“An astronaut in a space suit writing in his journal on Mars” (Adobe Express) Today we share the second of six pieces of public writing selected for publication from an assignment in ENGL 801 “Graduate Studies in English”: a piece of public scholarship (700-1,000 words) which tailors an academic paper and its scholarly intervention of … Continue reading Journaling on Mars: The Pen is Mightier Than the Planet
"Dracula + Jonathan Harker" by ofbeautsandbeasts In ENGL 801 "Graduate Studies in English," a required course for incoming M.A. students, we have always asked our graduate students to develop an original contribution to a current scholarly conversation about a literary or cultural text. Starting in 2020, we added a final writing assignment: we asked our … Continue reading Men, Monsters, and Maidens: Gender in Dracula
From Spirited Away (2002) Since our blog debuted in 2017, we have published 500+ posts. While some of you may have been with us from the start (thank you, loyal readers!), others may have joined us more recently. So, we're highlighting periodically some of the posts that have garnered a lot of views or that … Continue reading From the Archive: Signs, Signs, Everywhere…The Hidden Depth of Japanese Signs in Spirited Away
Even though I read the interview with Traci Brimhall over a decade ago (shortly after she joined K-State’s English faculty), I still remember her comment: “I’m just this meat sack with a conscience trying to make sense out of all this bright noise.” And I remember not just because I then added her words to … Continue reading Language and Light: Traci Brimhall at The Dusty Bookshelf
Mark Crosby's archival discovery of poet and artist William Blake's earliest engravings was featured in a number of international news venues, including The Times of London. Each month during the academic year, we assemble a newsletter of the department's recent publications, presentations, announcements, and awards. We're happy to recognize the recent successes in research, scholarship, … Continue reading October 2024 Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity
Faculty and students from K-State English at The Rabbit hOle (8 Nov 2024) Last Friday November 8, faculty and graduate students took a field trip to explore children's literature in action. While the catalyst for the excursion was the launch of Phil Nel's next book, How to Draw the World: Harold and the Purple Crayon … Continue reading Children’s Lit Field Trip
Location: 2nd Floor, English Counseling Services BuildingObject: Whiteboard (November 2024)Observations: 1) Since last academic year, the whiteboard on the 2nd floor of ECS has continued to pose questions, ask for opinions and recommendations, and prompt stories. 2) For the past week, it has been collecting current sources of hope and joy. 3) In need of … Continue reading Found Object: Hope and Joy
Since our blog debuted in 2017, we have published 500+ posts. While some of you may have been with us from the start (thank you, loyal readers!), others may have joined us more recently. As a result, we're highlighting some of the posts that have garnered a lot of views or that address topics of … Continue reading From the Archive: Hope, Part 1 and Hope, Part 2
Some of the 2024 picture books under consideration for this year's Mock Caldecott Now in its 17th year, the Mock Caldecott is a joint endeavor between the English Department and the Children's and Adolescent Literature Community (ChALC), one of our department-sponsored student organizations, with support from the Manhattan Public Library (MPL). In the pre-COVID times, … Continue reading 2024 Mock Caldecott
Rylan Jackson (BA '26) AI IS THE DEATH OF MEDIOCRITY AND THE LIFEBLOOD OF EXCELLENCE Imagine that I just cleared my throat. Those guttural sounds of clogged up mucus being shredded away, like that of a garbage disposal. Alright. Image completed? Then strap yourselves in and clench your toes: we’re talking about the dreaded topic … Continue reading Undergrad Student Spotlight: Rylan Jackson
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