Monthly Archives: November 2019

Giving Thanks — With Thanksgiving just around the corner and the end of my term as chair of our English Department just around the next corner, I decided to devote this Monday Missive to expressing my thanks to all of you.  

I thank you for not factionalizing along disciplinary lines.  We are a very diverse department, encompassing creative writing, digital studies, film studies, linguistics, literature, pedagogy, technical communication, and several other fields of study.  We could have easily broken up into competing factions, but I am grateful that we chose not to go down that road.  Instead, we try to support and learn from one another.  I think it is significant that Liz Miller (a linguistics professor) recently served as a literary judge for Sanskrit, the students’ literary/arts journal.  Such willingness to reach across disciplinary lines is more the norm than the exception in our department.  Fulfilling my responsibilities as chair would have been much more difficult if we were a factionalized department.

I thank you for taking such a supportive interest in our colleagues’ work and for wholeheartedly celebrating our colleagues’ successes.  Whenever I announce a faculty member’s accomplishment, such as the publication of a book or the awarding of a grant, the whole department chimes in with congratulatory emails.  This aspect of the department carries over to our curricular and administrative successes.  At last week’s department meeting, we spontaneously applauded the accomplishments of faculty members who have built curricular programs, such as our new dual-degree MA/MFA program in creative writing with Kingston University and our highly successful departmental honors program.  Many academic departments are divided by rivalry but not our department.  For me, serving as the chair of such a community-oriented department has been a source of pleasure and satisfaction.

I thank you for your ongoing commitment to teaching our students.  We have a strong record in research and publishing, but our success in the areas of research and publishing does not lessen our dedication to teaching.  One of the highpoints for me during my time as chair came in 2017 when the Department of English received the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

I thank our amazing staff for their many contributions to the smooth functioning of our department and for helping me in my role as chair.  Throughout my seven and a half years in this role, Angie, Jennie, and Monica have made my job much easier.  Because of Angie, I have been able to deal with the department’s budget.   Whenever I need information about particular courses, Jennie always has the answer.  When I decide to install a new exhibit in the departmental display case, Monica joins forces with me and adds her own creative touches.  These are just a few of the many examples of how I have benefitted from the help provided by the legendary terrific trio.

Finally, I thank everyone in the English Department, both past and present, for recognizing the value of children’s literature.  One of the reasons our English Department is recognized in the English-speaking world as a major center for the study of children’s literature is because the entire department has given its support to the development of our children’s literature program.  In fact, a number of our faculty members who were not originally hired as specialists in children’s literature have taken an interest in children’s literature and have published in the field.  Examples of such faculty members include Janaka Lewis, Maya Socolovsky, and Ralf Thiede.  This level of support is not the norm in many English departments.  I know children’s literature specialists from other English departments who often feel that they have to defend the legitimacy of their courses and their scholarship.  I am grateful for the support that you have given me and the other children’s literature faculty members over the years.  
I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving.

The Birth of a Journal —  After noticing that there was not a North Carolina state journal for English teachers, Meghan Barnes worked with colleagues at NC State (Michelle Falter) and UNC Greensboro (Amy Vetter) to develop one. Meghan, Michelle, and Amy successfully proposed the journal to the NCETA board last fall and have just published their first issue as co-editors. The journal is titled Fringes, to represent and celebrate the practices and research that educators are doing that are unconventional and peripheral, or fringe. The journal is peer-reviewed and publishes a combination of empirical research articles, practitioner articles for teachers, and creative pieces. For more information about Fringes, please click on this link: http://www.ncenglishteachersassociation.org/journal/

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:

Meghan Barnes recently delivered the following two papers at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) annual conference in Baltimore:  “Drafting A Win-Win: Maximizing Learning for Pre-Service Teachers and Students Through Digital Writing Spaces” and” Creating Spaces for Inquiry through Expanded Notions of Communities and Texts.” 

Jasmin Gonzalez Caban, a recent graduate of our M.A. program, recently presented a paper titled “A Multiplicity of Monsters: Coping with Death in A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness” at the South Atlantic Modern Language Association Conference held in Atlanta.

Shannon Murphy, one of our graduate students, recently presented a paper titled “Circe as Monster? Redefining the Monster in Madeline Miller’s Circe” at the South Atlantic Modern Language Association Conference held in Atlanta.

Clayton Tarr recently published an article titled “Big Oil: Petroleum Politics in Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s The Coming Race” in Symbiosis 19.2 (Fall 2019).  He also presented a related paper titled “Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s Petroleum Politics: Democracy and Vril in The Coming Race” at the Victorians Institute, Charleston, SC (November 2019).

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

December 9 — The English Department holiday party will be held from 11:30-1:30 on Monday, December 9, in the department lounge.

Quirky Quiz Question — There are many traditions associated with Thanksgiving, including a large parade in New York CIty.  What is the name of this parade?

Last week’s answer: Look Homeward Angel

Mary Rebecca Denny’s interest in the writings of John Milton overlaps with Paula Eckard’s interest in the writings of Thomas Wolfe.  The title of one of Wolfe’s novels is based on a line from Milton’s poem Lycidas.  What is the title of this novel by Wolfe?

From Mary Rebecca Denny to Paula Gallant Eckard — I recently received an email from JuliAnna Ávila in which she mentioned Mary Rebecca Denny, the woman for whom the Denny Building is named (see the story below for more information about JuliAnna’s email).   I remember asking about Denny when I first came to UNC Charlotte in the mid-1980s since I often taught in the Denny Building at the time.  The person I asked told me that Denny was one of the first faculty members hired to teach at Charlotte College, the predecessor to UNC Charlotte.  That conversation was the last time I thought about Denny until I received JuilAnna’s email.  However, now that I have done some research on Denny, I am convinced that we should all know something about her, for she truly is the founding mother of our English Department.

In 1946, Bonnie Cone hired Mary Denny as the first full-time faculty member at what was then called the Charlotte Center of the University of North Carolina.  Denny had been an English professor at Queens College (now called Queens University), but she decided to leave her position at Queens College and join forces with Bonnie Cone.  When the Charlotte Center evolved into Charlotte College in 1949, Denny stayed on and created the English Department.  From 1949 until 1964, she served as the chair of Charlotte College’s English Department.  Shortly after Charlotte College became the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Denny retired, becoming UNC Charlotte’s first professor emerita.  During her time as the chair of the English Department, she founded the college newspaper and a college literary magazine.  Denny continued to support UNC Charlotte, the university she helped create, until her death in 1979. 

Last Friday, I talked with Paula Eckard about my research on Denny, and she shared a story with me about an experience she had in the Denny Building while she was an undergraduate student at UNC Charlotte.  I asked her to send me an email about this experience, and here is what she wrote:

I met my husband as a freshman taking Introduction to Chemistry in one of the big lecture halls in Denny.  During the first two weeks of the semester I sat in the back of the room with friends, but one day I was running late to class and someone had already taken my seat.  I suddenly remembered I had passed a vacant seat next to a dark, handsome young man a few rows closer to the front.  I hurried back down the aisle and took the empty seat. Not being shy, I introduced myself and shortly thereafter we started going out. Three years later we were married during my senior year of nursing school.  I guess the Chemistry was right.

I think it is fitting that Paula is about to become the chair of the department that Mary Denny founded seventy years ago.  Paula never met Denny, but she met her husband in the building named after Denny, and Paula studied English in the department founded by Denny.  Like Denny, Paula developed her leadership skills in this department.  As I see it, Paula is the perfect person to carry on Denny’s legacy.  The chemistry is right.

Mary Rebecca Denny’s Thoughts on the Purpose of a Liberal Education — JuliAnna Ávila is a member of the group of faculty and administrators who are writing the college’s Phi Beta Kappa application.  One of her roles in this process is to proofread the application. While proofreading, she noticed a paragraph about Mary Rebecca Denny’s thoughts on the purpose of a liberal education.  JuliAnna sent me an email in which she quoted this paragraph, and she suggested that I share it with the English Department.  I concur with JuliAnna’s suggestion.  Here is the paragraph:

Writing in the student newspaper in October 1960, Mary Rebecca Denny, the first Chair of the English Department, quoted John Milton’s 1644 tract Of Education, that “A liberal education is that which best fits a man to perform justly, skillfully, and magnanimously all the duties both public and private of peace and war.” This comprehensive perspective, she wrote, includes intellectual and spiritual development as well as social responsibility: a combination of self-discovery, self-discipline, and the development of the power of independent judgment. In an age before formal Mission Statements, Denny summarized the purpose of the university’s core enterprise. “The purpose of a liberal education then,” she concluded, “is human excellence, both public and private.”

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 a paper titled “Challenges of Creating an E-Mobile Support & Archive for Community Dementia Caregivers: The Emerging Story-Call Collection” presented at the VA VISN7 Research Summit, Birmingham, AL, November 14, 2019.

Janaka Lewis recently participated on the following two Program Administration and Development panels of National Women’s Studies Association Conference held in San Francisco:  “Advice to New Chairs and Directors” and “Africana Motherwork in the Academy.”

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

November 21 — The Fifth English Honors Colloquium will take place on Thursday, November 21, from 4:00 to 4:50.  There will be two panels. The panel titled “Addressing Subjugation” will take place in the English Departmentment Conference Room, and the panel titled “Elements of Gothic Literature” will take place in Fretwell 206.

November 22 — The English Department faculty meeting will take place on Friday, November 22,  from 11:00 to 12:30 in the English Department Conference Room (Fretwell 280C).

November 22 — The English Learning Community’s “Meet and Greet Coffee Hour” will take place on November 22 from 1:00 to 2:00 in the Faculty/Staff Lounge.

November 22 — There will be a gathering to celebrate the life of Leon Gatlin and to honor his many contributions to our department on Friday, November 22, from 3:00 to 4:30, in the English Department Seminar Room (Fretwell 290B).  

Quirky Quiz Question — Mary Rebecca Denny’s interest in the writings of John Milton overlaps with Paula Eckard’s interest in the writings of Thomas Wolfe.  The title of one of Wolfe’s novels is based on a line from Milton’s poem Lycidas.  What is the title of this novel by Wolfe?

Last week’s answer: Imaginon

EpicFest always takes place in a unique facility in Charlotte that houses both Children’s Theatre of Charlotte and a large children’s library.  What is the name of this facility?

For the Love of Libraries —  Our English Department has a long history of supporting the libraries in our area as is reflected in the fact that many members of our department have volunteered their time to support library events and programs over the years.  Last week, however, our English Department shifted its support of libraries into high gear.  

For the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, the beginning of November is a special time of the year, for this is when two of the public library’s signature events take place.  On November 7, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation held Verse & Vino, the library’s biggest fundraising event.  On November 9, the public library held EpicFest, a free, daylong festival celebrating children’s literature and literacy.  I am pleased to report that members of our English Department contributed in significant ways to both of these events.

Peter Larkin, one of our part-time faculty members, is also a member of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation.  In his role with the Foundation, Peter is one of the community leaders who helps make Verse & Vino a reality.  Angie Williams also helps make Verse & Vino happen by volunteering each year with the preparation for the event. 

EpicFest relies heavily on volunteers to staff activity tables and help make this festival run smoothly.  Chauna Wall, the Volunteer Coordinator for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, informed me that our students played a crucial role in helping out with EpicFest.  Members of our English Learning Community, the Children’s Literature Graduate Organization, and the English Graduate Association as well as students in several of our classes stepped up and volunteered their time.  Our new advisor, Gina Kelley, volunteered by serving as a bodyguard for a pig character named Mercy Watson.  Peter Larkin’s daughter Mia also volunteered.  Approximately half of the total number of community volunteers who helped with EpicFest this year were associated with our English Department.

Members of our English Department also play important roles roles in supporting the Atkins Library.  Our department is very well represented on the Atkins Library Advisory Board. Paula Connolly serves as a faculty member and supporter. Peter Larkin serves as vice-chair, and Twig Branch (a friend of the English Department) serves as the chair. All three are dedicated to promoting the mission of the Atkins Library at UNC Charlotte.

One of the reasons that our English Department is such a big supporter of area libraries is that we all share core values.  We all embrace the importance of literature and literacy, and we are all committed to engaging in meaningful ways with the larger Charlotte community.

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

November 22 — The English Department faculty meeting will take place on Friday, November 22, from 11:00 to 12:30 in the English Department Conference Room (Fretwell 280C).

November 22 — There will be a gathering to celebrate the life of Leon Gatlin and to honor his many contributions to our department on Friday, November 22, from 3:00 to 4:30, in the English Department Seminar Room (Fretwell 290B).

Quirky Quiz Question — EpicFest always takes place in a unique facility in Charlotte that houses both Children’s Theatre of Charlotte and a large children’s library.  What is the name of this facility?

Last week’s answer: John Lennon and Paul McCartney

What are the names of the song-writing collaborators associated with the band informally known as the Fab Four?

Four Collaborations — One of the pleasures I derive from serving as the chair of our English Department is receiving email messages from members of our department in which they share news about their recent accomplishments.  People send me these emails so that I can include their good news in my Monday Missive, but I enjoy reading and responding to their emails when they hit my inbox.  I received such an email message this week from Jen Munroe informing me of the publication of a book chapter titled “Teaching Environmental Justice and Early Modern Texts: The ‘Co’ in Collaboration,” which is included in Teaching Social Justice Through Shakespeare (Edinburgh University Press).  She also mentioned that she co-wrote this chapter with Rebecca Laroche.  Jen’s email caused me to think about collaborative research.  Many members of our department engage in collaborative research projects, but for the purposes of today’s Monday Missive, I will focus on four collaborations involving members of our department.

I will start with Jen’s collaborative work with Rebecca Laroche, who is a professor in the English Department at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.  Since 2012, Jen and Rebecca have been working together on the Early Modern Recipes Online Collective to create a database of transcriptions of early modern recipe books. She and Rebecca have also co-written numerous articles and book chapters on ecofeminism and early modern literature.  Their Shakespeare and Ecofeminist Theory is the first book-length study to use ecofeminist theory to think about Shakespeare.   Jen will speak about this book as part of the Personally Speaking Series on February 4, 2020.  For more information about her presentation, please click on the following link:  https://clas.uncc.edu/community/community/2019-2020-personally-speaking/shakespeare-and-ecofeminist-theory

In some cases, members of our English Department collaborate on projects with UNC Charlotte faculty members from other departments.  Such is the case with Ralf Thiede and Dan Boisvert from the Department of Philosophy.  From 2014 to 2016, they offered a Prospect-for-Success course in Liberal Studies on the relationship between language and power.  Their collaboration on this class has resulted in a book manuscript.  Combining their areas of language philosophy, ethics, linguistics, and cognitive science, they developed a novel approach to linguistic power: Languages, they argue, encrypt information to exclude “others,” not to optimize understanding.  They develop this argument in their forthcoming book, Language, Mind, and Power: Why We Need Linguistic Equality, which is scheduled to be published by Routledge in 2020.

Becky Roeder is also collaborating on a research project with a faculty member from another department at UNC Charlotte.  The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration involving Becky, Elise Berman from UNC Charlotte’s Department of Anthropology, and Vicki Collet from the University of Arkansas’s College of Education.  Their research focuses on Marshallese children in Springdale, Arkansas, which has the largest Marshallese population outside the Marshall Islands. The research goal is to understand why a disproportionate number of these children, who are native speakers of English but whose parents are from the Marshall Islands, are finding themselves stuck in long-term English Learner status at school. Pending research funding, the initial phase of the project will involve spending time in Springdale collecting ethnographic, assessment, and linguistic data on a cohort of roughly two dozen kindergarteners and their families.

On occasion two members from our English Department collaborate on scholarly projects.   Recently, for example, JuliAnna Ávila and Meghan Barnes have embarked on a collaborative project.  Both JuliAnna and Meghan already have collaborated with researchers from other universities.  JuliAnna has published two edited books and several articles with Jessica Zacher Pandya from California State University-Long Beach, and Meghan has published co-authored articles with several collaborators, including Lindy L. Johnson from the College of WIlliam and Mary.    Now JuliAnna and Meghan are joining forces.  They are co-guest editing an issue of English Teaching: Practice and Critique. The theme of the issue is critical literacies in community spaces, which brings together their research interests. The issue is scheduled to be published in February 2020.  

The aforementioned collaborations are just a few of many collaborative research projects associated with our English Department, but these four examples are sufficient to show how collaborative research extends the reach of our department.  Through such collaborations, our faculty are able to bridge disciplines, form new research networks, and participate in wide-ranging scholarly conversations.  As I see it, scholarly collaborations are more like multiplication than addition.  The results of such collaborations are often greater than the sum of adding the work of researcher #1 to the work of researcher #2.   Instead of coming up with two, you just might come up with today’s magic number, which happens to be four.

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:

Alan Rauch recently learned that he has been selected as a TEDxCharlotte 2020 speaker finalist.

Quirky Quiz Question — What are the names of the song-writing collaborators associated with the band informally known as the Fab Four?

Last week’s answer: Clio Rising

The title of Paula Martinac’s most recent novel makes reference to the muse of history from Greek mythology.  What is the title of this novel?