Chair: Kent Baxter Compiled by: RosaMaria Chacon

 

Announcements

CSUN mourns José Luis Vargas, longtime Director of the CSUN Educational Opportunity Program. He passed away March 19th.  Both students and faculty will miss him.images

Queer Migrations: Moving toward Transformative Change with Bamby Salcedo (member of TransLatina Coalition) and Jorge Gutierrez (member of Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement) Thursday April 7th 11-12:15   Thousand Oaks Room, Student Union

See the library website for their celebration of National Poetry Month including spoken word/hip hop performers Vocal ARTillery April 6th, writing workshop April 12th, open mic/poetry slam April 20th, showcase of faculty poetry April 27th…Everything is coming up poetry and why not

“Queer in Your Career” Dinner and Discussion Wednesday April 6th 5-7 in Northridge Center, USU  Rsvp to  http://www.csun.edu/pride/events/queer-in-your-career

“Signs of Deaf Philosophy”–a talk with Teresa Blankmeyer Burke Wednesday April 6th 4-6 Manzanita Hall 130  ASL with English interpretation

April 8th and 9th 8:30 pm your chance to see Rick Mitchell’s new play UNPLUMBED at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica  for info  http://highwaysperformance.org/highways/event/rick-mitchell-unplumbed             strange…comic and featuring persistently transgressive Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven

If you have ever wondered about the annual student displays re the Armenian Genocide, come to the lecture by Dr. Shemmassian, Director of the Armenian Studies Program to hear “The Armenian Genocide: Causes, Processes, Consequences” April 21st 4pm JR 319 hosted by Dorothy Clark’s Rhetoric of Memory class.

“War Without End and the Disobeying Signs of the Central American Diaspora: on Survival and Resistance”–a talk with Oriel Maria Siu, Director of Latina/o Studies at the University of Puget Sound Wednesday April 27th 2-3:30 100 Sagebrush Hall with reception after in JR153

Reminders

Today deadline for RSCA Grants–Get Jackie’s signature before 4pm or email her

Associated Writing Programs Conference in LA–NOW thurs-Sat/CSUN Creative Writing at AWP…more info at (@CSUN_writing)    Twitter/Instagram info

Save the Date ~ English MA Hooding Ceremony May 23rd 1:30-3:00 Chaparral Hall 5125 followed by the English Department Awards Ceremony and then Commencement.

LA Times Festival of Books panel with Martin Pousson and Tin House editor Rob Spillman as moderator Saturday April 9th 12pm Seeley G. Mudd 124 on USC campus. At 2:30 Martin will sign advanced copies of his novel Black Sheep Boy Booth 64 in the middle of the USC central walkway.

Fall Book Adoptions Due April 15th in order to save students money.  I know we just finished Spring Break and heavy grading but try to get these in.

Opportunities

How often have dark times and spaces been lightened by a book? Participate in the Book Drive for LA County Juvenile Facilities–paperbacks age appropriate 11-17.  Where: SH 208, 232 and JR 148, 240 and 340. Collected by Northridge Creative Writing Circle  April 1-30

Food Forward and the Institute for Sustainability–6th Annual Orange Pick– April 3rd two sessions 8-10 and 11-1 Volunteer to help harvest 10,000 pounds of oranges for donation to local food pantries. Vitamin C and feeding the hungry!  Go to    www.csun.edu/sustainability/events/orange-pick

AGSE and Sigma are hosting a conference Saturday April 16th with keynote speaker Devoney Looser in the Grand Ballroom. Panels begin at 9:30 and panel moderators are needed.  Very little work and yet such a great service for our Grad and Honors students. If you can help out, Contact  nazanin.keynejad.@my.csun.edu

Submit Student Award Applications by April 29th–tell your students and submit any letters or forms requested.  Awards are Undergrad: Henry Van Slooten Scholarship, Lesley Johnstone Memorial Award, Robert apRoberts Honors Essay Prize; Grad: Professor Mitchell Marcus Prize, Mahlon Gaumer Award, Harry Finestone Award. For more info, Contact  santosh.khadka@csun.edu

New Voices Reading Romp May 31st 10-5  come for a bit or come for the day and help select student writing for the 26th edition of New Voices…potluck lunch at Sherman Oaks home of Elyce Wakerman. Contact Amy Reynolds or Amber Norwood for more information.

Achievements

Noreen Lace’s poem “Fairy Tale” will appear in April Fools (no kidding!) in April 2016. Not only timely since this is the first and National Poetry Month but Noreen has also been very productive of late.

Shaun Cullen’s article “The Innocent and the Runaway: Kanye West, Taylor Swift, and the Contemporary Politics of Racial Melodrama” appeared in the March 2016 issue of the Journal of Popular Music Studies. Sounds very interesting.

Jessy Cruz (BA Lit 2015) has accepted a full-time position with Project GEAR-UP 4 LA as Assistant Parent Coordinator at Occidental College doing outreach to parents and students. Jessy interned with GEAR-Up through the English Intern class with Kathy Leslie. While he works at Occidental he will also pursue his Master of Counseling and Student Services program at CSUN. Wonderful News/Congratulations Jessy.

Jason Gallaher Grad Student in Literature sold his picture book WHOBERT WHOVER, OWL DETECTIVE to the Margaret K. McElderry imprint of Simon and Schuster to be published in summer 2017.

Kudos to All!

 

until another Thursday ~