Hardcore English Geek

John Keats film, Bright Star, to be released 2009!

Hi all! Just wanted to share a link to the trailer for Jane Campions film, Bright Star, to be released in 2009. This film is based on the three-year romance between 19th century poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, which was cut short by Keats' untimely death at age 25.

Enjoy!

Oh, and P.S. Ben Wishaw=amazing actor.

Aug 5 Meeting on Conference; Alumnus Speaker

We’re starting to ramp up for the new year at our next meeting, Wednesday August 5 in MRCN 217. The business meeting will be from 5:30 until 6:15, then our speaker, UTB Alumnus and A&M PhD Candidate Chris Carmona, will speak to us until about 7:00 on his experience finding and being in a PhD program.

One of this year’s big projects is our conference on February 20. We’ll need to make some decisions next Wednesday since things need to get rolling as soon as possible. Among the other details, we’ll need to elect chairs for the conference. Start thinking about roles you want to volunteer for and other people you think are good fits for certain roles. The positions to be voted in are:

• Co-Chair (2)
• Area Chairs (British Lit, American Lit, Creative Writing, Rhet/Comp, Other)
• Program Chair
• Facilities Chair
• Communications Chair
• Webmaster

We are also going to be shooting around ideas for the conference theme, possible speakers for the conference, and developments for our new journal.

Even though the fall semester hasn’t begun, I hope you can make it. It’s going to be an exciting year with lots of opportunities for fun and career development opportunities.

Also, sign up for a blogger account on this blog. That way you can add your own snarky (or useful) comments and content!

Special Treat in Store for Next EGADS! Meeting

I highly recommend the upcoming EGADS! meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 5:30 p.m. in Mary Rose Cardnas Hall North 217. Chris Carmona, who earned his master's degree in English from UTB/TSC and who is currently in Texas A&M's English Ph.D. program, will be speaking. Chris has a lot of expertise in beat writers. He wrote his master's thesis on Joan Vollmer, who is primarily known as William S. Burrough's wife. Chris will relate his experiences in getting admitted into a Ph.D. program and what it is like in such a program.

Brownsville Writer to Debut Novel

The fall semester must be getting close to starting. Brownsville native Oscar Casares will read and sign copies of his book, “Amigoland” at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6 at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art.

UTB/TSC will also host a book reading and signing at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at the bookstore for Hispanic Heritage Month.

For those who have read it, Casares, a writer professor at UT Austin, is the author of a fantastic collection of short stories entitled, "Brownsville." I highly recommend it.

Free Copy of MLA 7, Sort Of

If you join the MLA, you get a free copy of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th edition, among other benefits. Membership for grad students is $20, which is barely more than the book costs by itself, and you get all the following benefits:

• Six issues of PMLA: four containing essays on literature; a directory issue listing all members, the names and addresses of department and program administrators, fellowships and grants, and useful addresses; and the November issue, which presents the program of the annual convention
• Four issues of the MLA Newsletter (available online and in print)
• A complimentary copy of the seventh edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
• Web access to a regularly updated list of members, as well as to a searchable list of convention sessions
• A copy of Profession, an annual collection of articles on the field
• Reduced registration fees for the annual convention
• Membership in divisions and discussion groups concerned with scholarly and teaching interests
• Online forums for divisions and discussion groups
• Significant discounts on the MLA International Bibliography and more than 200 books and pamphlets published by the MLA
• Eligibility to vote for officers, members of the Executive Council, members of the Delegate Assembly, and members of division and discussion group executive committees
• Participation in MLA-sponsored group insurance plans
• Ability to search the online MLA Job Information List if your department is a member of the Association of Departments of English (ADE) or the Association of Departments of Foreign Languages (ADFL) (Learn more)

A shocker

I'm really surprised. I went to the website for TSTC-Harlingen's English and Spanish Department and saw a link to their academic journal. When I clicked on it, I noticed the journal is just a mess. Check it out.

Why not a semicolon?

I can't tell you how frustrated I am. It bugs the heck out of me that I keep seeing a comma separating complete sentences in news stories and in a book I'm reading right now. What is wrong with a semicolon or even a period? Why do these writers feel the need to use commas? Don't they know they are writing run-on sentences? Did I miss out on the grammar lesson about all the wonderful uses of a comma?

Non-UTB Course on Writing for the 'Net

ENG 371WR:
Writing for Nonreaders in the Postprint Era
M-W-F: 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Instructor: Robert Lanham

Course Description

As print takes its place alongside smoke signals, cuneiform, and hollering, there has emerged a new literary age, one in which writers no longer need to feel encumbered by the paper cuts, reading, and excessive use of words traditionally associated with the writing trade. Writing for Nonreaders in the Postprint Era focuses on the creation of short-form prose that is not intended to be reproduced on pulp fibers.

Instant messaging. Twittering. Facebook updates. These 21st-century literary genres are defining a new "Lost Generation" of minimalists who would much rather watch Lost on their iPhones than toil over long-winded articles and short stories. Students will acquire the tools needed to make their tweets glimmer with a complete lack of forethought, their Facebook updates ring with self-importance, and their blog entries shimmer with literary pithiness. All without the restraints of writing in complete sentences. w00t! w00t! Throughout the course, a further paring down of the Hemingway/Stein school of minimalism will be emphasized, limiting the superfluous use of nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, conjunctions, gerunds, and other literary pitfalls.

Read more....

Thanks, Jenny, for bringing this to EGADS!'s attention. I'm pretty sure I need to sign up!

EGADS! Congratulates Our 2008-2009 Grads

Congratulations this year's graduates:

Spring 2009 grads: Gabriel Ezeh (MA), Emily Linares (MA), David Marquez (MAIS), and Crystal Olivo (MA).

Fall 2008 grads: Mary Lou Alvarez (MAIS), Margaret Annen (MA), Jessica Camerlin (MA), and Avy Jaimes (MA)

Check out the main UTB website to see Crystal in her graduation duds, or here's the photo itself: