!1 Saint Joseph’s University English Department Newsletter Fall 2015 Contributing Editor: Sarah Sutherland ’16 Inside this Issue ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Faculty Updates Life after Graduation Melissa Goldthwaite Emeritus Professors Spring 2015 Courses Graduate Program Announcements Daniel Reimold ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 2 4 6 8 9 13 14 15 Chair’s Note Dr. Peter Norberg As we pass the midpoint of the semester, I am feeling somewhat like the speaker of Shakespeare’s sonnet 73: “That time of year thou mayst in me behold/ When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang/ Upon these boughs which shake against the cold.” It has been an eventful semester filled with highs and lows, from the loss of our colleague, Dr. Reimold, to the joyous visit of Pope Francis, bringing hope to so many in our city. Looking ahead to the second half of the semester, we have several exciting upcoming events, including Cheryl Della Pietra’s reading from her novel Gonzo Girl, (Touchstone 2015) and a Career Panel on Teaching. Look for all the details in the Upcoming Events section, (14). In addition to our Spring course offerings, check out the profiles of some our recent alumni in the “Life after Graduation” features (4-5), as well as the interview with Dr. Melissa Goldthwaite about her recent publication Books that Cook (NYU Press, 2014) (6). And finally, do look for opportunities to contribute to the Hawk newspaper and our literary magazine, Crimson and Gray (14). !2 Faculty Updates and Announcements Tom Brennan, S.J. gave an invited talk at the Olin Library at Washington University in St Louis, MO. Based on his work on manuscripts of James Merrill’s poetry, the talk was entitled “Ecstasy Elided? James Merrill’s ‘Days of 1971.’” ! Tom Coyne was awarded a Morris Grant for the research of his upcoming book, A Course Called the Kingdom (Simon & Schuste 2016), and spent the summer of 2015 in the UK, playing 111 golf courses in 57 days and attempting to qualify for the 2015 British Open. Coverage of his quest was highlighted on Sirius XM radio and appeared in numerous publications, including The Scotsman and The Sunday Herald newspapers. Additionally, he recently participated in a panel at the Collingswood Book Festival with former SJU lecturer Sam Starnes on the literature of golf and tennis. He continues to travel the country on a national speaking tour in promotion of his book, A Course Called Ireland, in partnership with Tourism Island and Old Sod Travel. Dr. Natalie Ford’s forthcoming article, “Placing Literature in Nineteenth-Century British Psychology” will be published in Critical Survey’s special issue on Victorian science, edited by Peter Katz, in 2015. Additionally, she gave an invited talk at the University of Pennsylvania as a part of the Unbinding Prometheus Project. Her paper was titled “Madness Unbound: The Early 19th-Century Non-Restraint Movement and Shelley’s Prometheus.” ! Dr. Peter Norberg published with Steven Olsen-Smith, “Newly Recovered Erased Annotations in Melville’s Marginalia to John Milton’s Poetical Works, Leviathan: A Journal of Melville Studies17.2 (June 2015): 59-72. In conjunction with this article, he also published, with the assistance of Sarah Sutherland (Class of 2016), an edition of Melville’s personal copy of The Poetical Works of John Milton (Boston: Hilliard, Gray, 1836) at Melville’s Marginalia Online (melvillesmarginalia.org). ! !3 Faculty Updates Continued Dr. Jo Alyson Parker published “From Time’s Boomerang to Pointillist Mosaic: Translating Cloud Atlas into Film” in SubStance: A Review of Theory and Literary Criticism 44:1 (2015): 123-35. She also edited KronoScope 15:1. ! Dr. Jason Powell’s edition of The Complete Works of Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder, vol. 1, will be published by Oxford University Press in December. He recently completed four months on a fellowship at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, and will present a paper entitled “Fatherly Advice and Fatherly Surrogates in Hamlet” at the Sixteenth-Century Studies Conference in Vancouver, Canada, in October. ! Dr. Kersti Powell published “‘The Answer… is Yes and No’: John Banville, Henry James, and The Ambassadors” in the Irish University Review 45:2 (2015): 302-319. ! Patrick Samway, S.J. edited The Letters of Robert Giroux and Thomas Merton (2015), published by the University of Notre Dame Press. Dr. David Sorensen received a Scholarly Editions Award from the National Endowment of Humanities for $260,000 for the Carlyle Letters Project, the sixth consecutive award received by the project since 1997. The funds will enable Sorensen and his colleagues to take a significant step forward in completing the edition. Additionally, he published “Ruskin and Carlyle” in The Cambridge Companion to John Ruskin (2015): 189-201. He also delivered two lectures: “The Carlyles, Dickens, and London” at the Carlyle house on May 21, 2015 and “Disimprisoned Wrongdoing: Thomas Carlyle and the Forbidden Terrain of the French Revolution” at Université du Havre, France, on June 23, 2015. ! Robert Wendling’s memoir, Unsuitable Treasure (2015), was published by Oak Tree Press. ! Dr. Grace Wetzel will be presenting at the 7th Annual Conference of the Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education (ACMHE), held at Howard University in Washington, D.C. ! !4 Life after Graduation Graduate School Experience: Amy Dougher ’15 Amy Dougher ’15 was a chemical biology major with an English minor at Saint Joseph’s University. Now, Amy attends graduate school at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey, where she is pursuing a master of fine arts in creative writing with a concentration in poetry. ! Amy had always planned on attending graduate school, but she thought that she would be pursuing a higher degree in biology. During her junior year at Saint Joseph’s, however, flexibility in her schedule allowed her to take creative writing workshops and other English electives which made her realize how much she needed to write. Nearing her senior year, she realized that she wanted to devote herself to writing as entirely as she was able to her junior year and attending graduate school for creative writing would enable her to do just that. ! When applying for graduate schools, Amy was largely focused on funding. Rutgers University offered her a place in their MFA Mentors Program, for which she participates in a community outreach program with Newark high schools in exchange for full tuition reimbursement. Additionally, Rutgers offered two more perks: proximity to Amy’s hometown and diversity. Amy decided to attend Rutgers with confidence with that her classmates and instructors would bring a wide variety of perspectives to her workshops and really challenge her to improve her craft. ! Amy’s English minor at Saint Joseph’s has definitely helped her to adjust to her life at Rutgers University. The creative writing workshops that she took at Saint Joseph’s were similar to the workshops that she takes now, so she entered her MFA program ready to give and take constructive criticism. Additionally, her time as a tutor at the Writing Center was invaluable as it taught her how beneficial collaboration with peers can be in improving writing. ! When asked for her advice to Saint Joseph’s students considering applying to graduate schools, Amy answered: ! My advice would be to use the amazing resources available to you. Go to your professors for help choosing schools, and make sure to ask them for recommendation letters early. (It’ll make things easier for them, and much less stressful for you!) Take your statement of purpose, résumé, and any other supplementary application materials to the Writing Center for a second opinion—great writers are ready to assist you! Above all, keep calm, don’t get discouraged, and be patient with yourself. The good news will come, even if it takes a little longer than you thought. !5 Life after Graduation Career Experience: Dana Saraco ’15 Dana Saraco ’15 was an English and political science double major at Saint Joseph’s University. Now, Dana works as a Research Assistant at NAXION, a full-service market research consultancy located in Philadelphia now in its 114th year. NAXION services clients in healthcare, business to business, manufacturing, energy, IT, and financial services. ! As Research Assistant, Dana’s job is to support her team with all of their current projects. Her daily responsibilities vary but include performing secondary research, interpreting and analyzing quantitative data, report writing and editing, and conducting qualitative interviews and analysis. ! As a senior at Saint Joseph’s, Dana found her position at NAXION listed on the SJU Careers site. She had never considered marketing research/consulting as a career; however, she knew she wanted to stay in Philadelphia and the job description sounded interesting, so she decided to apply for the position. ! Dana’s English major at Saint Joseph’s provided her with the solid foundation she needed to succeed in her career; in fact, her supervisors have specifically told her that part of the reason she was hired was because she majored in English. Further, she feels that her English major taught her the problem-solving and analytical skills that are crucial for her job. Because of the classes she took at Saint Joseph’s, Dana feels more than prepared to draw insight from really complicated data sets or in-depth interviews and explain those insights to her clients, a critical aspect of her job. ! When asked for her advice to Saint Joseph’s students beginning the job application process, Dana answered: ! Apply to a wide variety of positions! Don’t be afraid if you don’t feel like you fit all, or even most, of the recommended qualifications. I was hesitant to apply for this job, and I was even nervous to accept the offer, because I thought I would be unprepared in comparison to my statistics or business major coworkers. However, I quickly learned that if you are hired for a job, it is because you are qualified and capable, and that you will be able to learn the skills you don’t already have. !6 An Interview with Dr. Melissa Goldthwaite Co-editor of Books that Cook What inspired you to create Books that Cook? ! © Howard Dinin Dr. Melissa Goldthwaite is a professor of English at Saint Joseph’s University with an expertise in writing. One of the courses that she offers carries the same name as her book, Books that Cook (NYU Press, 2014), and is currently being taught at Saint Joseph’s this fall. In the late 1990s, I started collecting books— novels, memoirs, essay collections—in which the authors had embedded recipes. One evening, I was standing in a bookstore in Ohio with Jennifer Cognard-Black, and I said, “Someday, I want to teach a class in which all the books include recipes.” That comment started a conversation that continues to this day, over fifteen years later. Every time we talked or visited one another, we were sharing book recommendations and sometimes recipes. In autumn of 2003, Jennifer and I each taught our first versions of a class we called Books that Cook, and a couple years later, conversing in her kitchen in Maryland, we decided to work on a book together. We started sending the book proposal to potential publishers in April of 2007. Seven years later, the book finally came out. ! What is the most difficult part of co-editing a book? What is the most rewarding part? The most difficult part of editing this book—and some others that I’ve worked on—is securing permissions for publishing. Often there are pieces that seem essential, but the cost of including them is prohibitive. Other times, for reasons that remain a mystery to me, the rights holders will deny permissions for reprinting without any explanation. ! ! The most rewarding part of co-editing a book is that different editors bring different areas of expertise. In the case of Books That Cook, Jennifer had an interest in fiction as well as cookbooks, and my interests were in poetry and nonfiction. We introduced one another to different authors and books. !7 Books that Cook Interview Continued Each of the pieces included in Books That Cook incorporates a recipe in some way. Have you prepared any of these dishes yourself? If so, do you have a favorite? ! I’ve tried versions of several dishes in the book, but I tend not to follow recipes exactly, except when baking. However, I have had Howard Dinin’s perfect fried egg sandwich, made by the author himself. It’s delicious. When I make my own egg sandwich, though, I break the yolk and add Piment d'Espelette. I also melt aged cheddar on the bread. ! Your poem in the book, “Summer Salad,” provides not only a vivid description of summertime, but also a recipe for a summer salad hidden within the poem itself. Did you already know this recipe prior to writing the poem, or did the recipe emerge from the poem? ! Before writing the poem, I had made several different versions of that salad. The version that I make most often includes jalapeño and lime and doesn’t include the dressing. I also tried to be attentive to words and images that would work for the poem—and appeal to a broader range of tastes. Sometimes literary taste and being attentive to audience cause me to adjust the ingredients. I like very spicy food and strong flavors, but I know not everyone does. ! Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring food writers here at SJU? ! Draw from your own experiences with food—past and present. Most people have some memory of being forced to eat something as a child, or they remember the excitement mixed with nervousness of a first dinner date or party or, perhaps, the embarrassment of spilling something. The foods and situations are different, but the feelings are similar, providing common ground. As you write about those experiences, use your senses—reveal the scents, textures, shapes, colors, and tastes. Use details. ! Remember, too, that tables are places of conversation, so they provide a perfect setting for dialogue and body language and description. Ritual meals —such as holiday dinners—are often good starting places for writing about food. ! Eat and read and expand your tastes in both food and books. Try something new. But also share what you love, what you’re passionate about. Become an expert in what you love—whether it’s pad thai or poetry. And then, combine those loves: write poems about pad thai. !8 Emeritus Professor Publications ! The Letters of Robert Giroux and Thomas Merton Unsuitable Treasure edited by Patrick Samway, S.J. by Robert C. Wendling Published by the University of Notre Dame Press in 2015, this collection of letters between Thomas Merton, an American Catholic writer and mystic, and his longtime editor displays one of the greatest literary friendships of the twentieth century. The book shares letters sent between the two men from 1948 through 1968, weeks before Merton’s death. Published by Oak Tree Books in 2015, this memoir explores how Wendling’s life was influenced by his father’s alcoholism. After attending a Jesuit high school in Buffalo, New York, Wendling entered the Jesuit order at seventeen, shortly before his father passed away from cancer. Much to his surprise, after nine years as a Jesuit, Wendling discovered that he was not one of them and left the order. ! ! The publication of this book marks the centennial of Merton’s birth. The book includes the letters sent between Merton and Giroux as Merton’s first book, The Seven Storey Mountain, was being prepared for publication. In exploring the letters sent and the thoughts shared between Merton and Giroux, readers can begin to understand the thought process involved in creating a truly great piece of literature. ! ! In this memoir, Wendling reflects on his marriage, his children, and his career teaching literature and how his appreciation of the Jesuits and his ultimate decision to leave them behind formed him into the man that he is today. !9 Fall 2015 Course Offerings ENG 150: Apocalyptic Literature and Film (First Year Seminar) Dr. Paul Patterson M/W/F 1:25-2:15 In this course, we will explore dystopian, apocalyptic, and post-apocalyptic films and literary texts in an effort to examine in what way these stories shape and influence our own moment in history. ! ENG 201: Major American Writers Dr. Richard Fusco T 6:30-9:15 This course will be a survey of significant authors, six fiction writers and four poets, within American literary history. ENG 222: Sophomore Seminar Dr. Richard Haslam T/TR 9:30-10:45 T/TR 2:30-3:15 This course investigates a group of “significant” literary texts and scrutinizes them “from diverse critical perspectives” (Catalog). We shall discuss concepts and theories of literature and literary criticism by tracking significant aesthetic, cultural, and political dimensions in the texts of over two centuries. ! ENG 206: Public Speaking and Presentation Professor Vanessa Krause T/TH 5:00-6:15 In this course, you will develop verbal presentation skills and learn how speakers and audiences interact. Attention will be focused on providing an atmosphere of positive reinforcement, peer review, and constructive feedback. ENG 241: Introduction to Creative Writing Professor Tom Coyne M/W/F 10:10-11:00 Dr. Melissa Goldthwaite T/TH 3:30-4:45 In this class, you will write short fiction and poetry. You will become familiar with the conventions of both genres. Reading assignments, in-class exercises and out-of-class journaling will get you started writing your own poems and short stories. You will also time workshopping each other’s writing. ENG 208: Dreams, Drugs, and Visions in 19th-Century Transatlantic Literature Dr. Natalie Ford M/W/F 2:30-3:20 This course examines representations of trancelike, visionary states of consciousness in British and American 19th century literature. Central topics will be Romantic and Victorian constructions of inspiration, interiority, the religious and supernatural, gender, and mental illness. ENG 261: Reporting and Writing Dr. Jenny Spinner M/W/F 9:05-9:55 Additional section TBA This course is about journalism basics: getting it right and writing it well. Through a combination of exercises and field reporting, you will learn how to find and develop story ideas, interview, research, and write. Additionally, you will learn how to use social media and mobile media tools as a journalist. ! ! ! ! !10 Course Offerings Continued ENG 263: Writing for Organizations Professor Paula Riley T/TH 8:00-9:15 T/TH 9:30-10:45 Dr. Grace Wetzel M/W/F 2:30-3:20 In this course, we will work together to help make you a stronger and rhetorically aware write, as well as a more critical thinker and reader, so that you can function better in a professional environment. ENG 315: Literature of South Asia Dr. Jason Mezey T/TR 9:30-10:45 This course will provide students with an introduction broad range of South Asian texts, mostly from India, with an emphasis on historical background as well as literary analysis. The majority of our readings will be drawn from the twentieth-century, focusing mainly on novels, but also including short fiction and film. HON 310: Women’s Writing as Emancipation Dr. Jo Alyson Parker & Dr. Katherine Sibley T/TR 9:30-10:45 This writing intensive course explores women’s writing (British and American) from the 18th-20th centuries— specifically, writing that attempts to contribute to social changes beneficial to women. Although this is an Honors course, non-Honors students may take it if there are still seats left after Honors registration and with instructor permission. ENG 325: Contemporary American Literature Dr. Owen Gilman M/W/F 12:20-1:10 This writing intensive course will be an exploration of representative American works (creative non-fiction, fiction, and poetry) from the past 25 years. With gentle guidance from Joe Williams in Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace, steady writing will propel lively engagement with important literature of our day. ! ! ENG 311: Bestsellers and the Contemporary Literary Marketplace Dr. Kersti Powell M/W/F 1:25-2:15 This course will explore the most recent trends in contemporary British and Irish fiction. While studying these novels closely and carefully, we will also try to trace their publishing histories, the marketing strategies employed by the authors and the publishers, and also their reception by reviewers. ! ! ENG 329: Black Women Writers Dr. Aisha Lockridge T/TH 12:30-1:45 In this course, we will examine how past African American women’s limited access to literary creativity maps itself onto contemporary Black women writers as the struggle for voice continues. Linked by history, gender, and fate, but arguably little else, we will examine how Black women write themselves into and against the idea of America. !11 Course Offerings Continued ENG 331: Modern Drama Dr. Laura Pattillo T/TH 12:30-1:45 This course offers an overview of modern drama and dramatic theory including Ibsen, Strindberg, Chekhov, Shaw, Pirandello, O’Neill, Williams, Miller, Beckett, Ionesco, Albee, and others. ! ENG 342: Fiction Workshop Professor Tom Coyne M/W/F 12:20-1:10 In this class, we will write, discuss, and revise original short stories/novellas/ novels in progress in a workshop format. Additionally, we will read In the Shadow of the Hill by Helen Forbes along with selections from The O. Henry Prize Stories 2015, and we will look at Stephen King’s On Writing to help facilitate our discussion on the creative process. We will also look at the current fiction marketplace and research strategies for publication. ! ENG 350: Writing for Digital Platforms Professor Jana Llewelyn M 6:30-9:15 This course will explore the changing role and style of writing in our digital age. In addition to practicing multiple genres of internet writing, students will develop a theme-based blog which they will promote through social media. The end of the course will require an open-ended project where students will submit to one or more digital publications. ENG 362: Photojournalism Professor Melissa Kelly TBA This hands-on workshop course will introduce you to photojournalism in a multimedia context. Instruction will progress from basic camera operation and single image assignments to more comprehensive visual storytelling. ! ENG 403: Shakespeare: Later Works Dr. Jason Powell T/TH 2:00-3:15 TH 6:30-9:15 This course focuses on the second half of Shakespeare’s career, during which he wrote the great tragedies, the romances, the problem comedies, and several strange Roman plays. We’ll read two versions of Hamlet, All’s Well that Ends Well, Pericles, Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, and The Tempest. ! ENG 405: Henry VIII in Life and Legend: Writing and Tyranny Dr. Jason Powell T/TR 12:30-1:45 Was Henry VIII a tyrant, as scholars have claimed, or was he a weak king manipulated by his advisors? Was his second wife Anne Boleyn framed for adultery, or did she really cheat on him? This ethics-intensive course will consider all aspects of Henry’s reign and its long afterlife in literature and history from Thomas More’s “Coronation Ode” of 1509 through Hilary Mantel’s recent novel Bring up the Bodies. !12 Course Offerings Continued ENG 410: Irish Gothic Fiction Dr. Richard Haslam T/TR 12:30-1:45 In this course, we shall read, discuss, and write about Irish Gothic and ghost stories and novels from the early nineteenth century to the present, exploring the distinctive questions that these texts raise about genre, historical context, national identity, and interpretation. ! ENG 426: Nature Writing and the Environment Dr. Melissa Goldthwaite T/TR 2:00-3:15 This is a writing intensive, workshop class. Through reading, we will survey the landscape of American nature and environmental writing from Thoreau to more contemporary authors, charting the changes and considering what has remained constant. In response to reading, discussion, and your own experience, you will write both creative and analytical essays and carry out a semester project. ! ENG 443: Young Adult Novel Dr. April Lindner M/W/F 2:30-3:30 In this class, you will explore the professional concerns of the YA writer as you work on your own young adult novel. We will spend much of our inclass time workshopping each other’s writing with the goal of revising chapters for your final portfolio. To further explore the possibilities of the YA novel, we will also be reading books that take a range of narrative approaches. ENG 450: Hospital Stories Dr. Ann Green T/TR 3:30-4:45 In this class, we’ll explore how race, class, gender, and sexuality are depicted through the writing of caregivers, medical professionals, and patients in essays, memoirs, and fiction. While reading accounts of illness, health, healing, death, and dying, students will perform three hours of service per week at a hospital, hospice, or clinic. ! ENG 460: Magazine Writing Professor Tenaya Darlington M/W/F 3:35-4:25 This class will give you an understanding of how magazines are run and also how to write for magazines, both print and online. We’ll look at a variety of new glossies, including some local ones, and use our time together to pitch ideas and study style guidelines that professional writers use. ! ENG 469: The Art and Craft of Editing Dr. Jenny Spinner M/W/F 11:15-12:05 What does it take to be a great editor? We’ll spend the semester asking this question of a variety of editors who will share their experiences with the class, from magazine editors to newspaper editors to online and digital editors to collect textbook editors and more. We’ll also sharpen our craft skills by practicing three basic levels of editing: substantive editing, copyediting, and proofreading. ! !13 Graduate Studies Writing Studies courses: These courses require instructor approval in order to register. ! ENG 620: African American Literature Dr. Aisha Lockridge, Wednesdays 6:30-9:15 ! ENG 642: Style Dr. Melissa Goldthwaite, Tuesdays 6:30-9:15 ! ENG 679: Writers at Work Professor Tenaya Darlington, Mondays 6:30-9:15 Have you considered a Master’s Degree in Writing Studies? If you are interested in continuing your education here at Saint Joseph’s beyond your undergraduate degree, you might want to consider the M.A. in Writing Studies program, which offers an excellent opportunity to develop your expertise further in the writing field. Seniors are invited to apply early in the spring semester. ! Once accepted, you could start taking classes in the summer immediately following your undergraduate commencement exercises. If you should chose to matriculate as a full-time student, you could expect to finish the 30 credits for the degree in about 18 months. Alternatively, it is also possible to get a job and complete the program on a part-time basis, easily done in 2-3 years. The student population in Writing Studies every year is a mix of full-time students (often recent college graduates) and part time students (often with considerable work experience after college). ! Application materials and brochures can be obtained from the Department of English office, and you are encouraged to talk with the program director Tenaya Darlington (tdarling@sju.edu), to get additional perspective on the way the program might fit into your career plans and goals. ! http://www.sju.edu/academics/cas/grad/writingstudies/ ! ! ! !14 Announcements ! ! Upcoming Events ! Cheryl Della Pietra: Author of Gonzo Girl - October 27, 6:30pm, Merion Hall Atrium Sigma Tau Delta Halloween Reading - October 29, free period, Merion Hall Atrium Career Panel on Teaching with SJU Alumni - November 11, 6:30pm, Foley Center ! ! ! Crimson & Gray ! Saint Joseph’s University’s literary magazine, Crimson & Gray, is now accepting submissions for its spring publication. You can submit your poetry, short stories, photography, and art by emailing CrimsonAndGray@gmail.com ! ! The Hawk ! The Hawk is Saint Joseph’s University’s award-winning weekly newspaper. If you’re interested in getting involved with the Hawk, please contact editor in chief Cat Coyle ’16 (cc580623@sju.edu), managing editor Shannon Adams ’16 (sa585887@sju.edu), or opinions editor Angela Christaldi ’17 (ac601991@sju.edu). ! ! ! ! ! ! !15 ! ! In Memoriam Dr. Daniel Reimold ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! © Shannon Adams Dream Big. Create. Learn. Teach. Repeat. Donations in Dr. Reimold's memory may be made to the "Dan Reimold Memorial Fund" c/o Saint Joseph's University. Donations should be directed to Christine Scully, 240 Quinn Hall. For further information, please contact Dr. Peter Norberg (norberg@sju.edu).