Friday, January 29, 2010

Snow-etry



Enjoy this poem from Ralph Waldo Emerson today, as you view these vintage images of our campus under snow. (If it goes on too much longer, you may need this one.)

Study Abroad in France Meets Today

Interested in Study Abroad in France this Summer? Meet with Dr. John Paine in WHB 209 at 10:00 Friday morning. If you can't make this meeting but are still interested, contact Dr. Paine at john.paine@belmont.edu or at 460-6244.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

English Club Meeting Moved to February 5

In anticipation of a "Nashville Weather Event" (and I think you know what that means) and wasted baking, Professor Trout is postponing the first English Club meeting until next Friday, February 5 at 10 am in WHB 209.

Meanwhile, The Show Goes on for Study Abroad!

Dr. Maggie Monteverde wants to you know that this summer Belmont is sponsoring 14 study abroad trips involving Belmont faculty on 6 of the 7 continents, in programs ranging in length from 2 to 6 weeks, studying subjects in a wide variety of majors, as well as general education offerings in Third Year Writing and Junior Cornerstone? In addition, through CCSA Belmont students can also participate in a wide range of programs in English-speaking countries for Belmont credit. It’s not too late to work this into your summer plans, but application deadlines for some programs will be coming up soon. Stop by Beaman A&B at 10:00 tomorrow--Friday, January 29--for some general information and to see what’s available. Representatives of many of these programs as well as from the office of International Education will be on hand to answer questions and provide applications. Isn’t it time you visited Argentina, Cambodia, Canada, China, Eastern Europe, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Germany, the Holy Land, Ireland, South Africa, Switzerland and earned college credit by studing Art, Music Business, Spanish, Theatre, Nursing, French, German, Poli Sci, Media, Philosophy, or Business?

Submit to BLJ

Dr. Danielle Alexander wants you to know that submissions for the Belmont Literary Journal are being accepted until February 12 . Along with art, song lyrics, poetry, and fiction, BLJ is especially interested in creative nonfiction, a separate category this year.

In order to submit to the BLJ:

1. Fill out a (white) "Submission Form," available outside Dr. Alexander's office, in the Writing Center, or in the Library lobby. A hard copy of this form must be submitted to Dr. Alexander.

2. You must submit your prose or poetry as an email attachment to danielle.alexander@belmont.edu. You may submit a hard copy of your work, but you don't have to.

If you would like to work as a reader for one of the selection committees, please see the Writing Center or Dr. Alexander's office door for a (lemon) "Survey of Work Interests" form. There are a limited number of spaces available for the different selection committees (fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction), so fill out your form soon! We’ll be finalizing the selection committees by mid-February.

As many of you know, Dr. Curtis likes to point out that he published in the same college literary jounral as Cormac McCarthy (two pieces to one at that). Who is going to say something like that about you? Submit to BLJ, and be someone's brush with greatness!

Dr. John's New Edition

Dr. Caresse John and her husband Christian welcomed a 9 lb, 4 oz. baby girl, Elliott Elise John, to the world on January 26. Congratulations all around!

Other Faculty News

In December, Belmont University announced the promotion of Dr. Amy Hodges Hamilton to Associate Professor of English and the promotion of Dr. David Curtis to full Professor.

Sabbaticals were approved for the Fall of 2010 for Dr. James Wells and for the Spring of 2011 for Dr. Bonnie Smith. (Dr. Doug Murray is on sabbatical for the current Spring 2010 semester.)

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

The Tempest at the Troutt

The Nashville Shakespeare Festival's performance of The Tempest in the Troutt Theater runs Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 2:30 through January 31.



After the evening performance of The Tempest, on Saturday, Jan. 30, a panel of scholars will give short presentations and field questions on the play and its production. The panel includes Dr. Marcia McDonald (Provost—Belmont), Dr. Leah Marcus (Edwin Mims Professor of English-Vanderbilt), Dr. James Wells (Associate Professor of English-Belmont), Claire Syler (Director, Nashville Shakespeare Festival), and Denise Hicks (Artistic Director, NSF). There will be Academic Lecture convo credit for this event.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Dr. Wells to Speak at Pull-Tight Theatre

Dr. James Wells will present “The Taming of the Shrew and the Expense of Laughter” as part of the Prelude to Pull-Tight Players’ production of that play on Sunday, January 24, at 2 p.m. The Pull-Tight Theatre is located at 112 2nd Avenue South in Franklin, TN. The Prelude consists of scenes from Shakespeare’s play, the presentation by Dr. Wells, and refreshments.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Anne Rice Q&A Tonight!

(submitted by BU English Major Logan Allen) I'm doing a Skype Q&A event with Anne Rice Tomorrow (Wednesday) Jan. 13 at 7:00PM in the Massey board room, and I would really enjoy seeing some of our English majors there. Could you forward this email to everyone for me to spread the word?

For those who may not know, Anne Rice is the author of wildly popular Vampire Chronicles series and the Lives of the Mayfair Witches series. Her bestsellers include Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, The Witching Hour, and many more. She returned to Catholicism in 1998 and dedicated her work to God in 2002. Her recent bestseller, a Christian supernatural thriller, called Angel Time marks the debut of her protagonist Toby O'Dare, an assassin that achieves salvation, is enlisted to work with a league of God's angels, called Seraphs, and travels through time.

The themes for the event will be process, creativity, and the supernatural, and anyone is welcome to come and ask Ms. Rice a question, pertaining to those themes, about any of her books. This is a really great opportunity to talk with such a widely published author.