972
MA, English, 1968, 21 graduate credits in Philosophy
Clark University, Worcester, MA
BA, English, 1963
Teaching and Administrative Experience
Western CT State University
Professor of Writing, Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Writing, Sept 2007 Professor of English, 1986-2007
Co-coordinator of Graduate Studies in English, 2003-2006
Co-Chair, Department of English, 1999-2003
Coordinator of Graduate Studies in English, 1987-1999
Chairman, Department of English, 1983-1987
Associate Professor, 1981-1986
Assistant Professor 1979-1981
Illinois State University, Assistant Professor, English, 1971-1978
Scholarly Activity: Publications
Book:
Sean O'Casey (Twayne English Authors Series) Boston: G. K. Hall, 1978 -- selected by
Macmillan Publishing for inclusion on a full text searchable and browsable CD-ROM,
June 1997
Major Articles:
Wallace Stevens Headnote, American Literature: A Prentice-Hall Anthology, Spring
1990
"From Loving to the Misbegotten: Despair in the Drama of Eugene O'Neill," Modern
Drama, XX (March 1977), 37-53
"O'Casey's Street People: Characterization in O'Casey's Autobiographies," The Sean
O'Casey Review, Fall 1977
"'The Great Example of Horror and Agony': a Comparison of Soren Kierkegaard's
Demonically Despairing Individual with William Blake's Spectre of Urthona,"
Scandinavian Studies, XLVII, Winter, 1975, 36-41
Editorial: Publications
Distant Music, a book of poems by John Tamas, with introduction, Fine Tooth Press,
2008
Connecticut Review:
Editor Emeritus, Member of the Editorial Board, September 1995-97 Editor,
September 1992-September 1995
Associate Editor, September 1985-September 1992
What is That Country Standing Inside You (a Bicentennial Anthology of Contemporary
American Poetry) Ed., Explorations Press, Illinois State University, 1976
Scholarly Activity: Institutes and Seminars
NEH Seminar (selected in national competition),"Modern Poetry: New Perspectives,"
Directed by A. Walton Litz, Princeton University, eight weeks, Summer 1989
NEH Institute (selected in national competition), "Studies in Poetic Evaluation with
Special attention to Modern Verse," Directed by M.L. Rosenthal, NYU, 6 weeks,
Summer 1985
Yale University One Day Seminars (statewide competition): "Rereading A Room of
One's Own," June 4, 1991,"Wordsworth's Poetry," Spring 1990, "The Lyric
Poem," Spring 1989
Poetry: Publications
Books:
Balloons Over Stockholm, Fine Tooth Press, Spring 2005
Brushstrokes of the Millennium, WCSU Foundation, February 2004
We Are What We Have Loved, Hanover Press, Newtown, CT, March, 2001
The Route and Other Poems, Pikestaff Publications, Normal, Illinois, November 1996
Dikel, Your Hands and Other Poems, Spoon River Press, Peoria, Illinois, 1979
Chapbooks:
On Thacher Island, The Last Automat Press, Summer 2008
Entangled Landscapes (with John Briggs) Pudding House Press, Johnstown, Ohio,
November 2002
Monet in the 20th Century, Pudding House, July 2002
James R. Scrimgeour: Greatest Hits, Pudding House, March 2001
Individual Poems Published
over 200 additional poems published in various journals and anthologies including: The
Cape Rock, The Chaffin Journal, Connecticut Review, The Eugene O'Neill Review, The
Green Mountains Review, The Illinois Review, The Lucid Stone, The Louisville Review,
Negative Capability, For Neruda/For Chile (anthology) Walter Lowenfels, ed., Beacon,
The Onion River Review, Outsiders (anthology) Laure-Anne Bosselaar, Ed., Milkweed,
Oyez, The Pacific Coast Journal, Pembroke Magazine, Poetry Digest, Rio Grande
Review, Riversedge, Runes, Underwood Review, Wormwood Review, and Zahir
(over 100 poems published in the last 10 years
Honors and Awards
Nominated for Connecticut Poet Laureate, May 2001
Selected for inclusion in Pudding House Publications' Greatest Hits Chapbook Series (a
series of contemporary poets chosen on basis of national reputation) Spring, 2001
NEH Institute and NEH Seminar (see scholarly activity above)
Connecticut Commission on the Arts, books in the permanent collection, Governor's
Residence:
Sean O'Casey, (G.K.Hall, 1979)
Dikel, Your Hands and other Poems (Spoon River Press, 1979)
Nominated for Pushcart Prize: 4 times by three different editors
Poetry: Readings
Over 30 in the past 7 years (2001-2008) including:
Pleasant Street Tea Company, featured reader, Gloucester, MA, August 2008
Thacher Island Association, Rockport, MA, August 2008
Beverly Coffee House, Beverly, MA, August 2007
Recharging the Sensorium (CSU Conference) April 2007
Bethel Arts Junction, featured reader, April 2007
Fiddleheads, Litchfield, CT, (Celebration of CT authors), March 2007
Winter Festival (sponsored by WCSU’s MFA program), featured reader, January 2007
A W P National Conference, Austin TX, Spring 2006
CSU Writing Conference, Spring 06
Danbury High School, Poetry Festival, April 28, 2005
Barnes and Noble, Enfield, CT, April, 2004
Plum Pudding (poets published by Pudding House Publications) St. John's Episcopal
Church, Boston, MA, June 25, 2003
Ogunquit Maine Arts Cooperative, Ogunquit, Me, September 1, 2003
Marymount University, Arlington, VA, featured reader, March 26, 2001
Litchfield County Arts Project, UConn-Torrington, January 2001
University Service
CSU Service:
Connecticut Review, (see above)
Keynote Speaker, CSU/IMPAC, Literary Awards for Young Writers, Fairfield and
Litchfield Counties, Regional Ceremony, WCSU, May 3, 2000
CSU Conference, Recharging the Sensorium, April 2007
CSU Scholarship Conferences, 2007, 2003, 1995, 1993, 1997
CSU Student Creative Writing Conference, Workshop Leader, ECSU, April 12, 2002
CSU Electronic Publishing Planning Committee, 1992
CSU Educational Technology Workshop, January 13-17, 1991
CSU Freshman Level Competency Committee, May 1983-1987
Western Service:
University Senate: 2007-present, 1996-2001 (Secretary 1997-98), 1982-1986
Graduate Council, 2007-present, 2003-2005, 1987-1999
Research and Development Committee, 1986-1989
Promotion and Tenure, 1986
Graduate Dean Search Committee, Spring - Summer 1986
Academic Dean Search Committee, 1984
Co-chair, Ad-hoc Committee that sponsored Workshop/discussions on Writing Across
the Curriculum, May 1984
Department Chair and Graduate Coordinator (see above)
various other University and Senate committees including A&S Program Review, Future
Growth, Nominations and Elections, four grade appeals committees, ad-hoc committees
on advisement and Writing Across the Curriculum
9/11 Exhibit, Warner Hall, Fall 2003
Faculty Fellow, Fall 2003
Writing to Learn Workshops: January 19-22, 1999; January 18-21, 2000
Cluster Pilot participant, Fall 1999
A leader in designing the MFA program in English and in shepherding this program
through the university and state-wide approval process
(With Dr. DeLosSantos) developed new MA program in Writing and is in the process of
shepherding it through the university approval process
Advisor (or co-advisor) to Conatus (Western's Literary Magazine), 1983-1992
Coordinator of Poetry Festivals, Spring 1989, Spring 1988
Coordinator, Creative Arts Reading Series, 1980-1983
Advisor, Basic Studies Students, 1980-1982
Guest Lecturer, numerous times in many colleagues’ classes, including: Jim Lomuscio,
Lynn Paris-Purtle, Lou Orfanella, Mike Chappell, Rance Conley, Ed Hagan, Karen
Jambeck (megasection), Elise Knapp, Peter Lyons (megasection), George Mize, Bill
Quinnell, Vi Skorina, Alex Westfried, and Robert Wolsch
Facilities Necessary to achieve Stated Goals
Above mentioned libraries and museums.
Professional Contact for this Project
While attending the AWP (Associated Writing Programs) national conventions in Austin,
Texas, Atlanta, Georgia, and New York, New York the past three years, I have made
many contacts with editors and writers who are involved with the writing and publishing
of ekphrastic poetry, and I have received many suggestions that have helped with the
planning of this project. Also, Jennifer Bosveld, Editor of Pudding House Publications,
who put out my Monet chapbook, is especially interested in the inter-relationship
between painting and poetry and has introduced me to other poets and editors who have
been working on projects similar to mine.
Kevin: Things to do:
1) Get Title onto cover
2) Put “Cover by Ryan Schmiedel” in small type at bottom of contents page
3) Start with Dan Ahrens rather than Brittney Abdella so that “Spring Awakening”
will be the first poem in the anthology. Brittney can go 2nd.
4) Dan Ahrens last line of “Spring Awakening” should be moved one # to the left
5) Brittney Abdella “Broken Nose” lines 4&5 – “laid” should be “lay” “arm” SB
“arms”
6) J.B. Frash end of last poem “Somethings” SB “Some things”
7) Sheena Hines “I see Marriage soon” 3rd line from end – “ask” SB “asks”
8) Kristina Kish –3rd line from end of last poem “tings” SB “things”
9) Joe Pacelli 1st line “may” SB “May” – last line of “Crocodile” “worthy some” SB
“worthy”