Deep Song Reading Series Kicks Off This Thursday with Adam Clay

This Thursday, November 8th, Belmont's Deep Song Reading Series will host its first writer. This new event series, facilitated by Dr. Gary McDowell, will bring writers and poets to campus in celebration of the written and spoken word.

 For the inaugural event, at 7:00 p.m. in McWhorter 110, the poet Adam Clay will be reading from his new book, A Hotel Lobby at the Edge of the World (Milkweed Editions, 2012). Click and enlarge the event poster below for more information, and come out to hear Adam read from his work!

Dark Specter Caught on Film

An eerie apparition, long known to haunt the English Department each fall, was photographed just outside the Writing Center this afternoon. Some speculation exists that the spirit of a disgruntled student revisits the department each year around the time of his suspension. Others say this black phantasm is the Ghost of Papers Past, and students have reported hair-raising whispers of "rewrite, rewrite" as they pass down the department's hallway. A few contend that the phantom visits classrooms in an effort to get enough BELL Core credits for graduation. Only one thing is certain. The Gothic abounds in the English Department.

English Professors to Lecture at Bongo Java

This semester and next, three Belmont English professors will deliver lectures at Bongo Java coffeehouse as part of its Belmont U. Lecture Series. This monthly event series features award-winning Belmont professors and is free and open to the public.

The lectures are held the first Tuesday of each month from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Bongo Java on Belmont Boulevard.  A complete schedule for the series can be found here:  http://www.bongojava.com/view_event.php?id=188

The first event kicks off in less than two weeks on November 6 with the English Department's Dr. Marcia McDonald. Following in December and April are Dr. Maggie Monteverde and Professor Sue Trout.  Mark your calendars, have some coffee, and learn for free!

Featured English Professors

Tuesday, November 6  

From Partisan Politics to Civil Conversation:  Some Ideas from the Great Writers

Marcia McDonald, English Department

Tuesday, December 4

The Origins of Christmas Customs 

Maggie Monteverde, English Department

Tuesday, April 2

Oh, I Couldn't Wear It, But It Looks Good on You:  The Function of Manners in the South

Sue Trout, English Department

Upcoming Events with Mark Charles

Please plan to attend two important & enlightening programs with Navajo speaker Mark Charles!

Reconciliation: How Teachings from a 2,000 year-old Book Can Bring Healing to a 500 year-old Wound

Friday, October 26, 2012
Neely Hall 10:00-10:50 am
Culture and Arts Convo Credit

Mark Charles is a Native American leader who lives at Fort Defiance, AZ, located on the Navajo Reservation. He seeks to understand the complexities of American history regarding race, culture and faith in order to help forge a path of healing and biblical reconciliation for the nation. Using the indigenous art of storytelling, Charles will share, both from the Scriptures as well as from his personal journey, insights he has gained into the depth of the Creator's heart for reconciliation.

*Co-sponsored by the Office of Spiritual Development and the Department of English



An Apology, an Appropriations Bill, and a Conversation That Never Happened

Friday, October 26, 2012
Beaman A & B 6:00-7:30 pm
Academic Lecture Credit

On December 19, 2009 President Obama signed the 2010 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, H.R. 3326. Buried on page 45 of this 67-page document is sub-section 8113, titled "Apology to Native People of the United States.” The White House Press Release regarding this bill contained no mention of the apology and it was not read publically until a small ceremony six months later. This is not how a nation of immigrants apologizes to their indigenous hosts for centuries of disenfranchisement, broken treaties and stolen lands. This talk will present efforts currently underway to publically communicate this apology so a conversation regarding reconciliation can truly begin.

*Sponsored by the Communication Studies Department

Biographical Notes:

Mark Charles is a speaker, writer, and consultant from Fort Defiance, AZ, located on the Navajo Reservation. The son of an American woman of Dutch heritage and a Navajo man, Mark seeks to understand the complexities of American history regarding race, culture, and faith in order to help forge a path of healing and reconciliation for the nation. He partners with numerous organizations to assist them in respectfully approaching, including, and working with native communities. Mark is a graduate of UCLA.

He consults as a resource development specialist for Indigenous worship through Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. He is the primary investigator in a study conducted by Brigham Young University on the Navajo perception of time. Mark serves as a board member for Christian Community Development Association and the Christian Reformed Church of North America. He developed and coordinates the Global Discipleship Network project through Christian Reformed World Missions.

Mr. Charles is currently traveling across the United States in an effort, as he puts it, to “understand the complexities of our country's history regarding race, culture and faith so that I can help forge a path of healing and reconciliation for our people.”

Graduate Student Presents Work

Allison Belt (show below), a Master's student in the English graduate program who was featured back in February, recently presented her work at two different conference settings in less than a week.

• On September 22, at Middle Tennessee State University's EGSO Conference, Allison presented a paper titled "The Road to Hell: Intentions in Conrad's Heart of Darkness." 
• On September 27, in conjunction with Dr. Annette Sisson, Allison presented at Belmont University's Eleventh Annual Humanities Symposium. Her portion of the talk was called, "Toward a Global Perspective: Wendell Berry and the Ties That Bind." 

English Graduate Student Publishes Work

Shellie Richards (pictured below), an undergraduate alumna of Belmont University and a Master's student in Belmont's Graduate English program, has had a fruitful 2012 when it comes to publishing her writing.  She has placed her poetry and short fiction in a variety of print and online venues. This impressive list includes:

• Bartleby Snopes, "Quick & Painless" (fiction short story). Winner, Story of the Month January 2012.
• Belmont Literary Journal, "The Price of Doubt" (fiction short story) & "South Carolina in July" (poetry). Spring 2012.
• The Chaffey Review, "Primetime" (creative non-fiction short story). Volume VIII, Summer 2012.
• Tabula Rasa: Vanderbilt University Journal of Medical Humanities, "The Diagnosis" (short story).  Spring 2012.
• Pyrokinection, "On the Way to Gautreau’s in New Orleans" (poetry). June 2012.
• The Mindless Muse, "One-Horse Town Life," "Errands," & "Academia Unraveled" (poetry). July 2012.
• Jellyfish Whispers, "Dusk" & "The Hundred Year Flood" (poetry). August 2012.

Congratulations to Shellie on her growing corpus of work!

Humanities Symposium Writing Awards Named In Honor of Sandy Hutchins

On Sunday, September 30, the Belmont Humanities Symposium committee announced that, going forward, the Symposium writing awards will be named in honor of Dr. Sandy Hutchins, a longtime member of Belmont’s English Department.  

Dr. Hutchins earned her Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University and is an Associate Professor of English with teaching focuses in writing, including creative writing and composition, and in British literature. Her research interests include daughter/father relationships, social festivity in literature, Australian literature, literary/cultural study, and teaching and pedagogy, especially the teaching of creative writing. In 2010, Dr. Hutchins was the recipient of the Leo Love Merit Scholarship as part of the Taos Summer Writers Conference. She has published fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction and is now working on her third novel, Already Kindled, told from the perspective of a young girl growing up in Mississippi.  

Please help us in congratulating Dr. Hutchins for  this most recent distinction!

L to R: Dr. Regine Schwarzmeier, Dr. Sandy Hutchins, Dr. David Curtis, Dr. Cynthia Cox, Dr. Gary McDowell

Humanities Symposium Writing Contest Winners

This year’s Humanities Symposium writing competition received over 100 submissions in three categories: fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Dr. Sandy Hutchins, Dr. Andrea Stover, and Dr. Gary McDowell served as judges for the contest and are proud to announce the following winners:

Fiction:
1st place: Hannah Baggott's "Fighter"
2nd place: Jessica Auville's "Dry Bones"

Creative Nonfiction:
1st place: Erin Turberville's "Operation Desert Storm"
2nd place: Melanie Bond's "The Fall of My Junior Year"

Poetry:
1st place: Austin Boling's "After the wars,"
2nd place: Alissa Lindemann's "The Chaos Sound"

L to R: (seated) Erin Turberville, Alissa Lindemann, Hannah Baggott, Austin Boling, Melanie Bond, Jessica Auville; (standing) Dr. Gary McDowell

Last week, as part of Belmont’s 11th Annual Humanities Symposium, Civility and Its Discontents, the winning writers read from their pieces as part of a symposium panel. Congratulations to all the participants, and especially to the award winners for their deserving work!

Belmont English Professor Publishes in Nashville Arts Magazine

In this month's issue of Nashville Arts Magazine, Gary McDowell, Assistant Professor of English at Belmont, features local artist John Jackson and focuses on Jackson's Technology Series, a collection of paintings that explore the complex effects of technology on our culture. McDowell writes, "The artist exposes the loneliness and vulnerability in contemporary relationships by laying bare the human figure and exploring our cultural obsession with technology." The October issue of Nashville Arts Magazine can be viewed by clicking here.

Belmont Alum Reads from Her Novel

Today, at 5:00 p.m. in the Leu Art Gallery, recent Belmont alum Erica Williams (M.A. English, Creative Writing, 2010) will read from her self-published first novel, Love Lifted Me, and talk about the writing and publishing process. Come and hear about a recent graduate’s success in her field! After the author talk, Erica will be available to sign books and answer questions. Books will be available to purchase for $8. More information about the novel can be found at: https://www.createspace.com/3899355 

Former English Major Teaches Abroad

Below are notes from the field by Shelly Reed, a Belmont English major and recent graduate who spent time in Greece teaching English:

This past school year I received the Hellenic American Educational Foundation Teaching Fellowship, which awarded me the incredible opportunity to teach English in Greece. My placement was at Athens College, and consisted of teaching advanced high school students Shakespeare, running creative writing workshops for the literary journal, and coaching duet acting for the forensics team. As a recent Belmont graduate wondering about my career path, this was the perfect chance to discover what teaching is all about. 

The fellowship provided housing, a stipend, great health insurance, a transportation pass, and meals at the school. It also provided a free Greek language class. The stipend was enough to allow for travel and I took full advantage of exploring the Greek islands! 

 Not only did the fellowship offer a lot of professional experience, including valuable ESL experience, but it also changed me profoundly. While living abroad is exotic and exciting, it is also fraught with challenges. I now know what it is like to be a minority, to not speak the language, and to be truly disconnected from home. All of my time in Greece---the exciting times and the challenging times led me to a richer understanding of humanity, one that I believe I could not have gotten any other way. 

 So to those of you dancing with the decision about whether or not to teach abroad, my advice is to go for it! I guarantee the experience will teach you something, like not to eat oranges off the trees in Athens! 

- Shelly Reed

Belmont English Accolades

The English Department would like to congratulate the following students for their academic achievements!

• Matt Dodson, who received his B.A. in English this past spring, will be attending Oregon State University after being accepted into its School of Writing, Literature, and Film. Matt will pursue a Master of Arts degree in Literature and Culture and teach writing as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. He wants to study American literature from 1900 to present with an emphasis on nature/environmental literature. He was also accepted by Masters programs at Colorado State University, Portland State University, and the University of Colorado at Boulder.

• Jeff Russell, a Belmont graduate of the Master of Arts in English program, has been accepted into the Ph.D. program in Educational Psychology and Research at the University of Tennessee.  He will pursue his doctorate with a concentration in Adult Learning and a minor in English Education.

• Michael Watson, a Belmont English graduate student, recently delivered a paper at The Joseph Conrad Society's Annual International Conference, held in Bath, England in July. His paper was titled, "Steaming Towards a Dark Intent: Establishing Discourse between the Production of Purpose and Self-Discovery in 'Heart of Darkness'."

Belmont English Congratulates Graduates

The Belmont English Department would like to congratulate its Bachelors and Masters graduates who took degrees in the Spring of 2012.  Here are this year's graduates:

Bachelor of Arts (English)

Taylor Boyd

  Amanda Buckner

Matthew Dodson

Heather Entsminger

    Katie Godwin

Jennifer Hamrick

Abby Henry

Allison Hill

 Rainu Ittycheriah

Jesse Johnson

Scott Maddux

Alyson McHargue

Britney Morey

Nathan Stabenfeldt

Laura Stack

Shannon Titus

Ashley Trabue

Lance Umenhofer

Rachel Worsham

Master of Arts (English)

Nina Adel

John Bjorklund

Michael Jackson

Margaret Kingsbury

Sarah Rowe

Associate Dean David Curtis 

prepares to lead CAS faculty at 

2012 graduation procession .

Students Receive English Department Awards

Congratulations to a number of Belmont students who received end-of-year awards from the Belmont English Department!

• Lindsey Ricker, Jesse Johnson, and Tim Beaton are the winners of the James and Sarah King Awards, presented to recognize outstanding papers written in response to assignments for English courses. These awards are given in honor of the parents of James B. King, former chair of Belmont's English department.

• Jesse Johnson was presented the Ruby Treadway Award in recognition of his outstanding creative writing. This award is given to honor Ruby Treadway, a former faculty member in the English department.

• Matt Dodson received the Carl Chaney Award; Katie Godwin and Rachel Worsham received the Virginia Chaney Award. These awards are given to outstanding English majors who have produced excellent academic work in the department and who show promise of excelling in their future endeavors.  

Hungry?

Haven't gotten your fill of The Hunger Games yet? Then come out to the forthcoming roundtable, "Another Way of Looking at a Mockingjay: Teaching The Hunger Games in the College Classroom." On Wednesday, April 11 as part of the English Club's Spring Lecture Series, Dr. Marcia McDonald, Dr. Cynthia Cox, and Professor Sue Trout will hold a discussion on how to successfully incorporate a pop culture hit like The Hunger Games into a college class. The roundtable will be at 10 a.m. in Beaman A&B. Academic Lecture convo credit will be offered.

Alex Lemon Reading on April 13

On Friday, April 13, 2012, to celebrate National Poetry Month, poet/memoirist/professor Alex Lemon will be giving a reading and lecture at Belmont, followed by a Q&A. The even will be at 7:00 p.m. in McWhorter Hall 110 (Culture and Arts convo credit offered). Alex is a phenomenal poet, one gifted with both the ability to write incredible poems on the page and then perform them equally well. More information can be found on his website, linked here: http://www.alexlemon.com

Here’s Alex’s bio: Alex Lemon is the author of Happy: A Memoir (Scribner), the poetry collections Mosquito (Tin House Books), Hallelujah Blackout (Milkweed Editions), Fancy Beasts ( Milkweed Editions), and the chapbook At Last Unfolding Congo (horse less press). His writing has appeared in Esquire, Best American Poetry 2008, AGNI, BOMB, Gulf Coast, jubilat, Kenyon Review, New England Review, Open City, Pleiades and Tin House, as well as other venues. He was awarded a 2005 Literature Fellowship in Poetry from the National Endowment for the Arts and a 2006 Minnesota Arts Board Grant. He co-edits LUNA: A Journal of Poetry and Translation with Ray Gonzalez and frequently writes book reviews. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas and teaches at Texas Christian University.

Belmont Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta Inducts Twenty-eight New Members

Dr. Cynthia Cox, Belmont's advisor for Sigma Tau Delta would like to recognize this year's new members. On Sunday, April 1, the Belmont Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta inducted twenty-eight members in a ceremony at Dr. Annette Sisson's home. Sigma Tau Delta is the international English honor society with over 800 chapters across the United States. Membership in the society confers distinction for high achievement in English language and literature studies as an undergraduate, graduate, or professional. Congratulations to the following inductees from Belmont!

Kristen Allerton
Hannah Baggott
Jill Loftus Barrett
Austin Boling
Amanda Buckner
Jessica Rheay Duble
Betti-Chandrea Frazier
Caroline Hart
Jennifer Hamrick
Abigail Lee Henry
Allison Hill
Rainu Ittycheriah
Jessica Lavender
Hilliel R. Levin
Daniel Ross Logan
Emily Lynd
Alyson McHargue
Scott Maddux
Richard T. Martin
Anna Matlock
Melanie Meriney
Jeremey Minor
Brittney Morey
Jessica Spradlin
Laura Elizabeth Stack
Heather Thompson
Kate Tully
Layne Walton

Meet Alison Ng Hays, English Graduate Student

English Department graduate student Tara Ng Hays completed her degree here at Belmont in 2011, majoring in Liberal Studies. She was born in the Bay Area of Califonia but moved to Nashville at the age of eighteen. Tara currently lives in Spring Hill with her husband Matt, daughter Aria, son Axle, and dog Chloe. Tara loves creative writing and is pursing the Writing Track in the graduate program. Her favorite things to write are children’s books, creative pieces, and text messages. When she completes her degree at Belmont, her dream job is “to be a travel journalist who writes about places and food.” But she’ll also be happy with “being an English teacher.” Some of her favorite books include: Game of Thrones, The Help, The Twilight saga, dystopian literature, and “all great children’s books.”

Tara chose to enroll in the English Graduate Program because she really enjoyed her experience at Belmont during her undergrad years. She wasn’t interested in a completely on-line Master’s program and needed evening classes—so Belmont was a perfect fit. So far, her favorite things about Belmont are the friends she's made as well as "Belmont's awesome professors." If you see Tara, please welcome her back to Belmont as part of the English Graduate Program.

- Profile by Misty Wellman.

English Faculty Present at Service-Learning Summit

English Department faculty members, Dr. Charmion Gustke (pictured at left) and Dr. Jason Lovvorn, recently delivered a panel presentation entitled “Transforming Voices through Service Learning: Personal Narrative, Community Partnership, and Student Citizenship” at the Gulf-South Summit on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement in Higher Education, held March 21-23 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Gustke and Lovvorn discussed ways in which they and fellow faculty member Dr. Linda Holt (English) incorporate service learning and writing into their classes. Their community outreach involves partnerships with Dismas House Nashville (Gustke), Carter-Lawrence Elementary School (Holt), and Nashville Adult Literacy Council (Lovvorn).

Belmont English Club at Family Literacy Day

Members of the Belmont English Club recently participated in Family Literacy Day, an annual event that promotes reading engagement for Nashville elementary students and their families. The focus of the event involves Reading Circles hosted by various groups. This year, the English Club hosted circles with a wide variety of themes: camping & outdoors, school, animals, monsters & dinosaurs, seasons, and Dr. Seuss. Counting Belmont English majors and minors, along with their friends, the English Club engaged over forty volunteers at this year's Family Literacy Day.