Monthly Archives: August 2015

Hidden Gems — Student Niner Media recently published a tabloid called Welcome Back to UNC Charlotte 2015.  I thumbed through it this weekend and came across an interesting article titled “Hidden Gems in the UNC Charlotte Course Catalog” by Casey Aldridge, the Opinion Editor for the student paper.  In her article, she features several of the most “exciting” courses offered at UNC Charlotte this fall, and nearly half of them are classes being taught by members of our department.  She especially highlights “Sexing Shakespeare,” which Kirk Melnikoff and Kent Brintnall are co-teaching.  She also includes Tony Jackson’s “I Can’t Believe My Eyes:  Storytelling, Movies, Science Fiction” and Valerie Bright’s “Blood, Sweets, and Beers:  Forbidden Food in Literature and Culture.”

As this article underscores, the English Department is offering a wide range of engaging courses, and the preliminary enrollment figures indicate that a record number of students are signing up for these classes.  The current enrollment figures for our undergraduate courses (including LBST courses) add up to a total of 2,335 seats filled.  Last fall semester, we had 2,079 seats filled.  This represents a 12% increase.  In reviewing these figures, I am very pleased that the English Department is having such success in attracting so many students to our courses.

News from Our English Learning Community — Tiffany Morin, the Director of our English Learning Community, recently sent me the following report:

The members of the English Learning Community are settling in after completing their first week of college. This year we have 18 very enthusiastic students, who are ready to start planning their Fall Events.  They are currently completing their profile collages, so you can soon learn more about the individual members from the ELC bulletin board, located by 290-B. If you would like to involve the ELC in any upcoming events, please contact Tiffany Morin.

As I thought about these three chance encounters, I realized that one of the reasons I have no desire to retire is that it would limit my opportunities to share my love of children’s literature and to make a difference in students’ lives.  I consider myself fortunate that my job and my interests so closely align.  This fall semester marks the beginning of my 32nd year as a member of the English Department, and as always I am looking forward to teaching my children’s literature class.  I am also looking forward to working with all of you as we kick off a new academic year.

News from Our Foreign Bureau — This summer I have been reporting on news about members of our department who have been globe trotting this summer.  This week I am featuring Heather Vorhies.  I asked Heather about her European adventures, and she sent me the following report:

I presented “Transatlantic Adaptations of Hugh Blair’s Lectures on Rhetoric” at the International Society for the History of Rhetoric in Tubingen, Germany, on July 29. It was the perfect place for the conference–the Rhetoric Department at the University of Tubingen is 500 years old. We didn’t get too much other travel in around the conference, but my husband and I did make it to Baden-Baden for the thermal spas (105 degree water coming up from the ground!) and to Frankfurt to walk around the skyscrapers and find locks all over the bridges.  It seems that couples go to bridges with an inscribed lock to “solidify” their relationship (most had the two names and the date).  The bridges were absolutely COVERED with them! And I was surprised to see that you could get an inscription on a combination lock.

 

Jen Munroe’s Latest Blog Post.  Jen recently sent me a report about her blog dealing with early modern recipes.  Here is her news:

Here is the link to my latest blog post for the Recipes Project. It deals with the question of “earth” and sustainability in a recipe from a book I’ve been working with. At the end, you will see that transcription credit goes to Kailan Sindelar, one of our grads. She and Breanne Weber have been working with me this summer (Kailan as part of a DR and Breanne just for fun) to transcribe the manuscript recipe book of Lady Frances Catchmay (digitized from the Wellcome Library in London but on the Folger software system we have partnered with). It’s been incredibly difficult work for them, too, as the entire book is in multiple hands, all secretary, which is a difficult handwriting to read, and the hand in this book is especially challenging. So, kudos to them! And the least I could do is give Kailan transcription credit for the recipe I used in my post. Their transcriptions are part of the EMMO (Early Modern Manuscripts Online) database that is housed at the Folger and will be part of the EMROC (Early Modern Recipes Online Collective) database once we parcel the two.  So, here is the link to my blog: https://recipes.hypotheses.org/author/jennifermunroe

Kudos— As you know, I like to use my Monday Missives to share news about recent accomplishments by members of our department.  Here is the latest news:

Andrew Hartley recently learned that Tor Publishing will bring out Steeplejack, the first volume in his new YA fantasy series, in June 2016.  For more information about Andrew’s summer activities, please click on the following link:  http://ajhartley.net/whats-going-on/summer-2015/

Upcoming Events and Deadlines— Here are some dates to keep in mind:

Here is a list of upcoming meetings and events that will take place this month:

–University Convocation     Thursday, August 20    9:00am coffee, 9:30-11 Convocation

 McKnight Hall

–Day of Convocation           Monday, August 24     11:00-5:00pm (faculty arrive at 10:15)

 Halton Arena

–CLAS All Faculty Mtg & Breakfast     Friday, August 28       8:30-10:00am

 Fretwell 100

–English Department Mtg   Friday, August 28          11–12:15pm

Fretwell 290B

Quirky Quiz Question — Heather Vorhies’s account of her recent trip to Germany reminds me that Heather is not the only member of our department who presented a paper at a conference in Germany this summer.  Can you name the other member of our department who presented a paper in Germany this summer?

Last week’s answer: Mortimer

In my upcoming presentation at the Waltonwood retirement community, I will talk about the history of Disney’s animated movies, including his Mickey Mouse movies.  When Mickey made his first film appearance, he was not called Mickey Mouse.  What was Mickey’s original name?

You Ought to Be in Pictures — In 1934 Rudy Vallee recorded “You Ought to Be in Pictures,” and the song went on to become a smash hit.  Rudy Vallee might not have realized it at the time, but his song relates to Janaka Lewis.   Janaka recently sent me an email about her summer adventures, and she included news about her new career as a movie star:

On August 1, I took a trip to Durham to see the premiere of the film When We Free, directed by Julia Roxanne Wallace and produced by Dr. Alexis Gumbs of Durham (who both discussed the making of the film on behalf of Black Feminist Film School on campus last fall). When I had the opportunity to visit the first set in Mebane last August, I was put in costume and invited to participate in the scene setting up a table at a church meeting, which earned me a few seconds of screen time and credits, by name, as “Congregant #2.”

Quirky Quiz Question — In my upcoming presentation at the Waltonwood retirement community, I will talk about the history of Disney’s animated movies, including his Mickey Mouse movies.  When Mickey made his first film appearance, he was not called Mickey Mouse.  What was Mickey’s original name?

Last week’s answer – Jen Munroe

Bryn Chancellor spent part of this summer writing in Wyoming.  Bryn is not the only member of our department who has Wyoming connections.  In fact, one member of our department has a BA degree from the University of Wyoming.  Do you know whom this faculty member is?

Bryn Chancellor                        Photographer: Christy Whitney

Bryn Chancellor Is in the House — I am pleased to report that Bryn Chancellor, our new creative writing professor, has arrived and is already settling into her new office.  Bryn has had a very busy summer.  She spent a month at the Jentel Artist Residency, a retreat for visual artists and writers in rural Wyoming. While there, she worked on a draft of a new novel and gave a reading as part of “Jentel Presents” in the nearby town of Sheridan, Wyoming. She was awarded this residency as part of the Poets & Writers Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award. Also this summer, she served on the fiction faculty at the Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference at the University of the South, working with talented high school age creative writers.   Please join me in welcoming Bryn to the English Department.

Charlotte Research Scholars Program — This summer both Sarah Minslow and Malin Pereira mentored undergraduate students as part of the Charlotte Research Scholars Program.  Sarah mentored Kenia Rios.  Kenia’s research project examines how child soldiers are depicted in contemporary popular culture with a focus on some of the texts and films that have been among the most successful. This research specifically examines child soldiers in Ender’s Game, Harry Potter, The Walking Dead and The Hunger Games.  Malin mentored Shanon Murray.  Shanon titled her project “The Anatomy of Racism: Racial Oppression and Social Injustice in the Work of African American Poet Wanda Coleman (1946-2013).”  She focused on Coleman’s “didactic poetics.”  Both Kenia and Shanon gave poster presentations on their research at the Summer Research Symposium last month.

Sarah Minslow and Kenia Rios

Shanon Murray

News from Our Foreign Bureau — This summer I have been reporting on news about members of our department who have been globe trotting this summer.  This week I am featuring Pilar Blitvich.  I asked Pilar about her European adventures, and this morning she sent me the following report:

Kudos— As you know, I like to use my Monday Missives to share news about recent accomplishments by members of our department.  Here is the latest news:

Jeffrey Leak was a guest on WFAE’s Charlotte Talks last week.  He participated in a panel discussion on the national debate over the display of the confederate battle flag and related issues.

Kirk Melnikoff gave the invited talk “Christopher Marlowe’s ‘Mighty Line’: Language and Power on the Elizabethan Stage” at the University of Cologne on July 2.

Upcoming Events and Deadlines— Here are some dates to keep in mind:

August 3 — Last day of classes for the second summer session.

August 10 — Grades due for all classes taught during the second summer session.

Quirky Quiz Question — Bryn Chancellor spent part of this summer writing in Wyoming.  Bryn is not the only member of our department who has Wyoming connections.  In fact, one member of our department has a BA degree from the University of Wyoming.  Do you know whom this faculty member is?