There’s a popular British TV quiz show called Pointless. Contestants win by coming up with answers to general knowledge questions that no one else thought of (or at least not the hundred random people interviewed by BBC television researchers). If asked to name a nineteenth-century woman writer, I’m pretty sure I could win a … Continue reading Digital Mitford: The Mary Russell Mitford Archive
The relocation of Counseling Services to Sunset Avenue not only prompted discoveries in offices long-occupied by English Department faculty in Eisenhower Hall and Leasure Hall, as documented in last week's post. The move also made visible original features of the building known first as the Student Health Center and then as Lafene until, in 2004, … Continue reading Summer Relocations II
For many of us, it's a strange situation: The new semester has begun, but Hale Library, which suffered catastrophic fire-related damage this summer, is closed. There's no studying in the Great Room, no access to most of the collections, not even a single Einstein's bagel in sight. It's sad and even disorienting. The library is … Continue reading Three Areas for Quiet Study
The summer of 2018 brought an event that some faculty in English had thought might never happen: the opportunity to relocate into one building. Since the demolition of Denison Hall in 2005 and our removal to the first and basement floors of a partially-renovated Lafene the previous year, the English Department has remained stretched between … Continue reading Summer Relocations I
They've made it (almost) though their first week of grad school at Kansas State, so please meet and welcome and maybe even buy a drink for our new group of English graduate students -- Name: Katie Cline Hometown: Jacksonville, Alabama Alma mater: Jacksonville State University Area of study: Children’s Literature Please tell us something … Continue reading Meet the New Grad Students
The roads are a bit harder to navigate, the lines at the grocery store are a bit longer, and the campus sidewalks bustle with activity -- it's the start of the fall semester at Kansas State University, and we're looking forward to a number of great events in the weeks ahead. Here are a few … Continue reading Fall Preview
"One thing I learned from teaching on-line this past spring: Build the entire course before the term begins": This week, we feature a blog post from faculty member Phil Nel who takes his readers behind the scenes as he creates an online version of ENGL 545 "Literature for Adolescents" for Fall 2018. The English Department at … Continue reading Teaching Literature Online
As our colleagues at K-State Libraries assess the damage following Tuesday's fire, here are some #tbt moments featuring Hale Library and K-State English during the past two years. We're looking forward to future collaborations -- including helping with the clean-up ahead! — Karin Westman, Associate Professor … Continue reading #HaleYes
We asked members of the K-State English community two really important summer questions: 1. What's a beach read really? 2. What should people read on the beach this summer — or you know, it's Kansas, so while locked inside with air conditioning? 1. I think we’re meant to think of beach reads like airport … Continue reading Beach Read Recommendations
I shared the following remarks on the occasion of the Ninth Annual Lavender Graduation at K-State on Sunday, May 6, 2018. Given the current political climate in Kansas toward queer folks, as evidenced by the passage of SB 284 by the Kansas legislature, the sentiments here are particularly pressing. I want to begin by … Continue reading 2018 Lavender Graduation
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