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
K-State's Virtual Open House is on! You'll find our "Poetry in Motion" contribution, in honor of National Poetry Month, filed under the "Activities and Events" to "Enjoy all weekend" -- or, just go directly to our virtual Poet-in-the-Box (launching Friday at 9:00am through 8:00pm) and our lightning talks on favorite poems (available on demand). Enjoy! … Continue reading Game On!
Location: Digital files.Object: Postcard announcing the month-long visit of Shakespeare's First Folio to Kansas State and Manhattan, February 2016.Observations: 1) Five years ago, in March 2016, we were recovering from a whirlwind month of activities following the arrival of a First Folio, on loan for the month of February from the Folger Shakespeare Library in … Continue reading Found Object: Shakespeare in the Little Apple
After cancellation due to COVID-19 last spring, K-State's annual Open House is back for 2021 -- and K-State English is ready! Our theme is "Poetry in Motion" in honor of National Poetry Month and the virtual space for this year's Open House: What makes the heart of a poem tick? Why do its rhymes resonate? … Continue reading Virtual Open House 2021
"The toll-free Humanities Hotline delivers interesting short stories anytime, day or night. It’s simple: Dial 1-888-416-2018 and choose from a menu of humanities highlights" (Humanities Kansas web site) So much programming over the last year has focused on creating online events. These events have held communities together and even widened our networks in some cases. … Continue reading Humanities Hotline with Mary Kohn
Some of the 2020 picture books under consideration for this year's Mock Caldecott Everything is different for 2020, including our annual Mock Caldecott. Now in its 13th 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 … Continue reading 2020 Mock Caldecott
Ask almost anyone in Manhattan and they’ll tell you a story about Richard Pitts. They might tell you about how his Wonder Workshop — a museum/day camp/afterschool hangout — instilled in some child a love of learning. Or they’ll tell you about his tours of the Underground Railroad and Kansas’s abolitionist history. They might have … Continue reading Remembering Richard Pitts
A couple of weeks ago, I climbed into my bright blue Ford Focus, filled up the gas tank (thank you English Department!), and turned on a murder podcast to pass the time for the three-hour drive to Argonia, Kansas. Located about an hour southwest of Wichita, Argonia dominated national news in 1887 when the small … Continue reading “Kansas Women Have Done It”: Visiting America’s First Woman Mayor in Argonia, Kansas
As part of a service learning project this academic year, graduate students in Todd Gabbard's ARCH 807 "Architecture Design Studio" are preparing a redesign of our English Department space, so it could best serve the needs of faculty, staff, and students. The collaboration began last summer when Todd -- as an associate professor in Architecture … Continue reading Designing a Better English Building
Last week on October 29, the Literature Track held an event at The Dusty Bookshelf celebrating the recent publication of Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments — the long-awaited sequel to her 1985 dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale. Both novels are set in an alternative present where the United States is overthrown by the authoritarian theocracy Gilead, … Continue reading Out from Under His Eye: A Discussion of Margaret Atwood’s Dystopia
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