To Kill a Mockingbird and Childhood Memories — The recent death of Harper Lee brought up many memories of my various encounters with To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel originally published in 1960.  About five years after the book came out, my father decided to read it aloud to my brother, my sister, and me.  We were all attending a small elementary school in the mountains of Colorado at the time, and none of us had ever visited the South or knew much about the history of racial prejudice, but the book still resonated with all three of us.  I contacted my brother and sister after learning of Lee’s death, and I asked them if they remembered Dad reading the book to us.  They both were able to bring up memories from our first encounter with Lee’s classic story.

My most distinct memories of hearing the book read aloud all involve the child characters in the story:  Scout, the protagonist; Jem, Scout’s older brother; and Dill, their neighbor.  I generally identified with boy characters during my childhood, but I remember liking Scout the most of all of the characters in the book.  I liked Scout’s inquisitiveness, her playfulness, and her sense of fairness.   Her willingness to be daring appealed to me as a boy and still appeals to me.  In fact, Scout was one of my favorite fictional characters from my childhood.

There was also something special about having my father read this book aloud to my siblings and me.   As everyone knows who has read this book, To Kill a Mockingbird celebrates the relationship between a father and his children.  The fact that my father chose to share this book with my siblings and me caused me to associate my father with Scout’s father–Atticus Finch.   My father was an eccentric dentist, not a small-town lawyer like Atticus, but I know that my father shared Atticus’s sense of decency and commitment to due process.  Even as a child, I understood that this book clearly meant a great deal to my father, and in my childhood mind, I sort of conflated Atticus Finch and my father.

I have since reread the book several times as an adult, and a few years ago I taught it in a graduate seminar on Growing Up in the South.  As an adult, I am more aware of the historical and political elements in the book, but I still think that Lee’s depiction of child characters is one the most appealing aspects of Lee’s novel.  Her child characters ring true.  Scout, Jem and Dill still seem like real people to me.  I will always feel a sense of debt to my father for introducing me to my friend Scout.  As far as I am concerned, Scout and I are still friends.

CLGO Book Drive — Recently the Children’s Literature Graduate Organization (CLGO) has partnered with Smart Start of Mecklenburg County to promote child and adolescent literacy by hosting a book drive. CLGO will be receiving new or gently used books throughout the end of February and beginning of March. Students, faculty and staff can deliver new or gently used books to the Department of English in the box designated “CLGO Book Drive.”

All donated books will be delivered to Smart Start of Mecklenburg County as part of their Reach Out and Read program- a national evidence-based model that makes early literacy a standard part of pediatric primary care with a special emphasis on children who grow up in low-income communities. More specifically, books will be delivered directly to CMC North Park where medical physicians partner with families to develop critical early reading skills in children.

Quirky Quiz Question — Harper Lee based some of the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird on real people.  The character of Dill is based on her childhood friend who went on to become a famous author.  Does anybody know the name of the real person upon whom the character of Dill is based?

Last week’s answer: The Audacity of Hope

President Obama’s Dreams from My Father is not the only book he wrote.  In 2006 he published a book about “reclaiming the American dream.”  Does anybody know the title of this book?

Presidents’ Day — When one thinks of academics who study the American Presidency, political scientists and historians usually come to mind, but not English professors. However, several members of our English Department have taken a scholarly interest in particular American Presidents. Given that today is Presidents’ Day, I will provide some information about these professors’ contributions to our understanding of the American Presidency.

Jeffrey Leak regularly teaches a course titled “Reading and Writing the Black Self: Twentieth- and Twenty-First Century African American Autobiography.” One of the autobiographies that he uses in this course is President Barack Obama’s Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. In a recent email message, Jeffrey discussed his reasons for teaching this text: “The memoir introduces students to a kind of black identity that is literally global. The very idea of the term ‘African American’ is reconfigured through Obama’s African father and white American mother. It pushes students, whatever their racial backgrounds, to think in more thoughtful terms about racial and cultural identity–which in turn complicates their understanding of American identity and citizenship.”

Daniel Shealy has taken a strong interest in President Abraham Lincoln. Daniel’s interest in President Lincoln is tied to his ongoing research on role that Concord, Massachusetts, played in the American Civil War. In November 2014, the Concord Free Public Library opened an exhibit on President Lincoln’s connections to Concord, and they invited Daniel to deliver the keynote lecture for the grand opening of the exhibit. Titled “‘The Pulse of 20 Millions Throbbing in His Heart’: Abraham Lincoln and Concord’s Civil War,” this lecture attracted a large an appreciative audience as well as local media attention.

Both Jeffrey and Daniel have shown how the study of American Presidents can help us gain a better understanding of the larger political and cultural forces that shape our history. Of course, this is quite a challenge, but this is not a job for Superman–it’s a job for English professors.

CLGO Spring Colloquium — The Children’s Literature Graduate Organization (CLGO) is holding its Spring Colloquium on Friday, February 19 from 9:00 to 2:00 in the Center for Graduate Life (Cone 268). Titled “Difference, Other, and Activism: A Colloquium on Expressions of Identity in Children’s and Young Adult Literature,” this event will feature presentations by several of our graduate students as well as an MA student from the University of New Hampshire, and two Ph.D. students from UNC Chapel Hill. The event will also include a faculty panel, featuring Paula Connolly, Janaka Lewis, and Sarah Minslow.

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

February 16 — Sigma Tau Delta is sponsoring a social event called Pizza & Paperbacks. The event will take place in on Tuesday, February 16, from 11:30 to 1:30 in Fretwell 290B. Participants are asked to bring a paperback version of one of their favorite books along with a note explaining why they like the book. Participants will then exchange their book with another person’s book. Free pizza will be provided.

February 16 — Jeffrey Leak will deliver a presentation on his book Visible Man: The Life of Henry Dumas as part of the Personally Speaking Series. The event will take place at UNC Charlotte Center City on Tuesday, February 16, at 6:30 pm.

February 16 — The UNC Charlotte Faculty and Staff production, “Tales From Down There” featuring the work of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues & A Memory, Monologue, Rant & Prayer, will be presented on Tuesday, February 16 at 7pm in McKnight Hall, Cone Center. The performers include Angie Williams, Janaka Lewis, and Tiffany Morin from the English Department as well as Alison Walsh, honorary English Department member.

Quirky Quiz Question — President Obama’s Dreams from My Father is not the only book he wrote. In 2006 he published a book about “reclaiming the American dream.” Does anybody know the title of this book?

Last week’s answer: the monkey

There is always an animal associated with the Chinese New Year. These animals are tied to the Chinese Zodiac. What animal is associated with this Chinese New Year?

The Year of Jeffrey Leak — The Chinese New Year is celebrated today. This February is also special because it has 29 days, which means that this is Leap Year. For those of us in the English Department, however, the Chinese New Year and Leap Year are overshadowed by the Year of Jeffrey Leak.

This is a special year for Jeffrey. Not only is he serving as the Faculty President this year, but he is also representing the English Department in this year’s Personally Speaking Series. Co-sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and J. Murrey Atkins Library, the Personally Speaking Series features CLAS authors who recently published books. Jeffrey will be delivering a presentation about his book Visible Man: The Life of Henry Dumas. The event will take place at UNC Charlotte Center City on Tuesday, February 16, at 6:30 pm. The event is free but reservations are requested. To RSVP, please click on the following link: http://clas.uncc.edu/engagement/personally-speaking/visible-man

Susan Gardner’s Big Move — As most of you know, Susan Gardner retired from the English Department several years ago, but she has been teaching as an adjunct faculty member for the English Department and the American Studies Program since her retirement. However, Susan is about to make a big change in her life. This Friday she will move to a retirement community in New Hampshire. I know that I speak on behalf of the English Department in wishing her all the best as she relocates to New Hampshire.

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:

Sarah Minslow is being honored today at a university-wide reception to recognize the faculty and staff who received the most nominations for making “the most significant, positive contribution to their education.” Sarah was nominated by 19 students.

Jen Munroe was named the English Graduate Student Association’s Professor of the Year. This award recognizes an English professor who does an excellent job of teaching and mentoring graduate students. The winner is selected by our own graduate students. Jen was presented this award at the 16th Annual EGSA Conference, which took place on February 5, 2016.

Upcoming Events and Deadlines— Here is a date to keep in mind:

February 16 — The UNC Charlotte Faculty and Staff production, “Tales From Down There” featuring the work of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues & A Memory, Monologue, Rant & Prayer, will be presented on Tuesday, February 16 at 7pm in McKnight Hall, Cone Center. The performers include Angie Williams, Janaka Lewis, and Tiffany Morin from the English Department as well as Alison Walsh, honorary English Department member.

Quirky Quiz Question — There is always an animal associated with the Chinese New Year. These animals are tied to the Chinese Zodiac. What animal is associated with this Chinese New Year?

Last week’s answer: Julian Mason
Dr. Mary Harper was not the only member of the English Department to focus on African American literature during the department’s early years. Another faculty member from this time period became well known for editing The Poems of Phillis Wheatley. Can you name this former faculty member?

Given that February is African American History Month, I think it is fitting to devote today’s Monday Missive to celebrating Dr. Mary Harper’s lasting contributions to the history of our English Department. Dr. Harper joined the English Department in the early 1970s and continued to teach in our department until her retirement in the early 1990s. She played a pivotal role in creating and teaching the first African American literature classes in our department. I contacted two faculty members who worked with Dr. Harper and asked them to comment on her contributions to our department and the larger university.

In her comments, Dr. Sandra Govan stressed Dr. Harper’s commitment to teaching:

As the “first” Black full-time faculty member in the English Department, Mary’s contributions were many and varied. She was a consummate classroom teacher, always thoroughly prepared to not just provide information to her students but to hold them accountable for their learning. Back in the day, we did not have the toys and tools that people use now. The relationship between student and teacher was one of trust and teamwork. Part of that team effort is that students understood that learning is a participatory two-way process. As a great teacher, Mary built foundations with students. They understood that a large part of her role was to challenge them, to have expectations of them, and to demand in her classrooms that students rise to meet those expectations. Their best effort was what she demanded. Mary was creative and responsive in the classroom. Her students read and wrote many different types of assignments, and Mary responded to everything they wrote–multiple papers, presentations, and classroom projects.

In her comments, Dr. Boyd Davis recalls how Dr. Harper’s commitment to teaching benefited her fellow faculty members as well as the students:

I want to talk about how Mary raised the bar for everyone teaching lower division courses – and in those days, that was literally everyone in the department. I was lucky enough to team teach a course with her. What was most exciting was the way Mary planned each segment of the course and each presentation to incorporate music, art, history and science as necessary components for fully literate comprehension of a topic. Every writing assignment, in each and every draft, was fully contextualized. Were we working with a play by Shakespeare or Marlowe? Then the students had to create the broadsides reviewing the plays and players, warning about current diseases, reminding of current food shortages, admonishing raucous behavior at the playhouses. Were we working with a short story, such as “Sonny’s Blues”? Mary brought in carefully chosen paintings from her own collection of emerging artists, and we invited local musicians to play the blues. Students interviewed each other about the experiences they had had, comparing them to the powerful images in the short story.

Mary was and is wickedly funny, a colleague and dear friend. Her students still come back to see her, their mentor. She either scared them or loved them into excellence, they were never quite sure which – but they revered her then and now. And so do those of us who worked with her.

Dr. Harper also worked with faculty members from other departments, including Dr. Herman Thomas from the Department of Religious Studies. The two of them often collaborated on programs and projects, and now they are being jointly honored with the establishment of the Harper-Thomas Legacy Endowment for Study Abroad. This fund will be a perpetual merit-based award to support students’ international educational experiences with preference given to self-identified first-generation college students from underrepresented populations. Depending on the demand for the scholarship and the strength of the applications, the award could support up to six scholars. To donate with a credit card, please go to giving.uncc.edu and select “College of Liberal Arts & Sciences” from the dropdown field and click the “Submit” button. On the following page, select “Harper-Thomas Legacy Endowment (H10401)” from the dropdown field, enter the amount you wish to donate and click the “Proceed to the next step” button to complete your donation online. For more information about the Harper-Thomas Legacy Endowment, please click on the following link: http://clas.uncc.edu/alumni-friends/harper-thomas-legacy-endowment

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:

Jarred Hamilton, a senior English major, presented the paper titled “Delacroix and His Portrayal of the African Servant” at the 5th Annual Undergraduate Art History Symposium celebrated at UNC Charlotte’s campus last Friday.

Upcoming Events and Deadlines— Here is a date to keep in mind:

February 5 — The English Graduate Student Association is hosting its 16th annual conference this upcoming Friday, February 5th at the Student Union. Registration begins at 9:30.

Quirky Quiz Question — Dr. Mary Harper was not the only member of the English Department to focus on African American literature during the department’s early years. Another faculty member from this time period became well known for editing The Poems of Phillis Wheatley. Can you name this former faculty member?

Last week’s answer: HAMLET

Shakespeare once wrote the following line: “The play’s the thing.” Can you name the work by Shakespeare in which this line appears?

The Rise and Fall of a Tower — As I walked back to Fretwell after visiting Atkins Library last week, I encountered a tour group led by one of the backwards-walking students employed by the admissions office.  “Here,” said the backwards-walking student, “is where the Belk Tower used to be.”  I could tell that she wanted to give the rest of her Belk Tower spiel, but she just paused for a few awkward moments and then carried on with her tour. Like the backwards-walking student, I feel a bit disoriented by the sudden disappearance of the Belk Tower.

Built in 1970, the Belk Tower served as a campus focal point for nearly a half-century.  In many ways, however, its history extended back much, much further into the past.  The historical roots of the Belk Tower can be traced back to the soaring obelisks that the ancient Egyptians built.  These obelisks were part of the Egyptians’ passion for monumental architecture.  By building structures that soared into the heavens, the Egyptians expressed their ambitions and staked their claim to greatness.  Ever since, such structures have played similar roles but in many different contexts.  It is no coincidence that the Washington Monument resembles an Egyptian obelisk.  The Belk Tower, although not an obelisk, also served as an expression of ambition and a claim to greatness.  My hope is that the symbolism associated with the Belk Tower will continue to resonate with the members of our campus even though the tower itself is now memory.

Last week’s answer: Austin City Limits

In addition to hosting this year’s MLA Convention, Austin is featured in a popular music program that is televised on PBS.  What is the name of this program?

Austin Bound — In a few days, four members of our Eco-Studies Search Committee (Jen Munroe, Kirk Melnikoff, Juan Meneses, and Alan Rauch) will be heading off to Austin, Texas, to interview candidates at this year’s MLA Convention. Tony Jackson, who is also a member of the search committee, will stay in Charlotte to tend the home fires. I am very impressed with the dedication and hard work of this search committee, and I am looking forward to hearing about the MLA interviews with the candidates for this position.

As I see it, serving on search committees is one of the most important service roles performed by faculty members. Of course, when the finalists come to campus for their interviews, our attention is on the candidates, not the members of the search committee. For this reason, I think it is appropriate to take a moment before finalists come to campus to acknowledge the work of the search committee members. The process of screening the applications, conducting interviews with candidates, and organizing campus visits takes a tremendous amount of time and attention to details. My thanks go to everyone on the Eco-Studies Search Committee for their work on this search.

There are two other English faculty members who are also serving on search committees. Becky Roeder is serving on the University Writing Program’s Digital Rhetoric Search Committee, and Janaka Lewis is serving on the Women’s and Gender Studies Search Committee for a tenure-track position in Global Approaches to Gender and Health. I appreciate the willingness of Becky and Janaka to serve on these search committee.

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:

Alan Rauch recently traveled to Boone, NC, to work with colleagues on the planning/organizing committee for the forthcoming (March 10-13) meeting of the Interdisciplinary Nineteenth Century Studies Society (INCS). The conference, titled “Natural and Unnatural Histories,” will be held in Asheville.

Upcoming Events and Deadlines— Here is a date to keep in mind:

January 11 — The first day of classes for the Spring 2016 semester is January 11.

Quirky Quiz Question — In addition to hosting this year’s MLA Convention, Austin is featured in a popular music program that is televised on PBS. What is the name of this program?

Last Quirky Quiz answer: Joseph Campbell

When George Lucas wrote the screenplay for the original Star Wars movie, he was strongly influenced by a book titled A Hero with a Thousand Faces. What is the name of the author of this book?

For some reason, the unbridled enthusiasm of fans appeals to me.  I like their passion for stories, their willingness to immerse themselves in the details of plots and characters’ backstories, and their desire to create a sense of community with other fans.  In many ways, fans have much in common with those of us who write literary or film criticism or who teach courses on literature and film.  As academics, we tend to be a bit more restrained in our responses to stories, but I suspect that beneath the surface of many a literary critic there is a fan waiting to awaken.

As every fans knows, there are pleasures that come with sharing stories and participating in communities.  These are among the pleasures that I hope all of you are able to enjoy during our much-deserved winter break.  May the force be with you.

Boyd Davis recently learned that her VA Promising Practice Project (Training Community Clergy Partners to Improve Access to Care for Rural Veterans) has just been funded. Her partners include the National Guard and several denominations that are highly popular in the rural South. She’ll be analyzing recordings of initial training sessions and preliminary interactions with Veterans to suggest improvements to the training interaction.   She also learned that her co-author chapter titled “Sociolinguistics of Aging and Language” will appear in the forthcoming book Cognition, Language and Aging.

Lance Phillips recently learned that two short poems of his have been accepted by the print journal Fence, and a longer poem will be included in the new edition of the online journal Apartment.

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

December 23 — UNC Charlotte closes for winter break.

January 4 — UNC Charlotte reopens on Monday, January 4.
January 11 — The first day of classes for the Spring 2016 semester isJanuary 11.

Quirky Quiz Question — When George Lucas wrote the screenplay for the original Star Wars movie, he was strongly influenced by a book titledA Hero with a Thousand Faces. What is the name of the author of this book?

Last week’s answer: Lady on the Hill

Biltmore Estate has long had a nickname among the residents of Asheville.  This nickname includes the word “Hill” but it has nothing to do with Senior Associate Dean Bill Hill (although Dr. Hill received his undergraduate degree from nearby Appalachian State University).  What is the nickname for Biltmore Estate?