Summer 2020 Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Screenshot from Han Yu's “Response to ‘Make COVID-19 Visuals Gross’” for the Medical Humanities Blog (28 May 2020).  Each month during the academic year, we assemble a newsletter of the department's recent publications, presentations, announcements, and awards. The issue for September typically showcases a substantial amount of research, scholarship, and creative activity that our faculty … Continue reading Summer 2020 Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Found Object: Graduate Newsletter

Location: File cabinet with Grad Program files, storage room, ECS Building.Object: File folder titled "Graduate Newsletter."Observations: It appears that, for a period of 10 years, the Graduate Program in English produced a Graduate Alumni Newsletter. Location: File cabinet with Grad Program files, storage room, ECS Building.Object: File folder titled "Graduate Newsletter."Observations: 1) The first issue … Continue reading Found Object: Graduate Newsletter

The Writing Must Go On!

A new Canvas module for the Writing Center (Fall 2020) As the K-State community begins the “semester like no other” (to quote a recent Town Hall speech from President Myers), at least one thing hasn’t changed: many students will have a lot of writing to do this fall. Faculty well know—often from personal experience—that the … Continue reading The Writing Must Go On!

Found Object: The Country Wife

Location: A box discovered during summer cleaning in the ECS Building.Object: Photo of a faculty/grad student performance of William Wycherley's The Country Wife (1675), 10 Dec 2002.Observations: 1) During the 2000s, for department holiday parties we often performed scenes from Restoration and 18th c. plays as a holiday entertainment, drawing on the expertise of Bonnie … Continue reading Found Object: The Country Wife

Undergrad Student Spotlight: Cassandra Griffing

Cassandra Griffing (BA '21) If someone asked me a year ago what I wanted to do after I complete my undergrad degree, I wouldn’t have had the slightest idea how to respond. An English degree can lead to many career paths, which is both exciting and daunting. When I set out to find an internship, … Continue reading Undergrad Student Spotlight: Cassandra Griffing

Meet the New Grad Students

You probably won't see the new English graduate students at Kansas State University without masks for a while, but you can see their full faces and learn about them here. Here's some foreshadowing: They love their pets! We're thrilled to welcome them to campus, and wish everyone a safe and enriching and healthy semester. Name: … Continue reading Meet the New Grad Students

Fall Preview

From "Kansas Fall Color Parade" (Photo: Dr. Megan Kennelly, 2014) It's been a challenging summer, following on a challenging spring, as we navigate a world with COVID-19, but the fall semester is underway -- partly face-to-face and mostly online. We're keeping six feet apart to keep each other and everyone else safe. Until we can … Continue reading Fall Preview

Found Object: Preparations for a COVID Fall Semester

      As we get ready for the start of classes on August 17, we’ll soon be back to our regular schedule of twice-weekly posts. In the meantime, watch for another update this coming week, as we prepare for the return of faculty and GTAs to the ECS Building! — Karin Westman, Department Head … Continue reading Found Object: Preparations for a COVID Fall Semester

Hamilton in Context

  Counting down the hours until you can experience Hamilton: An American Musical on the small screen? Re-watching to catch all of the details you missed the first time? We've got you covered, courtesy of student projects from our department's Hamilton course which I had the pleasure to teach in Spring 2018 and Fall 2019. … Continue reading Hamilton in Context

“Ain’t Nobody’s Respect Worth More Than Your Own”: African American Children’s Literature, Self-Esteem, Education, and Hope

I asked the students in my Spring 2020 English 725 "African American Children’s Literature" course to produce a piece of public writing that answers the question of Why African American Children’s Literature Matters. Everyone from ill-informed pundits to well-meaning relatives question the value of courses in the humanities: "Why do universities offer such classes?"  Or, … Continue reading “Ain’t Nobody’s Respect Worth More Than Your Own”: African American Children’s Literature, Self-Esteem, Education, and Hope