EGADS!

Indianapolis Opens Museum to Honor Its Literary Native Son

2010-11-20T06:24:00.000-08:00

In Kurt Vonnegut’s novel “Cat’s Cradle,” the narrator meets a woman on a plane who is delighted to discover that he is from Indiana. Holding his arm tightly, she tells him, “We Hoosiers got to stick together.”

Read more about the Vonnegut museum at the New York Times.

When You Forget What You Read

2010-10-08T04:43:00.000-07:00

By Steven J. Dubner, co-author of "Freakonomics"

Very interesting essay by James Collins (this one, not that one) in the New York Times Book Review about forgetting what you read.

I have just realized something terrible about myself: I don’t remember the books I read. I chose Perjury as an example at random, and its neighbors on my bookshelf, Michael Chabon’s Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (on the right) and Anka Muhlstein’s Taste for Freedom: The Life of Astolphe de Custine (on the left), could have served just as well. These are books I loved, but as with Perjury, all I associate with them is an atmosphere and a stray image or two, like memories of trips I took as a child.

This is of interest to me because I read a lot and seem to forget nearly as much. From what I can tell, I tend to remember non-fiction better than fiction; for non-fiction, I tend to remember journalism better than books (at least when it comes to factual details).

Read more at the New York Times.

This article refers to a previous article, "The Plot Escapes Me," by James Collins and also at the New York Times.

Lawsuits That Kill Books

2010-10-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

Litigious billionaires and foreign courts are as much a threat as book-banning fundamentalists
By Laura Miller

Last week was Banned Books Week, a worthy institution calling attention to efforts to remove books from public libraries and school curricula. This annual event has become so successful that, although the American Library Association reported "460 recorded attempts to remove materials from libraries in 2009," a close examination suggests that many of these amounted to mere "challenges" -- written objections submitted to librarians or teachers by isolated crackpots or control freak parents with minimal chances of seeing their censorious desires fulfilled.

Read more at Salon.com.

Chicano poet alurista at UT Pan American Monday, Oct. 11

2010-10-02T04:19:00.000-07:00

alurista will be at UTPA on October 11 as the 2010 speaker in UTPA Library’s Innovative Voices Series. He will also be part of the “alurista Tunaluna Texas Book Tour” organized by his book publisher.

He will be guest of honor at a Merienda/Plática at the Library Faculty Lounge from 4:00-5:30 p.m. Then he will give a formal address that evening at 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the Student Union Theater. Students, faculty, staff as well as the general public will have a chance to meet alurista and purchase his latest book, Tunaluna. The UTPA Bookstore will be selling the books as soon as they arrive and at these events.

alurista (real name Alberto Urista) is one of the seminal and most influential voices in the history of Chicano Literature. A pioneering poet of the Chicano Movement in the late 60s and 70s, he broke down barriers in the publishing world with his use of bilingual and multilingual writings in Spanish, English, Nahuatl and Maya. A scholar, activist, editor, organizer and philosopher, he holds a Ph.D in Spanish and Latin American Literature from the University of California in San Diego and is the author of ten books including Floricanto en Aztlán (1971), Timespace Huracán (1976), Spik in Glyph? (1981) and Z Eros (1995). His book, Et Tú Raza?, won the Before Columbus Foundation National Book Award in Poetry in 1996. Author of “El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán,” he is a key figure in the reclaiming of the MeXicano cultural identity, history and heritage through his integration of American Indian language, symbols and spirituality in his writings. (Source: Juan Tejeda, publisher/editor of Aztlan Libre Press, publisher of Tunaluna, alurista’s tenth book of poetry and first publication in ten years).

In the introduction to the book Tunaluna Tejeda writes: “alurista is a Xicano poet for the ages and a chronicler of la Nueva Raza Cózmica. With Tunalunahe trumpets the return of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered-serpent of Aztec and Mayan prophecy, and helps to lead us out of war and into the dawn of a new consciousness and sun, el Sexto Sol, nahuicoatl, cuatro serpiente, sun of justice.”

For more information on the “alurista Tunaluna Texas Book Tour,” go towww.aztlanlibrepress.com or call 210-531-9505.

For more information about alurista’s visit to UTPA, contact Virginia Haynie Gause, Media and Marketing Librarian at vgause@utpa.edu or call 956-665-2303.

Ven a oir alurista!

Celebrate Banned Book Week

2010-09-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

This is Banned Book Week, September 25-October 2; sponsored by the American Library Association in conjunction with several other organization, Banned Book Week is meant to call attention to our freedom to read what we want and the First Amendment of the US Constitution. Celebrate Banned Book Week by reading a book or part of a book that's been banned, either recently or one of the classics that's been frequently banned.

For a list of the top 100 banned and/or challenged books of the 20th century, go here: ALA top 100 banned books of 20th century

For more about Banned Book Week and the ALA's efforts to combat censorship, go here: ALA Banned Book Week

Explore the ALA site for more information about libraries, books, and advocacy/issues sponsored by the ALA.

Origin of the Word, Penny

2010-09-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

The Penny's British Heritage

Like so much else American, the name penny comes from England. The first modern English coin was the silver penny of Offa, the 8th century king of Mercia. By the 18th century — when the first U.S. coins went into circulation — Brits still used the word penny as the singular for pence, just as they do today. The coin's name derives from the Old English pennige, pronounced, roughly, penny-yuh.

Read more at Time magazine.

Review of Howl Film

2010-09-24T14:52:00.000-07:00

Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's movie "Howl," which features one of James Franco's best performances to date, as legendary Beat poet Allen Ginsberg, is a very mixed bag. It's an oddly dry fusion of documentary and narrative film that arguably doesn't quite click on either level. But I honestly feel bad about pissing on a movie that has so much beauty and purity of spirit in it, so let's accentuate the positive. Fans of either Franco's acting or Ginsberg's poetry absolutely have to see this, of course, and it features a memorable, if controversial, animation by Eric Drooker that illustrates both the themes and the literal story of Ginsberg's eponymous poem.

Read more at Salon.com.

Kafka's Kafkaesque Legacy

2010-09-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

During his lifetime, Franz Kafka burned an estimated 90 percent of his work. After his death at age 41, in 1924, a letter was discovered in his desk in Prague, addressed to his friend Max Brod. “Dearest Max,” it began. “My last request: Everything I leave behind me . . . in the way of diaries, manuscripts, letters (my own and others’), sketches and so on, to be burned unread.” Less than two months later, Brod, disregarding Kafka’s request, signed an agreement to prepare a posthumous edition of Kafka’s unpublished novels. “The Trial” came out in 1925, followed by “The Castle” (1926) and “Amerika” (1927). In 1939, carrying a suitcase stuffed with Kafka’s papers, Brod set out for Palestine on the last train to leave Prague, five minutes before the Nazis closed the Czech border. Thanks largely to Brod’s efforts, Kafka’s slim, enigmatic corpus was gradually recognized as one of the great monuments of 20th-century literature. ...

Read more at the New York Times.

Conference at South Texas College Feb 24-26, 2010

2010-09-21T15:18:00.001-07:00

Call for Submissions

“De Diosa a Hembra to Chicana: Celebrating the Last
40 Years of Chicana Activism.”
2011 NACCS-Tejas Regional Conference
South Texas College, McAllen, Tejas
24-26 February 2011

The Mexican American Studies Program at South Texas College is accepting
submissions for papers, exhibits, performances, or cultural productions for the
2011 NACCS Tejas Regional Conference at South Texas College. The year
1971 can be considered a turning point in Chicana activism as a group of
Chicana leaders from across the United States came together to voice their
concerns as women. These concerns stemmed from discrimination in the home,
work place, school, and within the Chicano Movement itself. Other issues
addressed at the conference included concerns over healthcare and the
relationship to other feminist movements and sexuality. These women,
numbering in the hundreds, united and disunited in Houston, and sought various
resolutions to their concerns as they strived for social, cultural, racial, gender,
and sexual equality. This is the historical spirit that will be celebrated and
examined during the 2011 NACCS Tejas Regional Conference that will be held
on the 24th through the 26th of February at South Texas College. The NACCS
Tejas Regional conference will provide a forum through which we can
collectively explore the past, present, and future of Chicana activism.
While the primary theme for the conference centers on analyzing and reflecting
on Chicana activism, other topics related to the Chicana/o, Latina/o, or Mexican
American experience are also welcomed. A 100-250 word abstract should be
submitted for the paper, panel, exhibit, performance, or other.

Deadline for Submissions: December 7, 2010

Send questions and proposals electronically to Victor Gomez at
vgomez@southtexascollege.edu

Follow EGADS! on Facebook

2010-09-10T18:24:00.001-07:00

EGADS! now has a page on Facebook. Follow us for the latest news, discussion and English-nerd tidbits.

The Adventure of English

2010-05-13T08:29:00.000-07:00

We saw a great series in Dr. Newman's History of the English Language class called "The Adventure of English."

Here's the first episode on YouTube.

$62 on Amazon.com!!!

Book Fair This Week in McAllen

2010-05-04T07:15:00.001-07:00

McAllen Memorial High School Library's Book Fair taking place this week, May 2—8, 2010, at Barnes & Noble (Northcross) at 4005 N. 10^th & Nolana Ave. in McAllen.

The full schedule is below. Patrons must mention the book fair at the checkout if you don't have a voucherin order for a percentage of proceeds from most purchases to go toward helping the library fund its book club.

Readers include Brenda Nettles Riojas, Emmy Perez, Kamala Platt, Ernesto Duenas, Shirley Rickett, and Vanessa Brown as well as . . .

Jay Alvarez, a Cuban exile and Brownsville resident, will read very traditional, romantic, and eloquent poetry in Spanish along with Efraín González, and Arnulfo Vigíl—of Monterrey—at 7 p.m. on Friday night, followed by “The Poet Mariachi,” Daniel García Ordaz, author of You Know What I’m Sayin’? who will read on Friday, May 7 @ 8 p.m. Details about readings by several local writers scheduled to appear:

Monday, May 3
7 p.m.: Brenda Nettles Riojas, author of La Primera Voz Que Oí
8 p.m.: Emmy Pérez, author of Solstice; Assistant Professor at UT-Pan American

Tuesday, May 4, at 7:30 p.m.
Kamala Platt, author of On The Line

Wednesday May 5
7 p.m.: Ernesto Dueñas
8 p.m.: Shirley Rickett, author of Dinner In Oslo

Thursday, May 6

7 p.m.: Vanessa Brown, author of Twiffler; creative director of the R.G.V. Int’l. Poetry Festival

Friday, May 7 at 7 p.m.

Jay Alvarez, a Cuban exile and Brownsville resident; author of Fantasias

Efraín González, author of Cuando Vuelves La Vista/When You Turn Around

Arnulfo Vigíl, national award-winning poet from Monterrey; author of Lourdes y Jorge.

Friday, May 7 at 8 p.m.

Daniel García Ordaz, author of You Know What I’m Sayin’? (Second Edition); García was selected to participate in the Texas Latino Voices project by the Texas Center For The Book and was a featured author at the Dallas International Book Fair. www.elzarapepress.com/books.html

Saturday, May 8

7 p.m.: Katie Hoerth, award-winning author of Among The Butterflies

8 p.m.: Lina Suárez, author of Hija Del Valle

~Daniel García Ordaz
poetmariachi@hotmail.com

Please visit El Zarape Press
www.elzarapepress.com/books.html
Valley International Poetry Festival April 22-25, 2010
www.vipf.org

www.facebook.com/PoetMariachi
www.twitter.com/poetmariachi
www.myspace.com/poetmariachi

VIPF Schedule of Events

2010-04-21T19:10:00.001-07:00

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

(Please check www.vipf.org for updates on schedule or call (956) 358-7211.

Poets listed are scheduled to appear, but may not be available as listed.)

Free Admission * Open To The Public

Donations Welcome * Books & Shirts For Sale

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Boundless 2010: Anthology Release Reception (McAllen)

7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

McAllen Chamber of Commerce Conference Room

Note: Copies of Boundless 2010, the anthology of VIPF, available for $10. 124 pages; perfect-bound; anthology includes poems by 49 poets from across the U.S., India, and England. Wine and cheese reception and readings to follow; Registered poets check-in.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Poets in the Schools (private)

Juarez-Lincoln High School:—9 a.m. to 12 p.m. (tentative)

McAllen Memorial High School: Oscar C. Peña and Michael Guinn—9 to 4 p.m.

Edinburg North: Amalia Ortiz and Lady Mariposa—12 to 4 p.m. (tentative)

Youth Poetry Slam Contest (Mission)

6:00 – 6:45 p.m.

Jitterz Coffee Bar

Note: Recitation contest open to high school students; 6:00 register to compete.

Slam Rules: www.vipf.org/yslam.html

UT-Pan American Student and Faculty Readings (Mission)

6:45 – 7:45 p.m.

Jitterz Coffee Bar

Note: While we respect freedom of speech, this is a family establishment; appropriate language is expected; inappropriate language will not be tolerated.

Open Mic (Mission)

7:45 – 8:30 p.m.

Jitterz Coffee Bar

Note: While we respect freedom of speech, this is a family establishment; appropriate language is expected; inappropriate language will not be tolerated. Sign up with M.C.

Featured Poet Reading: Jesse G. Herrera (Mission)

8:30 – 8:45 p.m.

Jitterz Coffee Bar

Featured Poet Reading: Michael Guinn (Mission)

8:45 – 9:05 p.m.

Jitterz Coffee Bar

Adult Poetry Slam (Mission)

9:05 – 9:55 p.m.

Jitterz Coffee Bar

Note: Recitation contest open to registered poets only.

Master of Ceremonies: Michael Guinn, Featured Poet

Slam Rules: www.vipf.org/slam.html

Note: While we respect freedom of speech, this is a family establishment; appropriate language is expected; inappropriate language will not be tolerated.

Saturday April 25, 2009

Potluck Desayuno/Breakfast (McAllen)

9:30 – 10:00 a.m.

McAllen Chamber of Commerce Board Room

Note: Please bring something to eat and drink, preferably to share.

Readings: Galeria 409 (Brownsville)

10:00 – 12:30 p.m.

Hosts: Mark & Betty Clark

Featuring: Diana Domínguez, Yolanda Barrera, Brenda Nettles Riojas, Jay Alvarez, Oscar C. Peña, Juan M. Pérez, Frank Piña, Arturo Saldaña, Julieta Corpus, Alan Oak, Lady Mariposa, Virginia Torres, Lauren Espinoza, Diana T. Cordova, Lina Suárez

Book Presentation: Chamber of Commerce (McAllen)

10:00 – 10:55 a.m.

Board Room

Hosts: Josie Mixon and P.C. McKinnon

Award-winning poet Josie Mixon discusses her third book, Off The Beaten Path; Mixon is a survivor of sexual and domestic violence and abuse. McKinnon is her biographer.

Workshop: Chamber of Commerce (McAllen)

11:00 – 11:55 p.m.

Board Room

Host: Shirley Rickett, author of Dinner In Oslo

Description: Finding the nugget in your poem.

Note: Please bring ten copies of your poem to share with other participants.

Readings: Narciso Martínez Cultural Arts Center (San Benito)

12:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Host: NMCAC

Featuring: Adriana Babiak-Vázquez, Oscar C. Peña, Robin Cate, Juan M. Pérez, Julieta Corpus, Luis Vázquez, Diana Domínguez, Tim Smith, Amalia Ortiz,

Rudy H. García, Jay Alvarez

Workshop: Chamber of Commerce (McAllen)

12:00 – 12:55 p.m.

Board Room

Host: Dr. Steven P. Schneider, professor of English at UT-Pan American

Description: I will illustrate how photographs and works of art can be used as a catalyst to inspire students’ writing. Each participant will write a poem in response to a photograph or work of art.

Readings: Jitterz Coffee Bar (Mission)

12:00 – 1:50 p.m.

Host: Gabriel de la Garza

Featuring: Daniel García Ordaz, Jesse G. Herrera, Ken Jones, Laura Reagan-Porras, Meliton Hinojosa, Linda Romero, Jesús Beltrán II, Cory Raymond, Josie Mixon, P.C. McKinnon, Ernesto Dueñas

Readings: Museo Casamata (Matamoros, Tamaulipas)

12:30 – 2:00 p.m.

Host: Museo Casamata

Featuring: Kenneth Treviño, Arturo Saldaña, Yolanda Barrera, Brenda Nettles Riojas

Note: Passport is required; carpooling likely.

Book Presentation: Chamber of Commerce (McAllen)

1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Conference Room

Host: Dr. Steven P. Schneider and Reefka Schneider

Description: Borderlines: Drawing Border Lives (Wings Press, 2010) is a bilingual collection of poems written by Dr. Schneider in response to a series of 25 drawings by his wife, Reefka.

Note: Books available for sale.

Spotlight on Mexican Poets: Chamber of Commerce (McAllen)

2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

Conference Room

Host: Efraín González

Featuring: featuring Arnulfo Vigíl, Vicky Rodríguez, Lucía González, Efraín González, Armando Alanis, Gabo de Montemayor, Yolanda Barrera

Note: Books available for sale.

Readings: Paragraphs On Padre (South Padre Island)

2:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Host: Joni Montover

Featuring: Kenneth Treviño, Juan M. Pérez, Diana Domínguez, Rudy H. García, Amalia Ortiz, Tim Smith, Alan Oak, Lady Mariposa, Virginia Torres, Lauren Espinoza,

Diana T. Cordova, Lina Suárez

Readings: Savory Perks (Weslaco)

2:30 – 4:45 p.m.

Host: Savory Perks

Featuring: Jesse G. Herrera, Oscar C. Peña, Laura Reagan-Porras, Meliton Hinojosa,

Shirley A. Rickett, Jay Alvarez, Cory Raymond, Josie Mixon, P.C. McKinnon

Readings: South Texas College: Mid-Valley Campus (Weslaco)

3:45 – 4:45 p.m.

Host: Arnold Becho, Librarian

Featuring: Mona D. Sizer, Oscar C. Peña, Adriana Babiak-Vázquez, Luis Vázquez, Rolando Villafuerte

Readings: Public Library (Pharr)

3:45 – 5:30 p.m.

Host: Adolfo García, Director

Featuring: Daniel García Ordaz, Juan M. Pérez, Frank Piña, Laura Reagan-Porras, Linda Romero, Jesús Beltrán II, Lady Mariposa, Diana T. Cordova, Lina Suárez, Virginia Torres, Lauren Espinoza, Cory Raymond, Ken Jones, Ernesto Dueñas

*Poetry Pachanga Dinner (*private)

McAllen Chamber of Commerce Main Hall

6:00 – 6:50 p.m.

Note: Dinner for Registered Poets and their Guests Only ($10 per guest)

4th Annual Poetry Pachanga: Musical Performance

by Karen Eubanks (McAllen)

Chamber of Commerce Conference Room

7:00 – 7:45 p.m. (Doors Open at 6:45 p.m.)

Karen Eubanks is a young singer/songwriter with country/soulful/pop vocals and an emotional, natural delivery. Catch the rising star of the Rio Grande Valley music scene.

4^th Annual Poetry Pachanga: Readings (McAllen)

Chamber of Commerce Conference Room

7:45 – 10:30 p.m.

Featuring All Registered Poets: Armando Alanis, Jay Alvarez, Adriana Babiak-Vázquez, Yolanda Barrera, Jesus Beltran II, Vanessa Brown, Robin Cate, Diana T. Cordova, Julieta Corpus, Diana Dominguez, Ernesto Dueñas, Lauren Espinoza, Daniel García Ordaz, Rudy H. García, Efraín González, Lucía González, Michael Guinn, Jesse G. Herrera, Meliton Hinojosa, Katherine Hoerth, Kenneth Jones, P.C. McKinnon, Josephine Mixon, Gabo de Montemayor, Brenda Nettles Riojas, Alan Oak, Amalia Ortiz, Oscar C. Peña, Juan M. Pérez, Francisco Piña, Jr., Cory Raymond, Laura Reagan-Porras, Shirley A. Rickett, Virginia Rodriguez Garza, Linda F. Romero, Arturo Saldaña, Veronica Sandoval, Steven P. Schneider, Mona Sizer, Lina Suárez, Tim Smith, Virginia Torres, Kenneth Treviño, Luis Vázquez, Arnulfo Vigíl, and Rolando Villafuerte.

Sunday April 25, 2010

Dr. Gloria E. Anzaldúa Burial Site Visit (Hargill)

10:00 a.m.

Meet at UTPA Bookstore, 1201 W. University Dr., Edinburg (corner of 107 and 4^th St.)

Note: We will depart the parking lot at 10:10 a.m. after sorting out carpool. Spiritual readings at the Valle de Paz cemetery.

Note: Call Daniel at 956-358-7211 to RSVP

Please RSVP?

2010-04-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

A couple paragraphs from Grammar Girl's April 19 e-newsletter:

Last week's newsletter was a disaster! Not only was there a typo (yes, we have a proofreader and review the copy more than once), but also in the section about my New York City book signing on May 1, I wrote "Please RSVP." Oh, the horror! I've known that "please RSVP" is redundant since junior high.

"RSVP" is an initialism of the French phrase "répondez s'il vous plaît," which means "reply if you please." Since "RSVP" already has "please" in it, "please RSVP" is redundant.

Why did I write "please RSVP"? All I can say is that we all have bad days.

Spring Salon 2010

2010-04-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

Photos in our Web album.

Maybe We Shouldn't Write Like the Profs

2010-04-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

Here's the first few paragraphs of a good article on academic wrting in The Chronicle of Higher Education by Rachel Toor called "Bad Writing and Bad Thinking:"

Recently I was asked by a colleague to talk to his graduate class in physical education. He invited me because he had read some of my work—on being an athlete, on gender and body issues—but mostly, I suspect, because I was around and available.

They were a lively group of students, and we chatted for an hour, discussing topics we were all interested in. They asked smart questions.

When we were wrapping up, I asked them a question: "What is your relationship to reading and writing?" At that moment, they morphed from T-shirt-clad physical specimens and became generic graduate students, indistinguishable from all-in-black, cigarette-smoking studiers of literary theory and bearded-and-geeky future scientists. It's all we do, they wailed, and it's hard.

What's hard?

Click here for the rest of the article.

"Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare?"

2010-04-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

A new book on the authorship debate asks why some people refuse to accept "the Stratford man"

-- by Laura Miller

"It bristles with difficulties," observed Henry James about the "authorship controversy," the 200-year-old argument over who wrote the plays and poems attributed to William Shakespeare. You can count James (along with Sigmund Freud, Mark Twain, Helen Keller and such notable actors as John Gielgud and Derek Jacobi) among the anti-Stratfordians, those who question the conventional view. The majority of experts may feel confident that the author "Shakespeare" was none other than the man Shakespeare and not some aristocrat or intellectual using the celebrated Elizabethan actor as a front, but those who disagree — a small but vocal minority of academics, independent scholars and outright cranks — will not be deterred.

James Shapiro's penetrating new consideration of the debate, "Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare?" is misleadingly subtitled; Shapiro, a professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University and the author of the acclaimed history "1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare," does not doubt the Stratfordian view himself. But he does differ from his colleagues in insisting that the quarrel ought to be publicly addressed. Until now, most Shakespeare experts have treated the anti-Stratfordians much as the mainstream of science has handled the proponents of intelligent design theory: that is, as a crackpot fringe who will only be encouraged and legitimized by any response. And we all know how well that strategy has worked out.

Twitter Posts to Be Archived by Library of Congress

2010-04-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it from the various media:

The Library of Congress announced Wednesday via its official Twitter feed that it would be adding tweets to its inventory of published works. The addition of the vast body of public tweets sent since Twitter's founding in March 2006 is the latest step in the Library of Congress' effort to incorporate digitally published works into its archives. With an official press release forthcoming, the Library posted a teaser on its blog...

EGADS! Advisor and President at April 22 Poetry Reading

2010-04-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

EGADS! Advisor Diana Dominguez and President Alan Oak will be reading at the opening and anthology release for the Valley International Poetry Festival on Thursday, April 22, 7 p.m. at the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, 1200 Ash Ave.

Dominguez and Oak have both been accepted for publication in the 3rd annual festival's anthology, Boundless 2010, and will be reading their included poems at the event, where they will be joined by many of the nearly 50 anthology contributors. It promises to be a star-studded event of the Valley's best.

The festival runs from Thursday, April 22 through Sunday, April 25 at venues throughout the Lower Valley. Visit the website to see event listings and make your plans.

Starbucks: It Could Have Been Pequods

2010-04-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

CNN has an sycophantic article about Starbucks that includes the following literary tidbit:

Nothing says marketing genius like a vague literary reference. At least that was the logic of Starbucks' original founders -- two teachers and a writer -- who named their fledgling coffee bean business after a supporting character in Moby-Dick.

Before the founders decided to name the place after Captain Ahab's first mate, Starbuck, they considered naming it for Ahab's boat, the Pequod. According to a Starbucks spokesperson, they changed their minds when a friend tried out the tagline "Have a cup of Pequod."

Wag's Review Writing Contest

2010-04-05T10:10:00.001-07:00

Dear Writers,

Wag’s Revue invites you to enter its summer contest in fiction, poetry, and essays. Submissions of electronic writing are also encouraged in any of the above genres. First prize receives $1,000 and publication in Wag’s Revue issue 6. Second prize is $500, third is $100, and all submissions are considered for publication. There is no limit to the number of entries an author may submit. The contest deadline is May 31, and winners will be announced June 21. The submission fee is $20.

View our complete submissions guidelines here.

Aspiring to marry the rigors of print with the freedoms of the internet, Wag’s Revue is an online quarterly of fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction. Its previous issues featured George Saunders, Dave Eggers, T.C. Boyle, Stephen Elliot, Brian Evenson, Wells Tower, Daniel Wallace, K. Silem Mohammad, and many others.

“Remarkable” – Poets & Writers
“A triumph in online literature” – The Best Damn Creative Writing Blog
“Highly recommended to everyone” – Live Nude Books

Read more at Wag's Revue.

We look forward to reading your work.

Sincerely,
Sandra Allen, Dave Eichler, Will Guzzardi, and Will Litton
Editors, Wag’s Revue
www.wagsrevue.com

Samuel Johnson reads, "The Lives of the Poets"

2010-04-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

Found this video of "Samuel Johnson" reading from his "The Lives of the Poets" on YouTube. Too cool. When you pull up the page, at right there are links to Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde and others reading their works. Awesome!

Victorian Women Liked Sex!

2010-04-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

Breaking: Victorian women liked sex!

Their corsetry may have been tight, but they weren't straitlaced in the bedroom, says a long-lost survey

Read more at Salon.com.

English and Cognitive Science

2010-04-02T07:27:00.001-07:00

I've been on the edge. Here's the proof!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/books/01lit.html

History of Two Trendy Words

2010-04-02T07:25:00.000-07:00

Found the following word histories for "goth" and "hipster," from Merriam-Webster and Salon.com, respectively.

Goth: This word contains over a thousand years of drama. In brief:

Around the fifth century, the Goths were a tribe that helped defeat the Roman Empire; by the 1500s, gothic meant "barbaric" and was used to insult a new style of architecture; that architecture became associated with the medieval age; ideas of medieval darkness and mystery inspired gothic fiction of the 1800s like Dracula.

All this eventually led, in the 1990s, to goth fashion – characterized by vampire-ish black clothes and eyeliner, and a preference for dark music and moody Romanticism.

Hipster:

Norman Mailer famously used the word to describe the middle-class whites who fetishized jazz culture in the 1920s, 30s and 40s, and in 1958 Jack Kerouac applied it to the members of the Beat Generation. For most of the twentieth century, it was used as a vague and usually pejorative term for a person with trendy countercultural interests.

What Do You Consider to Be Bad?

2010-03-30T17:35:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting blog post/opinion piece about a new list of "bad" books. It has an interesting perspective and some good points. I must say, though, that the "Top 40 Bad Books" by American Book Review is annoying. They have one of the best books I have ever read listed, Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence. How about the Great Gatsby or Frankenstein? This list is laughable.

Daffadowndillies!

2010-03-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

My daily RSS feed from the OED gave me a pleasant surprise: OED has daffadowndilly as a synonym for daffodil! What an amazing word! It's just begging for children's poetry.

Darryl and Daphne love daffadowndillies,
The daffadowndillies of Dilbury Lane;
Yellow and dancing, those daffadowndillies,
Those daffadowndillies of Dilbury Lane.

How you can become the most important poet in America overnight.

2010-03-22T06:40:00.001-07:00

Too funny. This is a deeply cynical discussion of poetry "success." Perfect.

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/journal/article.html?id=238942&page=1

Women Writers Still Being Denigrated!

2010-03-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that the denigration of women writers is still going on. What crap! Yes, I know it's been going on for hundreds of years, but I thought we'd finally moved past all this. I was wrong, as this column from Broadsheet on Salon.com shows.

Nation Shudders at Large Block of Uninterrupted Text

2010-03-17T06:20:00.000-07:00

From The Onion:

WASHINGTON—Unable to rest their eyes on a colorful photograph or boldface heading that could be easily skimmed and forgotten about, Americans collectively recoiled Monday when confronted with a solid block of uninterrupted text.

Dumbfounded citizens from Maine to California gazed helplessly at the frightening chunk of print, unsure of what to do next. Without an illustration, chart, or embedded YouTube video to ease them in, millions were frozen in place, terrified by the sight of one long, unbroken string of English words.

"Why won't it just tell me what it's about?" said Boston resident Charlyne Thomson, who was bombarded with the overwhelming mass of black text late Monday afternoon. "There are no bullet points, no highlighted parts. I've looked everywhere—there's nothing here but words."

Read more...

How to Gut a Library

2010-03-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

Salon.com today has an opinion piece that makes me think of our own new University Boulevard Library. Apparently, what we have in our library, for good or ill, is part of a nation-wide, possibly world-wide, discussion.

I'm amazed at what I get for free in public libraries. Books, big tottering stacks of books, but there's also computer access and, in the last few years, free Wi-Fi. When my son was younger, we went to story hours and sing-a-longs.

Libraries are one of the great loves of my life. That's why a hearing last week about the Boston Public Library's proposal to close some neighborhood branches has me on edge. And several months after the opening of the new main library in Cambridge, I find myself asking an unexpected question.

What's the purpose of libraries -- really? To be a community gathering place? To promote life-long learning? To help users navigate the information flow? To store print documents for the historical record, as Nicholson Baker argues they should (and aren't) in "Double Fold: Libraries and the Assault on Paper"? (Read more...)

Online Journal Narrative Seeks Interns

2010-03-05T12:15:00.000-08:00

NARRATIVE IS CURRENTLY seeking internship candidates to assist with production of the magazine, including editorial and technical tasks, public outreach, and other programs.

PURPOSE:
Narrative is a premier online literary magazine with the mission of transitioning great literature into the digital age and uniting readers and writers around the world and across generations. In its seventh year,Narrative operates under an original model, combining the values and standards of a nonprofit institution with the ethos and sensibility of a start-up: a fast pace, a tireless staff, and ceaseless determination to stretch every dollar to its fullest in support of the mission.

INTERNSHIP QUALIFICATIONS:
You have a passion for literature, strive for excellence in everything you do, thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic workplace, and are eager to envision, collaborate on, and execute ideas and tasks. You are a high-energy, low-maintenance, well-rounded person with the ability to ensure that projects, people, paperwork, schedules, and other responsibilities are timely, exceptional, and on target. For this position, we need someone who is friendly, professional, reliable, diplomatic, extremely organized, a good conversationalist, a solid writer, computer savvy, and conversant with traditional publishing, social media, electronic publishing, iPhone applications, public relations, and marketing.

Narrative is located in San Francisco and needs local interns but, as a Internet-based, digital publication, also works with interns in various locations.

How to Apply: Please send your CV and a letter indicating what you can bring to Narrative. Apply here.

Texas Poet Laureate to Speak March 9 in McAllen

2010-03-05T12:13:00.000-08:00

CANCELLED -- see comment to this post.

Karla K. Morton, the Texas Poet Laureate, will speak as part of her Little Town, Texas Tour at McAllen Memorial Library on Tuesday, March 9 at 7 p.m. She will read from her book, Redefining Beauty, an account of her journey through cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.

Karla K. Morton is the first woman named as Texas State Poet Laureate in more than fifteen years. She loves to promote poetry, and has read her work across Texas, performing at such venues as schools, universities, bookstores and festivals. Morton is also author of the book/CD titled "Wee Cowrin’ Timorous Beastie," a North Texas Book Festival Awards Finalist, "Redefining Beauty" and several upcoming books, including "Becoming Superman," "Names We’ve Never Known," and a collection of her works as part of the Poet Laureate series by the Texas Christian University Press (to be published in 2010). She has a journalism degree from Texas A&M University and is currently featured on a nationally-aired episode of The Art of Living Gallery for her promotion of poetry as a healing tool for the soul.

Morton says, “As a mother of two teenagers, I know the importance of inspiring dreams and encouraging achievements, no matter how difficult they may seem. I’m so honored to serve as 2010 Texas State Poet Laureate and as an ambassador of poetry to the youth in our state.”

Poetry Night for Abuse Survivors

2010-03-02T09:19:00.000-08:00

We've got press in the Collegian!

2010-03-01T14:58:00.000-08:00

EGADS! An English conference on campus
By David Boon, Staff Writer

Pedagogy, British literature and the writings of Gloria Anzaldúa may seem far removed from each other, but all were among topics brought up at the EGADS! first conference, “Bridges & Borders”, held Feb. 20.

Read more....

Spring submission, event dates

2010-02-27T16:11:00.000-08:00

There are a bunch of upcoming dates this semester I figured you'd want to know about:

March 1: UTB/TSC Research Symposium submission deadline
March 5: Journal of South Texas English Studies submission deadline
March 15: UTSA English Graduate Symposium, "Wild Tongues," submission deadline
March 20: Valley International Poetry Festival registration deadline (registration is to read, the events are free, as I understand it.)
March 21: "Boundless: The Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival Anthology 2010" submission deadline
March 26: UTB/TSC Research Symposium event
March 27: EGADS! Meeting, noon at Vermillion for lunch. Agenda to be announced later.
April 17: EGADS! spring Salon at Dr. Martinez's house. Details to come, but it'll be in the evening most likely and a potluck.
April 22-25: Valley International Poetry Festival, in venues throughout the Valley, including Galeria 409 in Brownsville
May 1: UTSA English Graduate Symposium event

Grammar Rules Change!

2010-02-24T11:23:00.001-08:00

UTB/TSC English alumnae Alana Adams let us know about this important development in English grammar.

Only Great Minds Can Read This

2010-02-17T09:22:00.000-08:00

Eonvrye that can raed this rsaie your hnad.

Only great minds can read this. This is weird, but interesting!

If you can raed this, you have a sgtrane mnid too.Can you raed this? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can. I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd what I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in what oerdr the ltteres in a word are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is that the frsit and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it whotuit a pboerlm. This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the word as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! If you can raed this forwrad it.

(a friend sent this to my by e-mail)

HOW (NOT) TO SPEAK ENGLISH PROPERLY

2010-02-16T20:27:00.001-08:00

Found at http://littlecalamity.tripod.com/Text/HowTo1.html by my dear friend Claudia R.:

(largely stolen from William Safire and then elaborated upon anonymously)

A writer must not shift your point of view.
Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
Always pick on the correct idiom.
Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
Avoid clichés like the plague. (They're old hat)
Be more or less specific.
Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't be used.
Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.
Don’t over-use exclamation points!!!!!
Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words however should be enclosed in commas.
Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
Employ the vernacular.
Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.
Exaggeration is a billion times worse than under-statement.
Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
If you reread your work, you can find on rereading a great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.
.If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.
It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.
No sentence fragments.
One should NEVER generalize.
One-word sentences? Eliminate.
Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences, as of 10 or more words, to their antecedents.
Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
Puns are for children, not groan readers.
Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.
The adverb always follows the verb.
The passive voice is to be ignored.
Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth earth-shaking ideas.
Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
Who needs rhetorical questions?
Writing carefully, dangling participles must be avoided.
Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects. And the last one...
Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.

"Boundless" New Poetry Anthology

2010-02-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to make your submission to the 2010 Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival Anthology and watch for more information about the 3rd Annual Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival (V.I.P.F.), April 22-25, 2010.

Boundless will be published this year as a perfect bound edition with an ISBN. Previous editons include poets from Texas, New York, and London. Be part of this exciting edition!

Poets do not have to attend our festival or register for our festival in order to submit for publication. (While this may change in the future, our open policy remains generous.)

Guidelines:

Submit 1, 2, or 3 typewritten poems in a legible font.
Poems may be of any topic, any language. (We ask for a translation if it is not in English, however.)
35-line limit per poem, not including title and spaces
E-mail Submissions Only. Mailed Submissions Will NOT Be Accepted!
E-mail submissinos to rgvipf@hotmail.com
No previously published poems, please, except from self-published chapbooks with limited distribution.
Do not place your name or other identifying information on the poems themselves.

Submit a cover letter that includes:

Your Name
Title of poem(s) or first line for an untitled poem
E-mail address AND phone number
A short bio – 50 words or less – focusing on your life as a writer

We strongly prefer to communicate by e-mail: rgvipf@hotmail.com
If you change your e-mail, let us know immediately.

NOTE: You must still mail your check, or money order (MADE OUT TO ART THAT HEALS, INC.), along with a SASE to:

Boundless Editorial Committee
1413 Jay Ave.
McAllen, TX 78504

An e-mail address is required for contact. If you will not collect your anthology in person, you should include a self-addressed stamped envelope (payable for $1.50).

www.vipf.org rgvipf@hotmail.com Presented by Art That Heals, Inc. in conjunction with the McAllen Chamber of Commerce and The Raúl Tijerina, Jr. Foundation

New Moon Book Circle at UTPA Library

2010-02-11T16:38:00.000-08:00

The UTPA library is hosting another Gather & Gab on February 24, from 12-1 p.m. in the Schilling Room. They are discussing "New Moon" (from the "Twilight" series).

Workshop to teach art of writing love letters

2010-02-08T20:59:00.000-08:00

Our own Jenny Ashley is mentioned in The Brownsville Herald. Here is the link.

By JAZMINE ULLOA, The Brownsville Herald

One of the most legendary romances of the Victorian era happened through letters. Prohibited from seeing each other, English poets Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning exchanged nearly 600 love missives throughout the 20 months of their courtship.

Though the two resided in the same town, Elizabeth Browning’s father did not want her to leave home as she had fallen ill to a serious ailment and was disabled. But the couple grew closer through their correspondence and eventually eloped to Italy, where Browning is said to have died years later in the arms of her husband.

Their passionate epistles are among the most famous in the history of love letters — and more of a treasure now, historians say, in a world of Tweets, texts and Facebook messages. But this week, just in time for Valentine’s Day, Brownsville residents will have the chance to learn how to express their own feelings for their significant others like such English masters as the Brownings.

In the "Love of Letters" workshop held by the Brownsville Historical Association, participants will learn how to communicate via the hand-written letter, a lost art that requires more than 160 characters.

The workshop will review the history of love letters, spanning different time periods from as far back as the Romans, and attendees will learn how to draft their own romantic messages, said Jenny Ashley, who will lead the session.

"I am really excited to talk about the examples of love letters from famous people throughout history," said Ashley, an English graduate student at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College. "It will be exciting to share some of the very personal words they have for their lovers."

Throughout history, there are countless examples of famous romantic correspondences, said Diana Dominguez, an English professor at UTB-TSC. Among her favorites, she counts the Browning’s letters and Beethoven’s amorous messages to someone he called his Immortal Beloved. And English poet John Keat’s last letter to his love, Fanny Brawn, after he was diagnosed with tuberculosis puts her to tears, she said.

That is the beauty of the hand-written letter, she explains," it connects you to others, including those in the past."

As a medieval scholar, Dominguez also said she does not look to traditional history books, which have been written by men, to put together the lives of women in the past.

"I find out what life was like for women from these periods through the letters and the diaries and the things they left behind that nobody thought was important because they were women," she said.

Everyone should take the time to write a hand-written letter at least three times a year, Dominguez said. Friday’s workshop will be a good opportunity to get started.

The session will begin 6 p.m. Friday at the Brownsville Heritage Complex in downtown and is free for members of the city’s historical association. The cost for nonmembers is $3.

"All I get in the mail now are bills," said Sarah Martinez, program coordinator for the Stillman House Museum and the Southmost Heritage Center. "Love letters are so personal. It takes more time and it is more intimate."

EGADS! Advisor to Speak on Her New Book

2010-02-05T15:38:00.000-08:00

Dr. Diana V. Dominguez, EGADS! Advisor (among many other duties),will appear as part of the UTB/TSC South Padre Island Lecture Series for a talk on her upcoming book about Old Irish Warrior Queen Maeve, which will come out sometime in March.

"I would be thrilled if you can make it so I have some friendly faces in the audience," said Dominguez

The book is a revised, updated version of her dissertation: "A Gender Performance Analysis of Maeve Across a Number of Medieval Irish Tales That Form Part of the Ulster Cycle."

The lecture in on Friday, February 26, and it will be at Club Padre, 5800 Padre Blvd., which is on the north end of the South Padre Island and across Padre Blvd. from Ted’s Restaurant. The tickets will be $2, and they can be purchased at the SPI Visitor’s Center or at Club Padre. The lecture will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. and should be finished by 6:30, except for the people that want to stay and ask more questions.

Love Letter Workshop Led by EGADS! Member, Feb. 12

2010-02-05T15:33:00.000-08:00

From Dr. Dominguez:

This upcoming Friday, February 12 – just before Valentine's Day, the Brownsville Historical Association will be hosting a special workshop entitled "For the Love of Letters." The workshop will be conducted by our own English graduate assistant Jenny Ashley. At the workshop, you'll get a short history of the love letter, especially the art of letter-writing during the Victorian period, and then have some hands-on time to craft your own love letter.

Here is the information about the workshop as advertised by the Brownsville Historical Association. I hope you will make the effort to go; it will be great support for Jenny, and the workshop really sounds like it will be fun.

The Brownsville Historical Association cordially invites you to spend a romantic evening with them. On Friday, February 12, at 6 pm, the BHA will host a love letter writing workshop just in time for Valentine’s Day. The cost is $3 for non-members and free for members. During the Victorian era, letters were used to express every type of emotion, but most especially and perhaps most importantly, love. Although letter writing may not be as common today as it was in the past, it can still bring happiness to both the sender and receiver. Join Jenny Ashley, graduate assistant at UTB-TSC, as she leads a workshop designed to tell the history of the love letter using real life love stories. Also, get a chance to let your feelings out by writing your own love letter to someone special in your life. Enjoy strawberries and champagne, along with a 15% discount on the book, For the Love of Letters by Samara O’Shea.

Directions:

Brownsville Heritage Complex 1325 E. Washington St. Brownsville, TX 78520

The Brownsville Heritage Complex is attached to the Stillman House Museum, also 1324 E. Washington St. in downtown Brownsville. There is a small parking lot in the Heritage Complex – street parking is available, and after 5 pm, there should be spots available on the street.

UTPA Summer Writing Program

2010-02-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

I did this writing program last summer. It was fabulous! The only hitch is that you have to apply to their MFA program, with all the paperwork that involves. But if you want a Mexico vacation and you want to write, I recommend it.

Journal of South Texas English Studies Call for Papers

2010-02-02T14:08:00.000-08:00

Bridges and Borders: Exploring the Confluence of Languages, Disciplines, and Cultures

The Journal of South Texas English Studies is now welcoming submissions until March 5 for its second issue, themed “Bridges and Borders: Exploring the Confluence of Languages, Disciplines, and Cultures.”

Bridges are frequently built up and torn down, and borders often change. The boundaries between people, places and things blur and break. This happens with governments, but it is equally true in literature and rhetoric. Authors frequently challenge our notions of what is acceptable, they point out our close-mindedness, and they show us new paths.

The biannual journal, which is a collaboration between University of Texas at Brownsville graduate English students and the UTB English Department, also accepts a small number of poetry and creative prose submissions. Papers not connected to the theme will be considered, but those that follow the theme have the best chance to be published.

Scholarly papers can include topics in literature written in English, rhetoric and composition, and literary theory. These should not exceed 8,000 words and should be formatted according to the latest MLA style guide. There is no limit to the number of poems that may be submitted, but the total number of lines cannot exceed 100. We accept short fiction up to 1,500 words, flash fiction up to 800 words, and creative non-fiction up to 2,000 words.

Deadline for submissions is March 5. If you have any other questions or wish to make a submission (as a Microsoft Word attachment), please e-mail Editor Andrew Keese at SouthTexasEnglishStudies@gmail.com. For more information and for submission guidelines, please visit the journal’s website at www.southtexasenglish.blogspot.com.

UTSA Graduate English Symposium Call for Proposals

2010-02-02T06:56:00.000-08:00

2010 UTSA English Graduate Symposium

The 2010 UTSA English Graduate Student Symposium "Wild Tongues: Concepts of the Untamed in Scholarship, Teaching, Writing, and Beyond.”

Sponsored by the Department of English at the University of Texas at San Antonio

May 1, 2010 at The University of Texas San Antonio in San Antonio, TX

Keynote Speaker: Norma Alarcón

Proposal Submission Deadline: March 15, 2010

How do you tame a wild tongue, train it to be quiet, how do you bridle and saddle it? How do you make it lie down?
- Gloria Anzaldúa

What does it mean to be wild? Certainly “wild” is often a term associated with the unnatural, the uncultivated, or the abnormal. Throughout history, the wildest ideas have been the first to be subverted and repressed by dominant forces. Must our wild tongues be tamed, or cut out, as Gloria Anzaldúa posits in her essay “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”? Those who initially enact social, political, and educational change are often deemed as wild, unrestrained, undisciplined, and even dangerous. Yet, without transformation there is little growth in both the personal and political spheres. Change makes way for the new and breaks the idea of established practice and challenges our ideas of what is true. Wildness is in many ways the seed of evolution, and revolution, in our systems of belief, practice and creation. Anzaldúa alludes to this change and encourages that acts of incivility both complicate and reinvent our navigations of private, social, and political space.

This symposium seeks to explore concepts of the untamed within the practices of scholarship, teaching, writing, and any area that confronts or interrogates the impact of change and transformation on our lives. This interdisciplinary symposium will bring together graduate students, scholars, writers, and performers from throughout the central and border regions of Texas.

We invite papers that engage the concept of wild tongues in all of their forms. Papers may challenge, complicate, critique, or expand current conceptualizations of the untamed in all disciplines, including, but not limited to, literary, cultural, queer, feminist, environmental, American, political, subaltern, bicultural, and popular cultural studies.

We also encourage topics that propose new and imaginative approaches to discourse analysis, methodology, and pedagogy. Visual arts proposals are highly encouraged; the symposium will feature an exhibition of artistic responses such as paintings, drawings, and sculptures related to our theme. We also invite creative writing proposals that bridge disciplines and explore questions of revolution and imagination.
Some possible topics include:

- Language
- Desire
- Concepts of communities/nations/space
- Alternative literacies
- Pedagogies in the grade school, university, or feminist classroom
- Discourses of development, progress, and difference
- Feminist methodologies
- Discourses of nativism, hybridity, and mestizaje
- Rhetorics of nationhood, sovereignty, and terrorism
- Local and global policies
- Environmental studies
- Queer studies
- Popular Culture
- Science Fiction
- Film Studies
- Music Studies
- Imagination in the arts
- Poetry as a revolutionary art form
- Politics and poetry
- Body studies
- Technologies of imagination
- Socio-linguistic studies

Please submit 250-word individual abstracts or panel proposals (comprised of a 250-word abstract for the panel as a whole and titles for each paper) to utsagradconf@gmail.com by March 15, 2009. Paste your proposal into the body of the email message and include any technology requests. If submitting a work of art, please attach a low-resolution image of your piece, if possible, in addition to your abstract. The conference registration fee is $20.00 for pre-symposium registration and $25.00 for registration at the symposium.

Submit: utsagradconf@gmail.com
Email Subject: Abstract for Wild Tongues
Deadline: March 15, 2010

UTB/TSC Research Symposium in March

2010-02-01T14:16:00.000-08:00

The EGADS! Conference is in three weeks on Feb. 20, but another opportunity is coming up to present: The UTB/TSC Research Symposium. Present a paper at each, and you have two lines for your CV without ever having to travel!

12th Annual UTB/TSC Research Symposium

Open to UTB/TSC students, faculty and staff to present and view.

Friday, March 26, 2010, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Keynote Speaker: Luis Martínez, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, The Scripps Research Institute-Florida

Deadline for Submissions: March 1, 2010

For more information, visit blue.utb.edu/research/2010_symposium.html.

Another Salinger Article

2010-01-29T14:41:00.000-08:00

This New York Times article about Salinger is excellent.

J. D. Salinger, author of 'Catcher in the Rye,' dies

2010-01-28T13:57:00.000-08:00

Maybe now we'll find out what Salinger has been writing all these years. Check out this story from The Washington Post:

J. D. Salinger, 91, a celebrated author and enigmatic recluse whose 1951 novel "The Catcher in the Rye" became an enduring anthem of adolescent angst and youthful rebellion and a classic of 20th-century American literature, has died at his home in Cornish, N.H.

The author's son, in a statement from the author's literary representative, confirmed the death to the Associated Press. Mr. Salinger died Wednesday, according to the AP, but no cause of death was immediately reported.

To read more, click here.

Don't Blame Yourself if You Can't Understand Theorists

2010-01-26T20:29:00.000-08:00

I just had to share this. Ever wonder why we can't understand some theorists? Dieter Freundlieb in Poetics Today (16.2) notes that "poststructuralists such as Foucault and Derrida often seem to use scholarly language and argumentation for purely strategic purposes rather than for participation in a communal and democratic effort to reach consensus. Occasionally, this is even openly admitted, as when Derrida, commenting on his allegedly often misunderstood phrase that there is nothing outside the text (and similar statements), said it served a strategic function." Now I know why I am unable to read through an entire Derrida essay in one sitting.

Proof: Plain English is Best

2010-01-26T12:46:00.000-08:00

In 2005, Science Daily reported on a study by psychologist David M. Oppenheimer that using big words without need makes people think you're dumb.

Great Comic on Misspelling

2010-01-08T06:17:00.000-08:00

"Ten Words You Need to Stop Misspelling" by The Oatmeal.

UTB/TSC Academic Journal Now Online

2009-12-11T12:54:00.001-08:00

The first issue of the Journal of South Texas English Studies is now online. Check it out.

Gifting You With Curious Information

2009-12-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

This from today's e-Newsletter by Grammar Girl:

People have told me they find the verb "gifting" annoying and wonder why others can't use the perfectly good word "giving."

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, "gift" has been used as a verb for 400 years, but it had fallen out of common use until recently when it seems to have experienced a revival. The Seinfeld episode, "The Label Maker," in which Elaine called a minor character a "regifter," along with changes in the tax code that addressed gifting money may have been factors in "gift's" resurgence. Although it's not technically wrong to say something such as "I'm gifting her a label maker this year," "give" is almost always the less distracting choice.

Site for Funny and Frightening Editing Errors

2009-12-11T06:35:00.001-08:00

Regret the Error reports on media corrections, retractions, apologies, clarifications and trends regarding accuracy and honesty in the press. It was launched in October 2004 by Craig Silverman, a freelance journalist and author based in Montreal.

Google Meets Harry Potter — Well Not Quite!

2009-12-08T06:52:00.000-08:00

Nearly midnight on Saturday evening two weeks ago I was given a personal tour of the Bodleian Library at Oxford University. I was at my cousin’s birthday party in the Divinity School, which was used as the infirmary in Harry Potter’s films – the Duke Humfrey’s Library was used as the Hogwarts library in the same films.

The Bodleian is one of the six (and was the first) copyright libraries in the UK. ...

Read more at Copyright and Technology

Texas A & M-Commerce 18th Annual English Graduate Conference in English

2009-11-30T10:33:00.000-08:00

Just received this from Dr. Lackey - another fairly local conference to consider submitting to and possibly attending - get those lines on your CV!! (Interesting that this graduate student organization also chose "egad" as their acronym, isn't it? Of course, ours is better because it's EGADS! with that exclamation point - makes all the difference!!)

Poets, Practice, and Passion in the Profession: A Dare to be Different

Texas A&M University-Commerce will hold the 18th Annual English Graduates for Academic Development (EGAD) Conference on February 26, 2010. We are pleased to welcome slam poet and educator Taylor Mali as our keynote speaker for the conference (more information at taylormali.com). Taylor’s mission statement includes this important line: “I want to be a spokesman for teaching’s nobility, one of the poets laureate of passion in the classroom.” His goal—to be part of a movement that brings smart, successful, and qualified people into classrooms across America. Althusser posits that teachers are the only people tenably positioned to bring about effective change, and we at EGAD feel that we are all teachers in some sense, using words and language as the “weapons.” Althusser refers to our efforts to create meaning in our lives and in the lives of those we touch, through teaching, tutoring, writing, and performing.

EGAD is now accepting proposals for papers and panels dealing with contemporary issues in academia. While adherence to the conference theme is not necessary, it is encouraged, and we welcome submissions from all areas of academic discourse including, but not limited to: English, History, Journalism, Political Science, Education, Psychology, and Sociology. Submissions due Jan. 8, 2010. Registration materials will be sent upon acceptance to the conference. Panels will be organized by topic.

Suggested areas of interest:

Critical Theory
Foreign Language Studies
Science Fiction
Academia/Professional Issues
Composition & Rhetoric
Linguistics/ESL
Pedagogy
Pop Culture
Grad Student Issues
Writing Center Theory & Practice
Film Studies
Literary Studies
Technology in the Classroom
Drama
Art
Creative Writing*

*N.B. The conference will include sessions dedicated to Creative Writing, both for writers to share their works with an audience and for writers to learn from experienced writers, including a poetry workshop with Taylor Mali.

Share your passion for your profession with us at EGAD by submitting your paper/panel abstract of 250-500 words by January 8, 2010. Electronic submissions are encouraged, and should be sent as MS Word or .rtf document attachments. Panel proposals and workshops are welcome, as are individual paper proposals. Notification of acceptance and registration information will be sent electronically upon acceptance decision.

Please visit our site for further information and a chance to witness Mali’s passion and powerful delivery. https://webmail2.utb.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=a266115b623d444e9e4bd0abd4dd87f8&URL=http%3a%2f%2forgs.tamu-commerce.edu%2fEGAD%2f

Send inquiries and abstracts to:
EGAD
c/o Angela J. Kennedy
Department of Literature and Languages
P. O. Box 3011
Texas A&M University-Commerce
Commerce, TX 75429-3011
email: https://webmail2.utb.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=a266115b623d444e9e4bd0abd4dd87f8&URL=mailto%3aEGADConferenceChair%40gmail.com

"Rifle" Versus "Riffle"

2009-11-17T07:56:00.000-08:00

An interesting Q&A from Grammar Girl.

Q: The other day on Twitter I said I was going to riffle through the medicine cabinet looking for something to soothe a wicked headache, and someone corrected me saying that I was actually rifling through my medicine cabinet. My headache went away, but my curiosity about these two words didn't.

A: Both "riffle" and "rifle" mean to go through something, but when you're riffling you're hastily flipping through something--such as book pages--or shuffling cards ("riffle" is thought to be a blend between "ripple" and "ruffle"), and when you're rifling you're searching frantically or ransacking, usually meaning to steal something ("rifle" is from the Old French word for "steal or plunder"). Indeed, I meant to rifle.

Conference Website Up!

2009-11-16T14:00:00.000-08:00

Our webmaster, Robert Carlson, has posted the website for the spring conference. Looking good!

Elena Poniatowska at UTPA Nov. 10

2009-11-05T14:29:00.000-08:00

It is very fitting that Elena Poniatowska will be the author inaugurating UTPA Library’s new “Innovative Voices” speaker series on Tuesday, November 10. She has wide appeal for students and faculty in so many different disciplines, including journalism, Spanish and English literature, political science, history, creative writing and women’s studies. She is one of the greatest living writers in Mexico today and certainly one of the most courageous. Several showcases of her books are on display in the Library Lobby. Since the Engineering Auditorium has only 256 chairs, seating will be on a first-come, first served basis. Free admission. UTPA Bookstore will have copies of her award winning novel The skin of the sky at the event.

Author Talk: The Patriarch

2009-11-05T13:03:00.001-08:00

Brownsville author Frank D. Yturria will be giving a talk and book signing for The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Extraordinary Times of Francisco Yturria on Friday, November 6 at 6 p.m. at Paragraphs bookstore in South Padre Island.

Francisco Yturria was one of the founders of Brownsville. The book was published by UTB/TSC in 2006.

I'm looking forward to it!

Proper Citation or Plagiarism: Your Choice

2009-11-03T13:35:00.000-08:00

Faculty are becoming very interested in pursuing cases of plagiarism through on-line sources that assist them in finding sources being used by students. Students find themselves getting into trouble for plagiarism that they did not intend to commit, but simply did not know how to cite a source, or what format to use.

The Learning Enrichment Center (LEC) at UTB/TSC would like to help you avoid common citation error, the dreaded “Plagiarism” grade (F) and possible disciplinary referral. The Center is sponsoring the following sessions to help you with your end of term papers and alleviate student fears of submitting plagiarized work.

“Citing Your Sources - APA Style”
Presenter: Griselda Valerio, LEC Coordinator – Special
Projects
Location: MRC North Hall 108
Date: Tuesday, November 10
Time: Noon and 6 p.m.

“Citing Your Sources - MLA Style”
Presenter: Daniel J. Perez, LEC Assistant Director
Location: MRC North Hall 104
Date: Tuesday, November 10
Time: Noon and 6 p.m.

Sponsored by the UTB/TSC Learning Enrichment Center and the Dean of Students Office

Inquiries may be addressed to: Daniel.Perez@utb.edu or Griselda.Valerio@utb.edu

McAllen Memorial Library Presents Free Workshop On Becoming A Librarian

2009-10-31T14:55:00.001-07:00

Do you love libraries? Have you ever considered becoming a librarian? On Wed., Nov. 4, McAllen Memorial Library presents Texas Women’s University in a free information workshop from 2:00-4:00 p.m. in the Exhibit Room. Texas Woman’s University will provide all the information that you need to get started preparing for a Master’s Degree in Library Science in a session entitled “Traditional Library Values in the E-Learning Environment.”

Texas Women’s University’s MLS degree, which offers 100% online courses, prepares professionals to work in academic, public, school, corporate and other special libraries. TWU is accredited by the American Library Association.

TWU’s online degree programs offer these advantages: an accredited university with nationally recognized programs, affordable public university tuition and fee, a format that fits your lifestyle (leaving you time for work and family), and classes open to men and women. Find out about an exciting future in Library Science at this free workshop!

For more information, contact: admissions@twu.edu or SLIS@twu.edu, or call 1-866-809-6130. McAllen Memorial Library is located at 601 N. Main Street in McAllen. For directions to McAllen Public Library, please go to our web site at www.mcallenlibrary.net.

Can't Cut the Mustard?

2009-10-28T06:08:00.000-07:00

Today I came upon the phrase (which I've heard many times), "Can't cut the mustard." Being in a nosey mood (hmm... nosey...), I had to at least Google the origins.

Dave D. Grisham at University of New Mexico posted on his Word Origins website:
Whatever the origins of 'can't cut the mustard', they are about as clear as mustard, the expression 'too old to cut the mustard' is always applied to to men
today and conveys the idea of sexual inability. ' Can't cut the mustard',
however, means not to be able to handle any job for any reason, not just because of old age. Preceeding the derivation of 'too old to cut the mustard' by about half a century, it derives from the expression 'to be the mustard'. "Mustard" was slang for the " genuine article" or " main attraction" at the time. Perhaps someone cutting up to show that he was 'the mustard', or the greatest, was said 'to cut the mustard' and the phrase was later meant to mean to be able to fill the bill or or do the important or main job. In any case, O. Henry first used the words in this sense in his
story "Heart of the West" (1907) when he wrote: " I looked around and found
a proposition that exactly cut the mustard". Today, 'can't cut the mustard' is usually 'can't cut it' or 'can't hack it'. A recent variant on 'too old
to cut the mustard' is 'if you can't cut the mustard, you can lick the jar'. -- QPB Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins By Robert Hendrickson

Dave Wilton at Wordorigins.org summarizes the Oxford English Dictionary's entry:

This phrase is from a metaphor where the mustard is something that adds flavor or zest to life, something that is good. Something that cuts the mustard is very good.

The phrase dates at least 1898. From the Decator, Illinois Herald Despatch of 6 April of that year:

John J. Graves, tight but that ha cun’t cut the mustard.

Mustard has a long history of being used as a metaphor for something powerful or biting. First in a negative context, as in John Heywood’s A Dialogue Conteinyng the Nomber in Effect of All the Prouerbes in the Englishe Tongue (1546):

Where her woordes seemd hony,...Now are they mustard.

And somewhat later in a positive sense. From James Howell’s Lexicon Tetraglotton (1659):
As strong as Mustard.

The origin of the cut portion of the phrase is uncertain. It could be a reference to cutting a mustard seed, a very difficult task. Or it could be a conflation with a cut above, to cut the mustard is to be better than mustard.

The phrase is also rendered as to be the mustard and it’s very similar to keen as mustard.

Various explanations that it is a corruption of a military phrase to cut muster or that mustard is a difficult crop to harvest have no evidence to support them.

Now, I just need to find out about "cut the cheese"...

A Crumpled Bit of Cake Crumble

2009-10-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Those jokers at Newsroom101.com again!

He kept the letter in his scrapbook. He thought about (crumbling, crumpling) it
up, but he wanted to keep it as a reminder and a motivator.

Maestro, the envelope, please!

Correct! Crumble means to break into crumbs.So, does crumple mean to break into crumps? Well, not exactly.Crumple means to mash up, wrinkle, crush. For a letter, it means to wad it up. Etymologists consider crumple to be related to wrinkle, and both to derive long ago from words that described the wrinkles created by a grin or a snarl. Please, do not snarl at the letter.
Oh, you might remember from Mother Goose the line about "the cow with the crumpled horn." That "crumpled" came from a word meaning "curved," and it is related (isn't etymology exciting!) to krummhorn -- "a wind instrument of the Renaissance with a curving tube and a double reed."Aren't you glad you asked?

Hmm... A Possessive Plural That's Only Plural

2009-10-26T06:17:00.000-07:00

From our boys at Newsroom101.com:

Indicate the correct form: Veterans Day, Veteran's Day, Veterans' Day

Who can credit the answer, "Veterans Day"?

Newspaper advertisers usually can't decide between "Veteran's" and
"Veterans',"but the AP Stylebook keeps it simple and omits the punctuation.See
the Stylebook entry under "Possessives, DESCRIPTIVE PHRASES," where you find
these similar examples:citizens band radio, a Cincinnati Reds infielder, a
teachers college, a Teamsters request, a writers guide.

Federation Rhetoric Symposium 2010 - CFP

2009-10-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

For all of you rhetoricians out there - or those who have dabbled in it and would like to try out some conferencing at a graduate-friendly fairly close by venue (Denton, TX; a bit north of Austin - home of Texas Women's University). Here's the CFP (notice all the different categories and possible topics that might only minimally involve real rhetorical theory - those of you who teach writing at high schools may find some of these topics interesting):

Call For Papers: Federation Rhetoric Symposium 2010 Rhetoric 2.0: Continuity and Change from the Oral Tradition to the Digital Age

The Federation Rhetoric Symposium is a small, intimate conference that provides an excellent opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students. This conference is very inviting for students who have not presented before or have little experience with conference presentations. We would love to have some of your department's students attend this conference.

Call For Papers: Federation Rhetoric Symposium 2010 Rhetoric 2.0: Continuity and Changefrom the Oral Tradition to the Digital Age
Texas Woman's University
Denton, Texas
February 12, 2010
**Deadline for Submission of 250-Word Abstract: December 1, 2009**

Once a thing is put in writing, it rolls about all over the place, falling into the hands of those who have no concern with it just as easily as under the notice of those who comprehend; it has no notion of whom to address or whom to avoid. And when it is ill-treated or abused as illegitimate, it always needs its father to help it, being quite unable to protect or help itself. (Plato, Phaedrus)

The Federation Rhetoric Symposium will provide an opportunity for a diverse group of scholars to investigate how today’s rhetors continue to use the wisdom of Sophistic, Classical, and Medieval rhetors who debated the validity of rhetoric, Renaissance and Modern rhetors who helped this art transition into a fully developed written tradition, and the contemporary debate about the validity of digital rhetoric.

The Federation Rhetoric Symposium is now accepting proposals for papers and panels from faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and independent scholars investigating the ways rhetoric has and has not changed throughout the centuries and contemplating future continuities and changes. We are broadly defining the theme to emphasize rhetoric in all areas including but not limited to:
Rhetorical Theory
Rhetorical History
Discourse Analysis
Genre Analysis
Composition Theory
Communication Studies
English Studies
Journalism
History
Film Studies
Digital Rhetoric
New Media Studies
Disability, Gender and Minority Studies
Political Science

Suggestions for possible areas of interest:
Critical TheoryAcademia/Professional Issues
Rhetoric & Philosophy
ESL & Composition
Pop Culture
Rhetoric of Mass Media
Literary Studies
Rhetoric and Technology
Computers and Writing
Basic Writing
Writing Center Theory & Practice
Composition & Rhetoric

Dr. Patricia Bizzell, 2008 Conference on College Composition and Communication Exemplar Award winner and distinguished scholar of rhetoric and public address, will be our keynote speaker at the conference. Dr. Bizzell is a prolific author and notable speaker who has written and presented on topics as diverse as composition theory, feminist research, Jewish rhetoric, the history of rhetoric. She is the founder of The Writer’s Workshop and the WAC program at College of the Holy Cross.

The Federation Rhetoric Symposium is part of an ongoing series, "A Symposium in Rhetoric" that has welcomed many notable speakers since the first meeting in 1973. These keynoters have included Karlyn Kohrs Campbell, Kathleen Blake Yancey, Sonja Foss, Richard Enos, Cynthia Selfe, James Kinneavy, Kenneth Burke, Stephen Toulmin, and many others.

**Deadline for Submission of 250-Word Abstract: December 1, 2009**

Individual and Panel Proposals Welcome
Prizes for outstanding student papers will be awarded!
lectronic Submissions Preferred
For further information, please refer to the conference website:http://web.me.com/ablackwellstarnes/FRS_2010/Home.html

Email submissions to: rhetoric2.0@gmail.com

VIA USPS
Federation Rhetoric Symposium
c/oKatt Blackwell-Starnes
247 E. Southwest Pkwy
Apt 1708
Lewisville, TX 75067

Katt Blackwell-Starnes
Doctoral Candidate
Graduate Assistant
Texas Woman's University
CFO 128940.898.2254

Chock-full of Chalk!

2009-10-23T06:38:00.000-07:00

More word fun from Newsroom101.com.

He said the two rope lines somehow jumped out of the (chalks, chawks, chocks,
chox) through which they passed.

So many choices!

As you know from the dictionary you keep ever at your side, a chock is a
curved metal fitting through which you can pass a rope. Chock derives from the
word for tree trunk. Imagine passing a rope around a tree, so you can pull
something up a hill.

Am I Entitled to Entitle this Title?

2009-10-15T06:15:00.000-07:00

Heh, heh, heh... More fun from Newsroom101.com:

Who would read a book (titled, entitled) "Thrilling Moments in Grammar"?

The envelope, please...

In an entry for "entitled," the Associated Press Stylebook states: "Use
it to mean a right to do or have something. Do not use it to mean titled."

Do we English majors care about the AP Stylebook? Maybe not, but it makes sense. Since we talke about so many texts with titles, this is useful to know.

Oral or Verbal?

2009-10-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

I've often wondered this. Newsroom101.com explains.

We don't have a written contract, but we have (an oral one, a verbal one).

The correct answer is "oral".

Both written and spoken contracts are verbal because both involve words. So
"oral" and "verbal" aren't interchangeable. Oral is the opposite of
written.What's the opposite of verbal communication? Nonverbal. No words.

Read If You Dare

2009-10-05T19:03:00.000-07:00

Dearest creature in creation,
Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.
Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it's written.)
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you speak:
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;
Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.
Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
Exiles, similes, and reviles;
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war and far;
One, anemone, Balmoral,
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.
Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation's OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.
Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
And enamour rhyme with hammer.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
Neither does devour with clangour.
Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
And then singer, ginger, linger,
Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,
Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.
Query does not rhyme with very,
Nor does fury sound like bury.
Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.
Though the differences seem little,
We say actual but victual.
Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
Dull, bull, and George ate late.
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific.
Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.
We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police and lice;
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.
Petal, panel, and canal,
Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
Senator, spectator, mayor.
Tour, but our and succour, four.
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
Sea, idea, Korea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.
Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion and battalion.
Sally with ally, yea, ye,
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.
Say aver, but ever, fever,
Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.
Heron, granary, canary.
Crevice and device and aerie.
Face, but preface, not efface.
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.
Large, but target, gin, give, verging,
Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.
Ear, but earn and wear and tear
Do not rhyme with here but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,
Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.
Pronunciation (think of Psyche!)
Is a paling stout and spikey?
Won't it make you lose your wits,
Writing groats and saying grits?
It's a dark abyss or tunnel:
Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,
Islington and Isle of Wight,
Housewife, verdict and indict.
Finally, which rhymes with enough,
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?
Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is to give up!!!

-- B. Shaw

Copied from http://phd.pp.ru/Texts/fun/english-poem.txt

Eek! My Credit Card Interest is Eking!

2009-10-01T06:16:00.000-07:00

More fun from Newsroom101.com. Choose the correct answer:

Everyone there (eaks, eeks, ekes) out a living.

The answer is "eke"!

According to Webster's New World College Dictionary, "eke" came from an Old
English verb meaning "to increase." Its roots are even mixed up with those of
"wax," as in waxing and waning. Once upon a time, apparently, you'd hear someone
say: "He's eking out an income with a second job." These days you're more likely
to hear it used the way it was in the example sentence -- that is, managing to
get by but with difficulty. Larry was eking out a living until the quiz windfall
came his way."Eek," of course, is the line that society would have you utter
when you see a mouse. And "eak" seems to be a word the dictionary wants no part
of.

The Rhetoric of Punctuation and EGADS! Business Meeting Oct. 7

2009-09-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

Another month is nearly over and it’s time for another fabulous EGADS! event. Next week Jenny Ashley will present “The Rhetoric of Punctuation.” You never knew punctuation could be so much fun! Several of us saw an earlier version of Jenny’s presentation last year, and we were in stitches the whole time.

Before “The Rhetoric of Punctuation” we’ll have the monthly EGADS! business meeting in the same room.

Wednesday, Oct. 7
5:30-6:15 p.m., Business meeting
6:15-7:30 p.m., “The Rhetoric of Punctuation”
Mary Rose Cardenas Hall South, room 117

Come for one or come for both. I hope to see you all there!

EGADS! Business Meeting Agenda, Oct. 7, 2009

Introductions

Approve minutes

Announcements and Reports

The Journal for South Texas English Studies
2010 Spring Conference
Spring 2009 scholarship applications request
Report on National Punctuation day sale, success!
Risk Management training

Items for Discussion

Halloween reading... have it or not?
November salon (Dorothy, Dr. Dominguez)
Getting word out about events: Sting radio, UTB/TSC News & Information, Collegian, FaceBook, etc.
New associate members, and getting to events.
Donating leftover sodas for Graduate Welcome event
Next months presenter

New Business

Next Meeting November 4, 2009

A New-sounding Word is Really Old!

2009-09-29T06:16:00.000-07:00

Doing a little editing today and I looked up "brand-new" to verify its spelling in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Turns out that word is dated to 1570! To me it sounds like 20th century "marketese." Who knew? (Besides the dictionary contributors, that is) I love etymology!

Main Entry: brand–new
Pronunciation: \-ˈnü, -ˈnyü\
Function: adjective
Etymology: 1brand
Date: circa 1570
: conspicuously new and unused; also : recently introduced

CFP for National Conference in San Antonio

2009-09-21T11:28:00.001-07:00

The College English Association is having its national conference in San Antonio in March. Submit abstracts by Nov. 1: http://www2.widener.edu/~cea/conference2010.htm.

Talk Like a Pirate Day, Sept. 19

2009-09-18T07:07:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow, September 19, is "Talk Like a Pirate Day." Ahoy, me hearties!

Annoying (and Fascinating) Word Choices

2009-09-17T06:18:00.000-07:00

From an exam at Newsroom101.com... identify the correct word:

After running the corporate (gantlet, gauntlet), he settled down on a worm ranch
in Hohmeister Acres.

The correct answer is "gantlet."

The dictionary and the AP Stylebook both mention "run the gantlet." It
comes from the quaint custom of inviting an offender to run between lines of
club-wielding citizens so they might beat him into better behavior. AP
distinguishes gantlet from gamut (a range, particularly of notes) and
gauntlet (a glove thrown down in a challenge).

Poem: "Particle Physics"

2009-09-15T19:06:00.000-07:00

Great sonnet, "Particle Physics," by Julie Kane posted at Poetry Daily.

Library Reversal (Sort of)

2009-09-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

You still cannot look at the book stacks in Oliveira, but check out this announcement from the library:

New Circulation Desk to Open at Arnulfo L. Oliveira Memorial Library
Wednesday 09 September 2009
Effective immediately, students, faculty and staff will be able to check out and return books at the Arnulfo L. Oliveira Memorial Library. The new Circulation Desk will be located on the first floor at the adjacent to the Periodicals Department. Students will also be able to pay off any fines that they incur from overdue books and clear library blocks. UTB ID Cards and Course Reserve Material services will continue to be housed exclusively at the University Boulevard Library.

The hours of operations for the Circulation Desk located at Oliveira Library will be:
Monday – Thursday 8:30am – 5:30pm
Friday 8:30am – 5:00pm
Saturday CLOSED
Sunday CLOSED

Please note that while the Circulation Desk at the Oliveira Library will be closed, the University Boulevard Library will be open. For that reason, there will be no after hours drop box at the Oliveira Library where students can turn in books. Any student wishing to turn in books during the weekend must visit the University Boulevard Library located next to the Education and Business Complex. Additionally, because both libraries will host a Circulation Department, the online book request form will be removed from the library online catalog until further notice.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Circulation Department at (956) 882-8221.

Questions About Old Library

2009-09-04T06:53:00.000-07:00

I know I've beaten this library thing to death, but there are still some questions that have not been answered. Will the bound periodicals, which are currently blocked by yellow tape in the old Oliveira Library, be eventually accessible to students? You know, not everything is viewable on the library's Internet databases. Also, will students be able to at least look at the books in the general collection at Oliveira Library, even if they are not allowed to check them out? Will there be quiet study space available to students in Oliveira Library? Maybe this whole library debacle will resolve itself, but the university's administration has not done a good job communicating how everything will work. Everything has been a surprise thus far. Only when the new University Boulevard Library opened did we find out that it would only have one-third of the books as Oliveira. What surprises are still in store for us when Oliveria Library is renovated?

CFP for American Studies Association of Texas Conference

2009-09-03T06:49:00.000-07:00

The Beat Goes On: The Music of American Literature, History, and Culture

Deadline Sept. 20

We are looking for scholarly essays, nonfiction, essays, or creative works that explore the rhythm and beat of literature, history, and culture. What is the influence of rock and roll on literary production? How does culture come alive through music? How do we teach a generation used to picking and choosing music for an IPod?

While the conference theme is noted above, we will consider all topics related to American Studies.

The conference will be held in San Angelo, TX Nov. 12-14. For more information, contact John Wegner (john.wegner@angelo.edu) or Terry Dalrymple (terry.dalrymple@angelo.edu).

Herald Exposes Problems With New Library

2009-09-01T06:42:00.000-07:00

For those who didn't see the article, "New UTB-TSC library short on space," in The Brownsville Herald on Saturday, it is worth checking out. The reporter, Laura Tillman, does a good job explaining the issue. Even so, I would have liked to have seen more about the oddity of splitting up sections in a library's collection. I have a feeling what we are doing at our libraries is unusual in library circles. The new library was clearly poorly planned. If you only have a small amount of room for books, then keep the general stacks together in Oliveira; move other library functions, such as computer labs, to the University Boulevard Library to give those departments the space they need. Anyway, here is the start of Laura's story:

When UTB-TSC students were welcomed into their attractive new library last week, they may have been surprised: Two-thirds of the books were missing.

The new building, one of several projects paid for by a $68 million taxpayer bond issue, is able to house 100,000 of the university’s total collection of 300,000 books, administrators said. The new $12.5 million library is about half the size of the old Oliveira Library.

Students learned on Monday that they are not able to directly search the shelves of the library’s remaining collection. Instead, they must fill out an order form and wait until the following day to access books from the school’s Arnulfo L. Oliveira Memorial Library.

"We don’t have the staff to run two libraries," said Douglas M. Ferrier, dean of instructional support for the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.

To read more, click here.

EGADS! Invites You to Learn About the Changes in MLA 7

2009-08-31T04:38:00.000-07:00

EGADS! Invites You to Learn About the Changes in MLA 7

Dr. Diana Dominguez of the English Department at The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College will present an overview of changes in the MLA Handbook, 7th edition to the English Graduate Advancement and Development Society this Wednesday evening. All interested UTB/TSC students, faculty, alumni and friends are invited. Before Dr. Dominguez’s presentation, EGADS! will have its monthly business meeting.

Where: Mary Rose Cardenas Hall South 117

When: Business meeting, 5:30-6:15, Wed., Sep. 2
MLA 7 presentation, 6:15-7:00, Wed. Sep. 2

EGADS! Business Meeting Agenda, Sep. 2, 2009

Introductions

Minutes

Announcements/Reports

The Journal for South Texas English Studies
2010 Spring Conference
Spring 2009 scholarship applications request
Upcoming EGADS! events
September EGADS! cultural event 5:30 Sep. 23, Oscar Cesares
Next EGADS! meeting October 7, Jenny Ashley to present
Next elections in April

Items for Discussion

Halloween spooky poetry and story reading
Fall party in Nov. or Dec., need organizer
Nov. or Dec cultural event (depending on party month)
VP to organize membership retention, attraction
Better EGADS! event publication
Sting Radio
SGA funding opportunities

New Business

Reminder of Next Meeting and Events Dates

More Details About Library Debacle

2009-08-24T21:26:00.000-07:00

Since I am fairly familiar with the library's D.H. Lawrence collection, I thought I'd see what the new University Boulevard Library received in the big move and what was left in the oversized closet known as the closed Oliviera Library. The "libraries" have two copies of Lawrence's novel, The Rainbow, but neither is in UBL, which is the only library people are allowed to use. While you have to specially request a copy of The Rainbow so you can get it the next day, you may, however, check out a book of criticism on the book. How does that make sense? Why would a book of criticism be more available to students and staff than the novel? Other D.H. Lawrence novels, such as John Thomas and Lady Jane and the expurgated first edition of Lady Chatterley's Lover, were left in the library's archive, aka The Closet.

Progress????? New Library 1/3 the Size of the Old One

2009-08-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

UTB/TSC's new library is only one-third of the size of the old library! The old library now becomes a closet for much of the collection. Forget about paper deadlines. You may have to wait to check out that book you need. Here's the story from The Collegian:

Students might have to wait a day in order to check out a book because of the limited amount of shelf space in UTB/TSC’s new, three-story library.

Of the 300,000 books in the Arnulfo L. Oliveira Memorial Library, 100,000 of the newer part of the collection and the entire reference collection have been moved to the New Library, located next to the Education and Business Complex.

"Because of the amount of shelf space that we have in the new building, it’s about one-third of what we have in [Oliveira Library]," said Douglas Ferrier, dean of Instructional Support.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

UTB/TSC Journal Seeks Submissions

2009-08-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

The Journal for South Texas English Studies, a blind-peer-reviewed publication, is seeking submissions for its inaugural edition, which has been aptly themed “New Beginnings.” The first edition will be published online on December 1, 2009. New beginnings occur when anything new is attempted, when one literary period changes to another, when an author pens a coming-of-age novel, when technology profoundly changes culture, when a new literary theory is debuted, when a new literary technique is attempted, when new theories emerge, and when communities are threatened by new challenges. As you can see, this is an open-ended theme. Papers not connected to the theme will be considered, but those that follow the theme have the best chance to be published.
Scholarly papers can include topics in literature written in English, rhetoric and composition, and literary theory. The biannual journal, which is a collaboration between University of Texas at Brownsville graduate English students and the UTB English Department, also accepts book reviews and a small quantity of poetry and creative prose.
Scholarly papers should not exceed 8,000 words. There is no limit to the number of poems that may be submitted, but the total number of lines cannot exceed 100. We accept short fiction up to 1,500 words, flash fiction up to 800 words, and creative non-fiction up to 2,000 words. Please make inquires to book editor Jenny Ashley if you wish to submit a book review at SouthTexasEnglishStudies@gmail.com. If you have any other questions or wish to make a submission (as a Microsoft Word attachment), please e-mail editor Andrew Keese at SouthTexasEnglishStudies@gmail.com. For more information and for submission guidelines, please visit the journal’s website at www.southtexasenglish.blogspot.com.

Deadline for submissions: September 30, 2009

The Agonies of Applying to Ph.D. Programs

2009-08-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to an interesting blog post of a person who got accepted into a Texas English Ph.D. program.

So You Want to Be an English Professor?

2009-08-18T07:32:00.000-07:00

This is an excerpt from a story that appeared in Inside Higher Education for those who wish to become English professors:

The 20-plus-year job crisis in the foreign language and English professoriate has persisted beyond the shelf-life of “crisis.” Simply put, the increasing reliance on adjunct labor, the creation of compromise full-time non-tenure-track positions, and the continued overproduction of Ph.D.’s fall more neatly under the term “reality” than they do “crisis.”

Wandering the halls of the Modern Language Association convention in San Francisco last month brought to mind the two years I attended MLA conventions, waited in drafty hotel hallways for interviews to begin, and, looking back, participated, sadly enough, in an academic ritual Dante could not have imagined in his visions of hell.

And my baptism by fire led to no job prospects.

To read more, click here.

Library Situation Worse than Thought

2009-08-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

The library situation at UTB/TSC is worse than I thought. The new University Boulevard Library will open with only the most popular texts. Other texts will stay behind in Oliviera in the so-called Library Archive Services. Oliviera will be a closed collection. That means, you will have to request a book from from the so-called archives, and will be brought to you at their convenience to the new library. That means, no cruising the stacks to find what you need. I hope you are good at the computer catalog at finding what you don't know what you need to find. Can someone tell me why our new library is smaller than our old one? Does this make any sense to anyone?

Latina Author to Speak at UTPA

2009-08-17T18:27:00.000-07:00

Oakland, Calif., native and Chicana author Lucha Corpi is giving a talk in the UTPA Student Union Theater on Nov. 5 from 7-9 p.m. She has recently released a mystery novel called Death at Solstice. Corpi, who is also a poet, has been involved in the Chicano civil rights movement and was instrumental in forming Aztlán Cultural, an arts service organization. She won a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship in 1979 and was awarded first prize in the Palabra Nueva competition for the short story, "Martyrs of the Soul," in 1983. Corpi completed her first mystery novel, Eulogy for a Brown Angel, in 1992.

This is the synopsis of Death at Solstice via Barnes and Noble's website:

Chicana detective Gloria Damasco has a "dark gift," an extrasensory prescience that underscores her investigations and compels her to solve numerous cases. This time, the recurring vision haunting her dreams contains two pairs of dark eyes watching her in the night, a phantom horse and rider, and the voice of a woman pleading for help. But most disquieting of all is Gloria's sensation of being trapped underwater, unable to free herself, unable to breathe.

When Gloria is asked to help the owners of the Oro Blanco winery in California's Shenandoah Valley, she finds herself on the road to the legendary Gold Country. And she can't help but wonder if the ever-more persistent visions might foreshadow this new case that involves the theft of a family heirloom, a pair of antique diamond and emerald earrings rumored to have belonged to Mexico's Empress Carlota.

Soon Gloria learns that there's more to the case than stolen jewelry. Mysterious accidents, threatening anonymous notes, the disappearance of a woman believed to be a saint, and a ghost horse thought to have belonged to notorious bandit Joaquín Murrieta are some of the pieces Gloria struggles to fit together. A woman's gruesome murder and the discovery of a group of young women from Mexico being held against their will in an abandoned house send Gloria on a fateful journey to a Witches' Sabbath to find the final pieces of the puzzle before someone else is killed.

New Library is Quite Disappointing

2009-08-14T06:21:00.000-07:00

Shame on UTB/TSC for this disgrace of a new library. It's a pretty building, but why open up a library with a smaller capacity than your old one? They are going to keep the old library, but it will have limited hours and house what the university is calling "archives." The general selection of books will be split up. Only the most used books will move to the new library. So, now, if I want to scan the D.H. Lawrence books, I will have to go to two places, and one of the places may not be open. This move is bad for students. They need to keep selections together. Maybe the new library could have been the science library or the liberal arts library? They might have just moved all of the non-library functions out of the old library, and you would have had a heck of a lot more space. Ugh! This is so bad for UTB/TSC academics. Very poor planning.

'Captain America at Home'

2009-08-14T04:04:00.000-07:00

This is so kool. Jarret Keene is my favorite contemporary poet.

Talking About Some Shakespeare

2009-08-08T14:50:00.000-07:00

Charlie Rose gets Harold Bloom and Kenneth Branagh to talk Shakespeare. It is really good. I know Bloom is something of a nutcase, but you can't deny his genius.

Herald Snaps Shot of EGADS! Member

2009-08-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

Look at Jason Stern in The Brownsville Herald.

Submit Your Papers for A&M Conference

2009-08-06T14:28:00.000-07:00

Texas A&M University is hosting a conference, "18th- and 19th-Century British Women Writers," on April 8-11. The deadline to submit proposals is Oct. 15. I think it is odd that the proposals are going to be blind reviewed. That's a high standard for a conference. Please check it out.

Oscar Casares to Speak at UTB/TSC in September

2009-08-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a video about author Oscar Casares, who will be giving a booksigning of his new novel, Amigoland, on Sept. 23 at 5:30 in the campus bookstore:

The Fascinating Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Daughter, a Writer

2009-08-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House on the Prairie series, wasn't nearly as interesting as her author daughter, Rose Wilder Lane. In a New Yorker article, Art Critic Judith Thurman writes of Lane:

She had lived among bohemians in Paris and Greenwich Village, Soviet peasants and revolutionaries, intellectuals in Weimar Berlin, survivors of the massacres in Armenia, Albanian rebels, and camel-drivers on the road to Baghdad.

How's that for a nice taste? If you don't want to read the whole article, Kate Harding wrote a good summary of the New Yorker article on Salon.com's Broadsheet, which is where this first caught my attention.

For me, this is especially fascinating because I loved the Little House series when I was a kid. In 5th grade, I wrote a 500 word essay on Laura Ingalls Wilder. (500 words! I thought it was going to kill me!) My life has come full circle.

Hardcore English Geek

2009-07-31T08:25:00.001-07:00