Monthly Archives: July 2019

Making Connections through Literature — Last week my wife and I traveled to Stockholm so that I could research the connections between Swedish children’s author Astrid Lindgren and Junibacken.  Promoted as a “children’s cultural center with books at its heart,” Junibacken combines the elements of an interactive children’s museum, a children’s theater, and a children’s bookstore. Junibacken opened to the public in June 1996, and Lindgren attended the opening.  I knew before I took this trip that Lindgren played an important role in the creation of Junibacken, but I wanted to learn more about the details of Lindgren’s involvement.  

For me, the high point of this trip was the time I spent interviewing Sanna Pedersen, who serves as the Manager of Public Operations at Junibacken.  We talked for three and a half hours about Lindgren’s life, her children’s books, and her participation in the design of Junibacken.   I had never met Sanna before this interview, but we found it easy to talk for hours since we both share an interest in Lindgren’s contributions to the world of children’s literature.  

As I walked back to the hotel after concluding my interview with Sanna, I thought about the role that literature can play in helping us make connections with other people.   When we share a familiarity with the same stories, we automatically have much to discuss.  In a sense, literature can provide us with a cultural common ground, and that certainly was the case in my interview with Sanna.  However, literature can play a similar role on a far larger scale.  In Sweden, Lindgren’s children’s stories are an important part of the national culture.  Nearly everyone in Sweden has read at least some of Lindgren’s children’s books.  This common literary experience has become one of the connecting points that brings Swedes together but not in an exclusive sort of way.  All one needs to do to join the conversation and become part of this aspect of Swedish culture is read some of Lindgren’s children’s books.  Such is the power and magic of literature.  

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:

Allison Hutchcraft published a poem titled “So I Try to Picture the Priests” in the summer issue of Five Points..

Janaka Lewis recently presented a paper titled “Girlhood Remembrance in African American Literature” at the second MLA International Symposium in Lisbon.

Kirk Melnikoff signed a contract to contribute the chapter “Agents of Book Making: Publishers” to The Oxford Handbook of the Book in Early Modern England (Oxford University Press, 2021).

Upcoming Events and Deadlines — Here is information about upcoming events and deadlines:
August 12— Final grades for the second summer session courses are due by noon on Monday, August 12.

Quirky Quiz Question — Astrid Lindgren’s most famous character is a girl named Pippi Longstocking.   Pippi has a pet named Mr. Nilsson.  What sort of animal is Mr. Nilsson?

Last week’s answer: Australia

Sarah Minslow is a native of North Carolina, but she actually holds citizenship in two countries.  What is the name of the other country she is a citizen of in addition to being a citizen of the United States? 

Participating in the Personally Speaking Series — While reading the current issue of Exchange, I experienced a brief moment of disbelief when I started reading Susan Jetton’s article titled “Personally Speaking Series:  Authors Series Uncovers Stories Behind the Books.”  In the first sentence, Susan writes that the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is about to “kick off the 10th season” of the Personally Speaking Series.  For a second, I felt certain that Susan must have made a mistake about this 10th season business since it seems to me that the Personally Speaking Series just started a few years ago.  However, Susan was right.  Dean Nancy Gutierrez started the series ten years ago.  In launching this series, she set out to create a forum for CLAS authors not only to talk about their recently published books but also to share the stories behind the writing of these books.  

I am pleased to report that members of the English Department have participated in this series throughout its ten-year history.  During the first season of the series, Tony Jackson gave a presentation based on his book The Technology of the Novel:  Writing and Narrative in British Fiction.  Since then Aimee Parkison gave a presentation on The Innocent Party, Paula Connolly talked about Slavery in American Children’s Literature, 1790-2010, Jeffrey Leak presented on Visible Man:  The Life of Henry Dumas, Alan Rauch discussed Dolphin, and Paula Eckard spoke about Thomas Wolfe and Lost Children in Southern Literature.  During last year’s season, two members of the English Department participated in the series.  Janaka Lewis gave a presentation about Freedom Narratives of African American Women:  A Study of 19th-Century Writings, and Bryn Chancellor talked about her novel, Sycamore.The English Department will again be represented during the upcoming season of the Personally Speaking Series.  Jennifer Munroe will give a presentation on Shakespeare and Ecofeminist Theory, which she co-wrote with Rebecca Laroche.  The exact date of Jen’s presentation is not yet set, but it will be in the spring 2020 semester.  

Although I still find it hard to believe that the Personally Speaking Series is marking its 10th anniversary, I am proud that so many members of the English Department have participated in this innovative series over the years. 

Thank You, Sarah Minslow — Last Friday was Sarah Minslow’s last day as our English Department advisor.  Sarah has done an excellent job as our advisor, and I know that we will all miss her.  I also know that we all wish her the very best as she starts her new position as a tenure-track assistant professor at California State University, Los Angeles. 

Upcoming Events and Deadlines — Here is information about upcoming events and deadlines:

August 12— Final grades for the second summer session courses are due by noon on Monday, August 12.  

Quirky Quiz Question — Sarah Minslow is a native of North Carolina, but she actually holds citizenship in two countries.  What is the name of the other country she is a citizen of in addition to being a citizen of the United States?

Last week’s answer: Morocco

Casablanca is set in a country located in north Africa.  What is the name of this country?

Partnering with Kingston University — On Friday of last week, Provost Joan Lorden officially approved our proposed MA/MFA Dual Degree Program with Kingston University.  Since her counterpart at Kingston University had already signed the agreement, we are now cleared to launch this dual degree program in creative writing.  We will begin the process of launching the program this coming fall semester, and we expect to enroll students in the program starting in the fall 2020 semester. 

The approval of our MA/MFA dual degree program with Kingston University marks the culmination of a long and complex negotiation process involving many administrators from both UNC Charlotte and Kingston University.  It also, however, marks an important moment in our English Department’s long relationship with Kingston University.  UNC Charlotte and Kingston University have been partners since 1981, and members of our department have participated in this partnership in various ways over the years.  

Two members of our English Department have served as the Kingston Resident Director, which is a position that involves advising UNC Charlotte students who participate in our longstanding exchange program with Kingston University.  Susan Gardner served as the Resident Director during the 2006-07 academic year, and Beth Gargano served in this position during the 2012-13 academic year.

Our English Department has also hosted several visiting writers from Kingston University.  The first of these writers was Micah Nathan, who taught an advanced fiction writing course for us during the spring 2015 semester.  In 2016, Michelle Cahill visited the department followed by Howard Cunnell in 2017.  Last year poet and critic Siobhán Campbell visited the department and also participated in our Center City Literary Festival.  Kirk Melnikoff, Allison Hutchcraft, and Bryn Chancellor played key roles in organizing these visits.

Our faculty exchange program with Kingston University has also involved members of our department leading workshops and giving readings at Kingston University.  Over the years, Aimee Parkison, Andrew Hartley, and Allison Hutchcraft have all participated in activities organized by Kingston University’s creative writing program.  I should also note that James McGavran was scheduled to teach a course on memoir writing at Kingston University, but his unexpected death prevented him from teaching this course.

With the implementation of our MA/MFA dual degree program, our longstanding relationship with Kingston University has evolved into a true collaboration.  I am reminded of the famous line from the end of Casablanca in which Rick Blaine, played by Humphrey Bogart, says, “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”  

Allison Hutchcraft’s “Good News!” —  Last week Allison Hutchcraft sent me an email that started with this re message: “Good News!”  I like good news, so I opened her email right away, and I was thrilled to read the following:  “I’m writing with very good news. My poetry collection Swale has been named the 2019 Editor’s Choice by New Issues Poetry & Prose and will be published in the fall of 2020. I am ecstatic. I’ve long admired New Issues and the wonderful poets they publish, and I am honored to be in their company.” 

In my opinion, this news deserves more than one measly explanation mark.  I know that Allison is a very talented poet and all, but I think that her re message needs to be revised.  Here is my edited version:  “Fantastic News!!!!!!!!!”  For more information about Allison’s Fantastic News!!!!!!!!!, please click on the following link:  https://newissuespress.com/

Quirky Quiz Question — Casablanca is set in a country located in north Africa.  What is the name of this country?

Last week’s answer: John Travolta

Welcome Back, Kotter launched the acting career of a now-famous actor.  This actor has starred in such films as Urban Cowboy and Pulp Fiction.  What is the name of this actor?

Welcome Back, Liz Miller — Liz Miller made her triumphant return to Charlotte last week after spending four months in Germany doing research for her Fulbright Research Fellowship.  We chatted for half an hour when she stopped by the department to pick up her mail.  I asked her to write up an account of her Fulbright adventure for this week’s Monday Missive.  Here is her response:

I returned to Charlotte last week, deeply grateful for the four months I was able to spend at the University of Cologne in Germany on a Fulbright Research Fellowship. Dr. Chris Bongartz, whom many of you know from when she taught in our English Department in the early 2000s, was my Fulbright host, and her Ph.D. student, Manu Vida-Mannl, whom some of you met a few years ago when she taught a summer class for our department, got me set up with office space and taught me how to use the English Department’s temperamental scanner and copy machine (some features of university department life are universal!). Dr. Jan Springob, Director of the International Working Group at the Center for Teacher Education at the university and former Ph.D. student of Chris Bongartz, put me in contact with a number of English language teachers in Gymnasium schools (grades 5-13). Because of his quick intervention, I was able to conduct my first interview already by the end of my second week in Germany.

I conducted interviews with eighteen language teachers in the Cologne area as well as seven interviews with teachers of Norwegian in Oslo, these with the help of my colleague Dr. Anne Golden over my several-day visit to the University of Oslo. These twenty-five interviews from Germany and Norway are part of a larger study on the emotional labor of language teachers that I have undertaken with a colleague at the University of Essex. I’m still transcribing and analyzing this latest round of interviews, but I have already learned a lot from these remarkable individuals just from interacting with them.

In many cases, I met the teachers at their schools during their break periods. It came as something of a shock when I realized that I could walk into a school and not have someone check my I.D. or need administrative approval to enter the building. The teachers appear to have far more autonomy in terms of inviting someone into their schools than we are used to in the U.S.  One of the highlights for me followed an interview with a teacher who invited me to hang around a bit longer and meet her fifth grade English class. They were noisy and curious and happy to practice their English by asking me questions such as about my favorite color, favorite animal, favorite sport, favorite “wideo” game (for which I had no answer!), favorite Netflix series, among other topics. There was one particularly sweet moment when a student asked me what my job was, and when I told him that I was a university professor, I heard a number of appreciative “ohs” around the room.

My time in Germany was personally fulfilling too, beyond the research work. I explored Cologne, a lovely city on the Rhine with a famous and amazingly beautiful cathedral, mostly on foot, but I also learned how to get around on their integrated train-tram-bus system. I took advantage of my easy access to other European cities on several occasions and traveled around a bit in Germany. I used my “schrecklich” (dreadful) German nearly every day in basic service encounters. I often missed important details and nuances of meaning in these interactions but could still manage to get business done and occasionally could enjoy some friendly chit chat. On one such occasion, a Korean restaurant owner excitedly showed me photos on her phone that she had taken the week before of Barack Obama’s visit to the city. As someone who does research on adult language learners, it was interesting to once again experience what it “feels” like to be the linguistic and cultural outsider, though, of course, many Germans and other Europeans whom I interacted with are highly proficient in English.

I’m happy to chat with anyone who is considering applying for a Fulbright and share what I learned about the process.

Liz’s return reminds me of a television show from the 1970s called Welcome Back, Kotter, which is about the return of a teacher. There is a line from the show’s theme song that applies as much to Liz as it does to Kotter:  “Welcome back … back here where we need ya.” 

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:

Valerie Bright published an article titled “Pure Belpré and the Planting of Stories” in the Summer 2019 issue of RISE:  A Children’s Literacy Journal.Allison Hutchcraft published two poems in Image. Her poem “Calenture,” originally published in Boulevard, was also featured on Verse Daily this June.

Janaka Lewis published an article titled “Childhood, Race, and Gender in James Baldwin’s Little Man, Little Man” in the Summer 2019 issue of RISE:  A Children’s Literacy Journal.

Quirky Quiz Question — Welcome Back, Kotter launched the acting career of a now-famous actor.  This actor has starred in such films as Urban Cowboy and Pulp Fiction.  What is the name of this actor?

Last week’s answer: Good Eats

My Dad’s preference for grilling over charcoal is shared by Alton Brown of the Food Network.  Brown said that he uses a gas grill for hotdogs and hamburgers, but when grilling chicken, fish, or steak, “it’s charcoal or nothing.”  Brown became famous for a series that ran on the Food Network from 1999 through 2012.  What is the name of this series?

Independence Day — My father was born on July 4, 1928, so I always think about him every Fourth of July.  Some of my most distinct memories of my father from my childhood years relate to his elaborate fire-worshiping ritual, otherwise known as outdoor grilling. On special occasions, such as the Fourth of July, Dad was always ready to shed his identity as a dentist and get in touch with his inner caveman self. Like most men of his generation, Dad seldom cooked in the kitchen, but his reluctance to cook disappeared if it involved grilling meat outdoors. 

For my father, grilling was a primal pleasure. He would have nothing to do with the then newfangled gas grills. He wouldn’t even use lighter fluid. Like our Cro-Magnon ancestors, he would set kindling on fire, although he did use a match instead of flint.  After the fire was burning steadily, he would add the charcoal briquettes. He always maintained that meat that wasn’t cooked over charcoal just didn’t taste as good. 

As the eldest cave boy, I was the apprentice fire-maker. I gathered the kindling and helped Dad build the fire. He explained to me that the first step was to place a layer of wadded-up newspapers on the bottom of the grill. He then showed me how to arrange the kindling in a carefully constructed grid pattern. 

When I asked him why he bothered to arrange the kindling that way, he said it helped the charcoal get started faster because the briquettes would get caught on his grid. This explanation didn’t make any sense to me, but I didn’t say anything. I knew that someday I would be in charge of making the fire, and then I’d put Dad’s grid theory to the test. 

I was 13 when my chance to be a solo fire-maker arrived.  It was toward the end of June, and Dad called Mom to say that he was working late that day.  He and Mom discussed dinner plans, and they decided to have grilled steaks. In order to speed things up, Mom suggested that I get the fire going while he was driving home. The drive took Dad about 40 minutes, which I thought was plenty of time to accomplish my mission. I scrounged up the kindling and wadded up the newspapers like a well-trained cave boy, but then I rebelled. When I placed the kindling in the grill, I deliberately avoided arranging the sticks in a grid pattern.

I had just put the charcoal on the fire when my father pulled into the driveway. He rushed over to the grill to inspect my work and was appalled when he saw that the charred sticks weren’t arranged in a grid. He found a garden tool designed to dig up dandelion roots and used it to push around the burning sticks in a futile effort to arrange them according to his grid method. 

While he was brandishing his red-hot dandelion tool, I noticed that the charcoal briquettes were doing just fine. My error, I decided, was that I had taken too long to build the fire.  For the rest of that summer, Dad and I battled over the grill. About once a week, Mom would tell me to get the fire going, and then I would rush to have it finished before Dad came home. Now that I was the heretical cave boy, I always refused to arrange the sticks in a grid, but I got to be so fast that the charcoal was usually ready for cooking before Dad could even pick up his dandelion tool. Still, he always made a point of inspecting my fire as soon as he got out of his car, and if the sticks were still burning, he would make a feeble effort to rearrange them to his liking. 

The summer of my fiery rebellion was over 50 years ago.  However, every Fourth of July, I remember my Dad and our shared love of grilling outdoors using charcoal.   In fact, this past weekend I grilled chicken kabobs, and in honor of my late father’s upcoming 91st birthday, I used his grid system to light the charcoal.   As my father always maintained, meat cooked any other way just doesn’t taste as good.

News from Recent Graduates of Our M.A. Program — I am always pleased when I hear news from our former students.  I recently received emails from two recent graduates of our M.A. program.  Peter Fields informed me that he just accepted the position of Assistant Learning Specialist for the Athletic Department at the University of South Florida in Tampa where he will work with at-risk student athletes.  Susan Diamond Riley wrote with exciting publication news.  She informed me that Young Palmetto Books, a division of the University of South Carolina Press, is publishing her mystery The Sea Island’s Secret this month.  For more information about the release of her mystery, please click on the following link: https://www.sc.edu/uscpress/books/2019/7974.html

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:

Pilar Blitvich recently learned that her co-edited special issue on im/politeness and globalization (https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-pragmatics/special-issue/10SFM39G03G) won the Neal Norrick Award for best special issue of the year (2018). This is one of two awards presented yearly by the editors and the editorial board of the Journal of Pragmatics (https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-pragmatics) which is the flagship journal in her field.

Katie Hogan recently presented a paper titled “Reading for Queer Disaster” at the Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment Conference in Davis, California. 

Allison Hutchcraft presented creative work in a talk titled “Extinction’s Disasters” at the 2019 Association for the Study of Literature and Environment Conference in Davis, California.

Juan Meneses recently presented a paper titled “A Climate Without Borders: The Figure of the Foreigner in Contemporary Fiction” at the Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment conference in Davis, California. 

Matt Rowney co-organized a round table at the Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment Conference titled “Literature from Below: Soil as Narrative, Soil as Substance.”  He presented a paper for this round table titled “Romantic Soil: Dirt and Growth in the Poetry of Felicia Hemans.”

Upcoming Events and Deadlines — Here is information about upcoming events and deadlines:

July 1 — Final grades for the first summer session courses are due by noon on Monday, July 1.  July 1 —The first day of classes for the second summer session is Monday, July 1.

Quirky Quiz Question — My Dad’s preference for grilling over charcoal is shared by Alton Brown of the Food Network.  Brown said that he uses a gas grill for hotdogs and hamburgers, but when grilling chicken, fish, or steak, “it’s charcoal or nothing.”  Brown became famous for a series that ran on the Food Network from 1999 through 2012.  What is the name of this series?

Last week’s answer: Candide

What is the title of Voltaire’s famous work that includes the passage about caring for gardens.