Category: Plymouth State University

November 11, 2017

Poet Jenny Johnson on Queer Literature and Genre

On November 7th, award-winning poet Jenny Johnson came to Plymouth State University for a reading from her new book, In Full Velvet. Johnson’s performance was part of the Eagle Pond Authors’ Series, which brings diverse and revered poets to Plymouth State’s campus throughout the year. In Full Velvet tackles issues of gender, nature, and sexuality, and has been said to “speak into the...

Categories Literature/Plymouth State University

November 5, 2017

Why Cluster English Majors with Technology?

In Fall 2017, Plymouth State University kicked off its integrated cluster program. This program threads complimentary majors into units called “clusters”. English majors have been placed in the Arts and Technologies with programs such as Computer Science and Information Technology. Some may ask, “Why cluster English majors with technology?” At face value, the two disciplines can seem worlds apart. But in...

Categories Employment/Plymouth State University

November 2, 2017

New English Courses on Mindfulness and Contemplation

In the upcoming Spring 2018 semester, Dr. Karolyn Kinane will be teaching two new ENDI courses that have a focus on Contemplative and Mindful studies. The Canon interviewed Dr. Kinane to learn more about these courses. What are courses you will be teaching this spring? I’ll be teaching two General Education courses this spring. One is Curiosity, Playfulness, and Creativity,...

Categories Faculty/Plymouth State University/Students

October 22, 2017

Data Visualization in Studies in English–a New Approach

As part of our new four credit curriculum at Plymouth State University, our intro to the major course, Studies in English, took on a new learning goal: data visualization. Our general education program requires all majors to have a “Quantitative Reasoning” connection within the discipline, so we thought we’d introduce students to new ways of thinking about reading, research, and...

Categories Plymouth State University/Students/Uncategorized

October 8, 2017

Reading Juvenilia with MESA

This past Thursday, MESA members and English students gathered at Plymouth State’s Frost House for a reading of juvenilia. Participants showed off their childhood and adolescent work, which included poetry, picture books, diary entrees, videos, and even fan fiction. About twenty English Department students participated in the reading; MESA hopes to bring the event, titled “MESA Memories”, back for the...

Categories Plymouth State University/Students

October 7, 2017

What’s in an Open Textbook?

Who has the authority to make textbooks for a college course? Instinct gives us this answer: big-name publishers. This authority, however, is being challenged by educators and learners who believe that education should be not just open, but adaptable. When people talk about textbooks, they typically refer to old-fashioned paper and ink pages. These texts are static: they can’t be...

Categories Faculty/Plymouth State University/Students

September 25, 2017

The Eagle Pond Authors’ Series Presents: Jenna Le

The Eagle Pond Authors’ Series will bring Jenna Le to the Silver Center on Wednesday, September 27 at 7PM for a reading of poetry. Recently, Le’s 2016 poetry collection, A History of the Cetacean American Diaspora, took second place in the 2017 Elgin Awards. The award was hosted by the SFPA, or Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association. This is far from her first...

Categories Plymouth State University

September 24, 2017

“Graphic Novels Are Not Literature”

“Graphic novels are not literature; they are just art.” To some, comparing graphic novels to traditional literature just doesn’t make sense. How can a book that is so heavy on images be studied like a traditional novel? That question may leave those taking Currents in Global Literature this semester confused, since a copy of Persepolis is listed as required course material. If the...

Categories Plymouth State University

May 2, 2017

In Case You Missed It…A Few Resume Tips From MESA

Here’s a sampling of what MESA went over at the resume workshop last Thursday! 1. Keep your resume concise, to the point, and specific. 2. Only include information in your resume that is pertinent to the job that you’re applying for. 3. Do your research! Make sure you know what the organization stands for and does on a daily basis...

Categories Employment/Plymouth State University/Students

April 21, 2017

MESA Brings English Majors Along For The Ride

On April 6th, MESA brought students to Plymouth’s The Flying Monkey to see the film Paterson. The event was the first film outing of the semester and it brought students and faculty together to view the literary motion picture. Paterson follows the life of a bus-driving poet, the poet’s eccentric wife, and their trouble-making bulldog. The film stars Adam Driver,...

Categories Faculty/Plymouth State University/Students