Monday Missive – September 3, 2018

September 04, 2018 by Mark West
Categories: Monday Missive
Promoting Literacy and Literature — I had the privilege of interviewing Roald Dahl about a year before his death.  I concluded the interview by asking him if he found it more satisfying to write for children or adults.  Here is his response: “It’s more rewarding to write for children.  When I am writing for adults, I’m just trying to entertain them.  But a good children’s book does much more than entertain.  It teaches children the use of words, the joy of playing with language.  Above all, it helps children learn not to be frightened of books.  Once they can get through a book and enjoy it, they realize that books are something that they can cope with.  If they are going to amount to anything in life, they need to be able to handle books.  If my books can help children become readers, then I feel I have accomplished something important.”

Dahl’s response to my question popped into my head when the the Charlotte Chapter of the Executive Women International (EWI) invited me to participate in their Reading Rally at the Merry Oaks Elementary School in Charlotte.  They asked me if I would read a book aloud to a large group of children participating in the school’s enrichment program.  They explained that they host their Reading Rally at this school at the beginning of every school year.  As part of this annual event, they provide all of the children in the program with free children’s books and school supplies.  When I received their invitation, I flashed back on Dahl’s comment about the importance of helping children appreciate books, and I immediately accepted their invitation.  Given that I was already thinking about Dahl, I decided to read Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile.

The EWI Reading Rally took place on August 30, and it was a great success.  The children enjoyed hearing about the Enormous Crocodile’s foiled plans to gobble up unsuspecting children, and they were thrilled at the opportunity to select two children’s books that they could keep and take home to read at their leisure.  The women who organized this event did an excellent job of encouraging the children to become readers and develop an appreciation of books.

Although I had never heard of the Charlotte Chapter of the Executive Women International prior to being invited to participate in their Reading Rally, I knew several of the members because of their associations with UNC Charlotte.  In fact, two of the members–Shannon Homesley and Brenda Shue–took graduate courses from me while they were earning their M.A. degrees.  Participating in the EWI’s Reading Rally reminded me that there are many community organizations that are interested in promoting literacy and literature and in partnering with our English Department in our various community engagement activities.

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

Boyd Davis is the co-author of paper titled “Working with Interpreters in Adolescent Health Care: Conflicts of Positioning in Family Communication,” which was recently presented at the  International Conference on Communication in Healthcare in Porto, Portugal.

Dina Massachi, a graduate of our M.A. program, recently gave the following two related presentations at the OzCon International conference held in Pomona, California:  “100 Years Full Circle— L. Frank Baum, Todrick Hall and an Emotionally Intelligent Tin Woodman” and “Heart over Head— Evolving Views on Male Emotional Intelligence and the Tin Woodman.”

Alan Rauch‘s Dolphin has been translated into Italian as Il Delfino and published by Nottetempo.

Upcoming Events and Meetings — Here is a list of upcoming events and meetings:

Visiting YA author Alan Gratz will speak on campus on Wednesday, September 5th, at 5 pm in the English Department Seminar Room (290B Fretwell). This presentation is part of the NC Humanities Council funded project titled “The Child in Southern Literature and Film.”   Alan received degrees in Creative Writing and English Education from the University of Tennessee and lives in Asheville, NC. He has written more than 14 books for young readers, including the latest, Ban This Book, which is set in NC.  For more information about this author, please click of the following link:  www.alangratz.com

The Library Social and Award Ceremony for Prof. Consuelo Salas will take place on Thursday, September 6, at 4 pm in the Halton Reading Room (Atkins Library).

The first English Department Meeting of this academic year will take place on Friday, September 7, 11:00 am to 12:30 pm in the English Department Seminar Room (290B Fretwell).

Quirky Quiz Question — Roald Dahl’s belief in the importance of reading is especially evident in his children’s book about a brilliant girl who taught herself how to read at the age of three.  A musical based on this book will be performed by the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte this fall.  Do you know the title of this book?

Last week’s answer: Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman
All the President’s Menfeatures two characters who are based on the real-life journalists Bon Woodward and Carl Bernstein.  Do you know the names of the actors who played these roles?