pen & ink: notes from the department of english, march 2012

8/2/2019 Pen & Ink: Notes from the Department of English, March 2012

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session Wharton at 150, as

2012 marks the 150thanniversary of the birth of EdithWharton. Totten

also participated in apre-convention workshop,Getting Started in Digital

Humanities, which included

sessions on coding andprogramming, projectmanagement, grant funding opportunities,and cross-disciplinary collaboration tosupport research, archival work, andpedagogy within humanities disciplines.

Helstern presented a paper entitled Back

to Ground Zero: Performing the Fiction ofRace in Gerald Vizenors Hiroshima Bugi:

Atomu 57. Her paper focused

on the representation ofNative people in AsianAmerican writing and therepresentation of AsianAmericans in Native-authoredtexts. Helsterns paper

addressed the ways that theWhite Earth Anishinaabe novelist GeraldVizenor works in the most experimental ofall his novels to counter the model minoritystereotype attached to Asian Americansthrough a range of performative strategies,including kabuki, protest demonstration,striptease, sexual performance, and the re-enactment of Native history.

The English Department celebrated BlackHistory Month with an introduction to threeof the most important African Americancreative writers of the first half of the 20th

century. Presentations by NDSUDepartment of English professors included:Amy Rupiper-Taggart on Jessie Fausset;Gary Totten on Zora Neale Hurston; Linda

Helstern on Richard Wright.

In honor of the 30th Annual NDSUWomens Week celebration,

Professor of Practice,Clifford Canku presentedThe Five Stages of

Becoming a DakotaWoman. Canku is a native

Dakota speaker from hischildhood and has beenteaching courses in Dakota language andculture at the college level for many years.

Dr. Bruce Maylath, NDSU Professor of

English, was selected by theTribal College Liaison toreceive a University Green andGolden Globe Diversity Award.Maylath has beeninstrumental in supporting andpromoting Dakota Studies atNDSU. The award ceremony is

scheduled for April 16th, in the NDSUMemorial Union.

Department of English AssociateProfessors Amy RupiperTaggart and ElizabethBirmingham received

mentor grants from NDSUForward. They will beattending a mid-careermentoring session at the Rhetoric Societyof America Conference in May 2012.

MARCH 2012

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1

Pen & Ink: Notes from the NDSU Department of English

Find us on the web: http://english.ndsu.edu

Inside this Issue:

Where is? Catherine Cater pg 2

IntroducingThe Drs. Mara pg 3

Wednesdays: A Collection of Four Poetspg 4

Alumni in Action pg 5

We Were Here pg 6

Red River Graduate Students Conference pg 6

Greetings from the Chair

I'm pleased to writing a short note to kickoff volume 2 of our department newslet-ter! Gathering information, synthesizing it,and composing a newsletter is, as weknew it would be, a major undertaking, butTina Young has pulled it off beautifully. Weappreciate the comments and support thenewsletter has received; please keep

sending us your feedback and updates.Now that we have 4 issues to refer backto, I can update you on some previousstories: 1) we are scheduled to move backto Minard in December of 2012; 2) we willbe welcoming Dr. Heather Dubrow fromFordham University in NYC, June 11-15 forour fourth annual Summer Scholar event;

3) we are expecting 20+ dynamic highschool students for our 3rd annual Gover-nor's School, June 3 - July 14; 4) our annu-al spring awards luncheon is scheduledfor Monday, April 30th; and 5) our secondannual Advisory Board Meeting is sched-ule for Friday, May 4th.

Kevin BrooksDepartment [email protected]

701-231-7147

A Note

Fromthe

Chair

Kevin Brooks (Professorand Chair of English, NDSU) and David Beard(Associate Professor of English, University ofMinnesota Duluth) launched a special issue ofthe journal Enculturation on Dec. 31, 2011.The issue's theme, Marshall McLuhan @ 100:Picking Through the Rag and Bone Shop of aCareer, invited scholars to consider some of theneglected works of McLuhan (1911-1980),who coined the now famous phrases, "The

Medium is the Message" and "The GlobalVillage." Scholars from Canada, the US, andAustralia contributed to the collection; NDSUPhD student in English, Steven Hammerproduced an audio-video remix ofMcLuhan's1969 book War and Peace in theGlobal Village and Associate Professor AndrewMara added his voice to a multi-vocal review.

Dr. Elizabeth Birmingham was named associatedean for the College of Arts, Humanities andSocial Sciences at NDSU, effective Jan 9.

Birmingham is an associateprofessor of English at NDSU. Asassociate dean, Birmingham will beresponsible for promoting grant-funded research, supporting facultyprofessional development and

mentoring, and fostering anenvironment of diversity, equity andinclusivity. She will also lead efforts

to strengthen the colleges honors program,

enhance general education offerings andrecruit and retain talented students.

American literature scholars Gary Totten andLinda Helstern, both associate professors in theNDSU English department, were included onthe program of the Modern LanguageAssociations 127th Annual Convention, held inSeattle, Wash., January 5-8. As president of theEdith Wharton Society, Totten chaired the

TheBuzz
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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As Ellen K. Voss declares in the Spring 2001issue of NDSU Magazines Perspective,

Catherine Cater. I wouldnt even presume

to attach words. So how does one go about

discussing Catherine Cater and the legacyshe left to NDSUs students and faculty dur-

ing her tenure from 1962 to 2006?

Perhaps it is fitting that the Excerpts from

the inaugural issue of NDSU Magazine ofFall 2000 featured a series of quotes andinsights from Catherine Cater herself. Ratherthan forcing Cater into their words, they letCater voice her own.

Caters own words profess her love of learn-

ing and the entire learning process. To thisday, Cater finds the opportunities at NDSU

amazing. They offered me the freedom toexplore, which is the nature of learning. For

three years, Cater was involved with facultymembers from each college who met in aweekly seminar to discuss a text from a se-lected college. One week they might analyzean engineering document, the next a psy-chology journal, followed by a humanities

study. As Cater recalls,my first years at NDSU

gave me opportunitiesto create and extendprograms in learning inwhich I believed. Con-necting among allknowledges, where Iformed friendships inall the colleges. Those

meetings became thebuilding blocks for theHumanities and Inter-

disciplinary Studies,and later the ScholarsProgram.

As Cater considers hernearly 50-year career, she marvels at theindividuals who welcomed her. John Hove

had a good eye for interesting people, andthe faculty was so exciting. She recalls

working with: Jesse Philips who taught gram-mar and linguistics students were scaredto death of her and Francis Schoff was atask master. David Martinson was a stu-

dent assistant in Caters very large humani-

ties classes and she recollects that David

wouldnt consider museums for artisticdisplays because he believed art should beoutdoors where all can see it.

Cater remembers NDSUs people and peo-

ple remember her. After her feature in theNDSU Magazine, several former studentswere moved to write exemplary commentsabout Caters influence on their educations,

and she hasn't given the advising up, noting,I still have access to students to give them

advice, but I miss them.

Since her retirement, Cater has learnedthat only change is permanent. In her

transition from her private residence intothe assisted living facility at Fargos Beth-

any Homes, she has found it interesting tocreate a new life. A routinized life. Life

comprised with death. We have manydeaths here. But once again, Cater is

impressed with the individuals around

her, complimenting the workers who arebeyond well-trained. They are compas-sionate, composed, and create an air ofindependence. The visitors wear a specialface, and the residents are visibly happyand independent, despite the atmosphereof change.

Catherine Cater is a woman who contin-ues to learn from life and impresses thosevital lessons upon those she meets. She

remains as awe-inspiring now, as she wasto those lowly freshman. Cater has also

changed with the times, welcoming thedigital age - although she misses her cellphone, Cater is the proud owner of anI-Pad and a PC. You can connect with hervia her email address: [email protected].

PAGE 2 PEN & INK: NOTES FROM THE NDSU DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

Catherine Caterhereis ?

Dont get discouraged if life

doesnt change. Keep pushing

your rock.

I audited Catherine Caters classes

wherever she wasthe most brilliant

teacher it has been my privilege to

know.Frances Cooper Thompson*



your rock.

The first time Dr. Cater physically

showed quotes, I thought she was

trying to fly I quickly realized she

was doing something else, because

her mind did fly and she challenged

us lowly freshmen to come along for

the ride.Lynn R Leavens*



Only change is permanent.Catherine Cater

*These comments and observations first

appeared as Letters inNDSU Magazine

Spring 2001.



your rock.

The freedom to explore, is the nature

of learning.

Catherine Cater


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PAGE 3 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1 Find us on the web: http://english.ndsu.edu

Introducing Drs. Andrew & Miriam MaraAUTOMATIC OUT OF OFFICE REPLY:

Mara, Andrew & Mara, MiriamSent: Monday, March 12, 2012 10:12 AMTo: Alumni, NDSU

Good day,Thank you for your email, but we will be out of the office and... We interrupt this automatic email message for an importantupdate from the NDSU Department of English

Were sorry for any inconvenience, but the Maras are not currently

on the NDSU campus. Would you believe our resident adventurershave departed once again for parts more rugged and less populat-ed? The Drs. Mara are currently on sabbatical conducting researchin Kenya and South Sudan, but are also making time for a safari andother explorations.

While based in Nairobi, Kenya, Doc Mara is researching the tech-nical communication genres implemented by The Greenbelt Move-ment. Miriam is investigating the gendered representations of can-cer in fictional texts and medical literature, and thereby gatheringdata on the rhetoric of cancer in medical and health documents,especially those connected with Kenya Medical Research Institute(KEMRI) and the Nairobi Cancer Registry. Miriams Kenya pieceinvolves Margaret Ogola's last novel Place of Destinyand the afore-mentioned KEMRI documents.

In addition to the research with the Greenbelt Movement and

KEMRI, the Maras are also forging some collaborative partnershipswith Kenyatta University through translation classes and the Memo-randum of Understanding in place between NDSU andKenyatta University.

Through the African Soul American Heartprogram, the Maras sponsor two South-

ern Sudanese teens which allows them toattend school in Kenya and while in Africa,theyll trek to South Sudan to meet those two

students. The Maras are also joining two

board members from African Soul AmericanHeart on a two-week research and educationalsupport trip to Duk Payuel in South Sudan.

Upon their return to the states, Doc Mara claims they are hoping to

take some time surfing, so that we can get some of the dirt out fromunder our nails. Being adventurers, since their arrival at NDSU in

2006, the Maras have spent breaks scouring beaches, scuba div-

ing, hot-air ballooning, and running marathons (while discussingexotic cuisine). Perhaps the most daring adventure of all is the twoyears they spent as Faculty in Residence at the NDSU Living Learn-ing Center.

This concludes the message from the Department of English

...upon returning from sabbatical, wed love to meet with you. Well

be out of the office and out of the country on developmental leavethrough April 2012. While we will have some e-mail access, ourresponses may be delayed. Thank you for your patience.

Best, Andrew & Miriam Mara


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PEN & INK: NOTES FROM THE NDSU DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISHPAGE 4

Perfect Womenby Paige AndersonAmsterdam is gorgeous!the blond squeals in a southern accent,and Im thinking of beauty pageantsand how Texas always makes the top five.The blond loves Amsterdam, prattles about the

pretty people therePretty like usand I gag on my pressed turkey on whiteand wonder how mothers can give their daughters Barbiesand take no responsibility for the outcome.

And shes obstructing the panorama of the

French countrysidewith her giant head,and I cant prop up my dogged Birkenstocksbecause her long legs reach across the train aisle,her fashionable chunky heels crossed and resting on the seat.

My jeans are a journal dirt from Versailles on the cuffs, sticky briefrom Paris on the left thigh

and although I can converse about Monet, Degas,the history of the IRA,

the chiseled, ponytailed German traveler is misledby the ocean in her eyes,

sees a perfect woman,and I cant help but think of the scarecrowtripping though a sea of poppies.

It could be helpful to think of perfect womentwisting on their four-inch heels,giant heads of hair trapped in automatic doors,arms flapping like graceless hens.It could be helpful to think of perfect womenresponding to questions like:How do you feel about Foucaults theories on punishment?their color-by-number faces contorted in angst.It could be helpful to think of them eating their favorite foodsand occasionally throwing up and getting bits stuck in their noses.*It could be helpful. And it is.

First Aidby Laura Stowethey taught us to stop drop n rollif the flames enveloped usthat fire was contagious

after it picked away at our clothesit would try to melt our flesh

they warned us that water wouldnt always workthat sometimes, lubricants need baking

soda to be calmed down

they made us practice 9 something numbersplan escape routes, and install alarms

but they never told us how muchstop drop n roll related to men

You Ask Me What I Mean By Thatby Mark Stone

The trees are on fire with autumn,but only in the canvas.

Outside, the sky is a snowy cloud,and the afternoon is dull white

fading into dull blue evening.I dream of wearing maple in my hair,

of my whole body smoldering with crabapple,of my mouth wide and delirious

as the sweet, imagined earth youve made.

We sit here, I dreaming, you dapplingacrylic on bright acrylic, your fingers

alive with violet fire, the trees leapingfrom your slender bones.

And this is what I mean when I say,Your hands are lovely.

When I Visitby Ryan Trauman

When I visit this quiet place,Ill know your polished stone well,Flush to soft ground

Under wet bark on a twisted tree.And when I visit, Ill scatter bread crumbs

And clothe your grave with birdsFor they are more like you than flowers.

As I watch them, even in snow,Each of them will sing songs for me,

And because of me, for you.

And I will not leave them until the bread is gone,And Ive brushed the snow from your name.

Wednesday was the scheduled meeting day of four student poetswhose writings were published by the NDSU Center for Writers in1997 as the poetry chapbook, Wednesdays: A Collection of FourPoets. Paige Anderson, Mark Stone, Laura Stowe, and Ryan

Trauman met weekly to discuss, critique, and develop ideas. Whatbegan as a poetry peer group, evolved into friendship. Mark Stonenotes in Wednesdays Introduction that To develop a serious,critical partnership with those who share your passion is tocultivate a familial bond: it requires forbearance, affection, and aconstant sense of joy. Time has the power to strengthen or erode

those bonds. The bonds may even break, but the memories madeand the lessons learned remain. These poems are included to tieechoes of the past to the present voices featured on page 5 Alumni in Action. We look forward to including updates on RyanTrauman and Mark Stone in the May/June issue ofPen and Ink.

EXCERPTSFROMWednesdays: A Collection of Four Poets

*This line was borrowed from Jenny Holzer's "Selections from the LivingSeries, 1989", which is a work of art (a series of benches with engrav-

ings) at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden


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PAGE 5

AFTER NDSU: After I completed allof my coursework for a Master's inNDSUs English Literature program,

I then took on a myriad of randomjobs: market analysis researchsupport, job placement at atemporary agency, staffing nursesand nursing assistants at a largenursing home facility, potteryteacher, middle school Englishteacher, college teacher. I am nowa trainer at The Hartford. I mostlytrain new hires about FamilyMedical Leave and Short TermDisability in a classroom and avirtual setting. Steve Ward, CindyNichols, and David Martinsontaught me about marrying creativityand an independent spirit with acommitment to develop one'sprofession. More specifically, theytaught me how to inspire people tolearn.

PERSONAL LIFE: I married AaronGilles in 2003, shortly before mov-ing to Minneapolis. We bought ahouse in South Minneapolis, and

we have been humbled by the work ittakes to upkeep and improve a 1923home. We adore our house and

our neigh-borhood.We haveone sonnamed Aftonwho is turning4, and we areexpectinganother boy inJune. Myhusband spitsfire, and I spinfire poi; wewonder whatour boys will do when they come ofage.

BRAGGING RIGHTS: I received the Gradu-ate paper of the year award --co-authored with Emily Malsam.

ABOUT WEDNESDAYS: It's hard toseparate the importance of theWednesday book and the Wednesdaygroup. I was 19 when I wasintroduced to Mark and Ryan, and Ilooked up to them. The followingyear, I met Paige, and we are friendsto this day. The group gave me avoice and the confidence to use thatvoice. We were lucky to have a

receptive andsupportiveaudience.

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1

AFTER NDSU: I am atenured faculty member in

the English Department atAnoka-Ramsey CommunityCollege, located justnorthwest of the TwinCities, where I teachcomposition, literature,and creative writingcourses. At two different

times during my tenure at ARCC, I have beenthe Department Chair.

PERSONAL LIFE: My husband and I actually metat a Wednesday group poetry reading at NDSU.Laura, Mark, and Ryan knew Damien and

asked him to play piano

before our reading. Wewere married in June of2001, right before Istarted at Anoka-Ramsey.Damien works at the lawfirm Robins, Kaplan, Millerand Ciresi in Minneapolis.We have a six-year-old boynamed Aidan and hes the

joy of our lives. Our homeis in St. Paul.

BRAGGING RIGHTS: I very recently won first placein a national poetry contest sponsored by

Literal Latte, an online literary magazine basedout of New York. The prize was publication and$1,000. The poem was published in theJanuary 2012 issue at http://www.literal-latte.com/. I was also a semi-finalist for the2011 Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry sponsoredby Nimrod International Journal of Prose andPoetryas well as the 2011 RiverStyx International Poetry Contest. I was afinalist for the 2011 Loft Mentor Series inPoetry sponsored by the Loft Literary Center inMinneapolis. My poetry and prose has beenpublished in a variety of print and onlinepublications.

ABOUT WEDNESDAYS: Having the chapbookpublished was a wonderful capstone for ourexperience together. Our regular workshopmeetings on Wednesdays kept me focusedand writing, and I'll always be grateful for thefeedback and encouragement Laura, Mark,and Ryan gave me. Laura and I actually bothlive in the Twin Cities and are great friends. Wesee each other regularly, and our sons areclose enough in age that they enjoy playingtogether.

Paige (Anderson) RiehlPaige (Anderson) Riehl


TROUBLE OFTEN BEGINS WITH FUNby Laura (Stowe) GillesIn Michigan, it is illegal to pick tulips. We posedin white hats, bright twill, and wooden shoeswith other siblings, eager to sweep the streetswith modern brooms. Like most picturesfrom our childhood, I hooked my elbowaround your neck, keeping you uncomfortably

close. In Minnesota, it is illegal to grab the armof a girlfriend when she is leaving. You posedfor the police before calling our mother, eager to graduatewith the science degree of our parents' choice. Like mostof our conversations, I kept the phone pressed to my earas my husband retreated to the computer

alone. In Southern Texas, it is immoral to have fun. You posedinside the church with strangers and a kilted bagpipe playerwhile a sign in the parking lot read Trouble Often BeginsWith Fun. Like most presented with a warning, you pressedforward fiercely, urging your wife to turnoff the television, to stay at a jobfor more than six months, to return your calls.

Brother, I wish we weren't still learning when to holdon and when to let go.

Laura (Stowe) GillesLaura (Stowe) Gilles

Alumni

Alum

ni

inin ActionActionChoosing Not to Loveby Paige (Anderson) RiehlTo love is to walk in the coldnorth wind without a coat,to trust the resilience of skinnaked and reddened, to pretendit is fur or fish scales or armor.It is to walk in the streets at nighthands and body open, eyeslooking up. It is to followthe stranger down the unknownpath with only bright orangesin your pockets.

Not to love is to have furnitureand locks, a heavy ring of keys,a savings account, a series of routines

and hasty signatures, briefmoments of silence. It is to stare atthe beautiful stranger in the cerealaisle, to notice his nakedfinger, until his eyes raise, seeyou considering an alternative, thenyour quick deniala turned headand hands in pockets full of lint.

This poem first appeared inRock, Paper, Scissors (2011)and was inspired byDavid Ignatow's "Rescue the Dead."

SinceSince WednesdaysWednesdays
https://red001.mail.microsoftonline.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=8272d04c500f4ecd8d4b01f1d308dd4c&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.literal-latte.com%2fhttps://red001.mail.microsoftonline.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=8272d04c500f4ecd8d4b01f1d308dd4c&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.literal-latte.com%2fhttps://red001.mail.microsoftonline.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=8272d04c500f4ecd8d4b01f1d308dd4c&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.literal-latte.com%2fhttps://red001.mail.microsoftonline.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=8272d04c500f4ecd8d4b01f1d308dd4c&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.literal-latte.com%2fhttps://red001.mail.microsoftonline.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=8272d04c500f4ecd8d4b01f1d308dd4c&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.literal-latte.com%2f


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Department of English

like us on Facebook: NDSU Department of English

http://www.facebook.com/pages/NDSU-Department-of-English/189234337782759#!Department Office: 219 Morrill Hall

Phone: 701-231-7143

[email protected]

[email protected]

To kick off the spring semester, RichardJohnson-Sheehan, Professor of English atPurdue and author ofWriting Today, wasthe guest speaker at the departments

professional development workshop onJanuary 6, 2012. Johnson-Sheehanpresented on teaching genres incomposition and technical communication.

The Department of English in conjunctionwith the Red River Writing Projectsponsored a professional developmentworkshop and book reading with professorand author Benjamin Bac Sierrahighlighting his new novel, Barrio Bushido.A public readingwas held in theNDSU MemorialUnion onSaturday,

January 14,2012.

Artist Matt Kish gave apresentation atConcordia College anddiscussed his incredible

journey to make animage for every pageofMoby-Dick, which tookmore than 550consecutive days. Kish'sefforts were collectedinto a gorgeousvolume,Moby Dick inPictures, published by TinHouse, and his book tour

has so far taken him to both coasts.

On January 28, 2012 the Department ofEnglish helped sponsor a charter bus tosee The Acting Company performShakespearesJulius Caesar live at theGuthrie Theater in Minneapolis. It was astellar production featuring a modern dayurban setting with politics not unlike thosefound in present day Washington, DC.

On February 23rd, the English Departmenthosted its second advising event for the

academic year. The Courses, Careers, andScholarships program gave pointers onhow to apply for scholarships, what to

include in a scholarship application letter,and also offered an overview of availablescholarships. Members of the externaladvisory board committee, Joshua A.Swanson fromVogel LawOffice, BillThomas fromPrairie PublicRadio, andBob Schlomann of MicroSoft Corp. were on-hand to discuss questions of careerchoices available to a student graduatingwith a degree in English. Dr. Angela Smith,a new Assistant Professor of History with aBA in English, encouraged students tofollow their passions. NDSU Career Centerrepresentative, Sara Van De Streeksupplied information on teaching abroad,

joining the Peace Corps, and options forstateside volunteer positions.

The Department of English EGO SocialCommittee recently organized andsponsored the 2nd Annual Curling andPotluckSocial.Attendeesbroughttheirfamilies,friends,and cleanshoes tolearn a thing or two about this elusive

sport.

PAGE 6

The 9th Annual Red River Graduate StudentConference is being held in the NDSU Memorial Unionon March 23-24, 2012. This years program featureskeynote speaker Dr. Gail Houston from University ofNew Mexico. The RRGSC began as an opportunity forNDSU English graduate students to organize aprofessional conference where they could present theirresearch. Since then, the range of participants hasexpanded to include participants from throughout theregion and from as far away as Massachusetts. Eachyear the number of participating schools has increased

and this growth over such a short period of timerepresents the exciting interest and commitment areauniversities have shown in developing a community ofpractice.

The registration fee of $20 for conference participationincludes conference materials and Saturday's lunch.Register by March 19. 2012. Please directregistration inquiries to: [email protected] registration form can be found on the RRGSCwebsite at: http://www.ndsu.edu/english/rrgsc/.


Matt Warner delivering a stone.
http://www.cla.purdue.edu/English/directory/index.cfm?pid=233http://www.cla.purdue.edu/English/directory/index.cfm?pid=233http://www.tinhouse.com/books/fiction-poetry/moby-dick-in-pictures.htmlhttp://www.tinhouse.com/books/fiction-poetry/moby-dick-in-pictures.htmlhttp://www.tinhouse.com/books/fiction-poetry/moby-dick-in-pictures.htmlmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.tinhouse.com/books/fiction-poetry/moby-dick-in-pictures.htmlhttp://www.tinhouse.com/books/fiction-poetry/moby-dick-in-pictures.htmlhttp://www.cla.purdue.edu/English/directory/index.cfm?pid=233http://www.cla.purdue.edu/English/directory/index.cfm?pid=233

pen & ink: notes from the department of english, march 2012

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