2021 Mock Caldecott

Some of the 2021 picture books under consideration for this year's Mock Caldecott Now in its 14th 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 student organizations, with support from the Manhattan Public Library (MPL). Pre-COVID, faculty, students, and … Continue reading 2021 Mock Caldecott

Why We Oppose Book Bans

Cover for The Hate U Give (2017) by Angie Thomas It began with a complaint about The Hate U Give. K-Staters will remember The Hate U Give. It was the Kansas State First Book choice for our common read in 2018. The 2017 young adult novel was on the New York Times bestseller list for … Continue reading Why We Oppose Book Bans

Undergrad Student Spotlight: Josie Carey

Josie Carey (BA '22) I have always been an incredibly indecisive person. My dream occupations switched weekly through high school, and I felt like I would never find something that would stick. I often let big decisions be influenced by things I had seen on TV or something incredibly unrealistic like that. I wanted to … Continue reading Undergrad Student Spotlight: Josie Carey

October 2021 Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Cover for Dust Off the Medal: Rediscovering Children's Literature at the Newbery Centennial (Routledge, 2021), where Anne Phillips' and Greg Eiselein's work appears.     Each month during the academic year, we assemble a newsletter of the department's recent publications, presentations, announcements, and awards. As COVID-19 continues, we continue to direct energies towards teaching fall … Continue reading October 2021 Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Alumni Connections, 2016 and 2021

Our panelists for the 2016 Alumni Connections career panel, left to right: Kent Glasscock (BA '76), Lisa Sisley (BA '92), Melia Fritch (MA '04), Ashley Brown (BA '09, MA '12), and Cheryl Rauh (MA '11) Since 2005, the English Department has hosted an alumni career panel to connect our current students with the expertise and … Continue reading Alumni Connections, 2016 and 2021

Frankenstein Lightning Lecture Series

On October 29, 2021, the Literature Track hosted a pre-show event in conjunction with the K-State School of Music, Theatre, and Dance to introduce their performance of Austin Tichenor’s play adaptation of Frankenstein. The Frankenstein Lightning Lecture Series featured four, ten-minute TED Talk-style presentations on Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel by English Department faculty and graduate … Continue reading Frankenstein Lightning Lecture Series

Some Advice on Applying to MFA Programs

First, let’s dispel some of the myths. If you say “Candyman” five times in front of a mirror, you will not get into Iowa. No matter what you read on Twitter or The GradCafe, almost no one — no one! — with actual affiliations to creative writing programs believes you attend an MFA program to … Continue reading Some Advice on Applying to MFA Programs

From Writing Center Visitor to Writing Center Developer

Title slide for the presentation by Shana Schmidt (MA '19) to the Writing Center staff (8 Oct 2021) On Friday, October 8, our Writing Center Staff, including tutors and administrators, enjoyed a visit from our tutor alum, Shana Schmidt (MA '19). As Stacia Gray, serving as Writing Center Director, puts it, "Shana's presentation sparked good … Continue reading From Writing Center Visitor to Writing Center Developer

Alumni Spotlight: Shaunte Montgomery

Shaunte Montgomery (MA '08) I was recently in yet another virtual professional development workshop, and if I am honest, I spent about 80% of my time listening in on what the presenter was saying, and the other 20% catching up on emails and putting out fires…I may be fibbing on the ratios, but you get … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Shaunte Montgomery

Gordon Parks and a Place to Call Home

Photo from Aaliyah Kelly's response to the exhibit "Gordon Parks: Homeward to the Prairie I Come" Coinciding with the Beach Museum’s current exhibit “Homeward to the Prairie I Come”—which features the work of photographer, filmmaker, and writer Gordon Parks—the students in ENGL 420 “African American Film” discussed two of Parks’s movies: the autobiographical coming-of-age film … Continue reading Gordon Parks and a Place to Call Home