Growing up, the only constant in my life was school. As an introverted impoverished kid, I was definitely easy to overlook. However, time and time again, teachers would turn towards me and offer a kind word, a gesture of compassion, or opportunities for hope. From elementary school and through my undergraduate studies, phenomenal educators … Continue reading Grad Student Spotlight: Cat Williams
“They call it broken language but we say broken to who? — Dye Scott-Rhodan One Sunday after church, my Aunt Peach was wearing a new dress and my mama said, “Peach! Girl, that dress is bad!” My eyes widened as I squeezed her hand and said, “Mama!” I was about six years old and quickly … Continue reading Unlearning Linguistic Trauma: Identifying Broken Perceptions in the Composition Classroom
Thousands of creative writers descended on Tampa this week for the annual AWP Conference. We asked three Kansas State graduate students to weigh in on their conference highlights -- so far anyway. The Fifth Annual Rock and Roll Reading took place in Ybor City — a pocket of Tampa where stray roosters strut past strip … Continue reading Dispatches from #AWP18
When New York University Professor Fred Moten, a renowned literary theorist and poet, came to speak at Kansas State last month as part of the 27th Annual Cultural Studies Symposium, he stressed that he wasn't going to give a typical lecture. Instead, he called his talk “The Anassignment Letters,” which stems from his ongoing dialogue … Continue reading Fred Moten’s Anassignment Letters
I’ve always been an avid reader of children’s books. I remember when most kids my age would get in trouble for running or playing catch in the house and other unruly activities, while I was grounded from reading because it was a distraction from my chores. For me, children’s literature is not something that people … Continue reading Grad Student Spotlight: Jamie Teixeira
All right, y'all, we're taking our shelfie game up a notch. In this new, somewhat regular feature called Office Space (yes, that's reference to the cult movie famous for "pieces of flair"), we'll take you into the the native habitat of the English professor, the somewhat cluttered office, and give you a tour of objects … Continue reading Office Space: Dan Hoyt
“Let’s read that one first!” Frances suggested in response to my account of student squeamishness about a story by Ethan Canin, “We are Nighttime Travelers.” This story ends with a subtle depiction of an intimate moment between a long-married couple, a moment that has prompted an involuntary response from twenty year olds: “Oooh, gross!” Frances’s … Continue reading Literature of Aging
Image: "Wakanda Forever" (Marvel Studios, Disney) I saw Ryan Coogler's Black Panther (2018) with a few friends on the night it was released. Going to the premiere of a film that has long been anticipated can be quite exciting, especially when the film is as good as Black Panther was. At the end of the film, … Continue reading A Review of Black Panther
The Kansas State English Department celebrated Valentine's Day in the traditional way — you know, by talking about a creature with a stolen heart. In five short talks marking the bicentennial of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, K-State graduate students and faculty members expressed their love for this groundbreaking work, examined the book's ongoing cultural resonance, and … Continue reading Love Letters to Mary Shelley
As anyone who knows me can tell you, I’m obsessed with fairy tales—particularly with animal/monster groom tales. Using a paper I wrote for the lovely Anne Philips during my undergrad as the background for my graduate project, I have taken my love of fairy tales to a new level. My project focuses on two 21st-century … Continue reading Grad Student Spotlight: Brittany Roberts
