The Ellen Reeder – Page 15 – Plymouth State University’s Official English Program Blog

October 5, 2016

How Does One Ban A Book, Anyways? Here’s One Possible Approach…–Casey Ouellette

Criteria: • A book must have a combined score of 55 across all categories to be banned. • All works of fiction and non-fiction start with a 3 in all categories and gain points with further trepidation. Religious texts start at 2 to protect religious freedoms. Reference books such as a dictionary or thesaurus start at 1 for being of...

Banned Books/PSU Student Works/Students

October 5, 2016

The Many Faces of Mice And Men–Nichole Currier

For everyone who didn’t know, it’s Banned Book Week this week. So I’m taking a look at some covers of a very commonly banned book, Of Mice and Men. After taking a look at how this book’s cover has changed over time, it’s interesting to see how the focus has shifted through the years. Warning: this analysis does contain spoilers...

Banned Books/PSU Student Works/Students

October 5, 2016

The Banning of Harry Potter–Ryan French

The Harry Potter series has stolen the hearts of young and old readers through its story of a heroic wizard discovering a magical world. The popularity of the Harry Potter series has made it a staple book in many school libraries. But while the series has garnered vast popularity since its release, the books have not gone unpunished by censorship....

Banned Books/PSU Student Works/Students

October 3, 2016

PSU Student Gives Keynote Address at Annual PSU Connections Dinner

PSU Superstar English major Hannah Hounsell was invited to give a keynote address at the 2016 Connections dinner for Scholarship recipients, their families, and esteemed Plymouth State guests. Here is the text of her speech, posted with her permission: Good evening President and Mrs. Birx, honored guests, scholarship donors and fellow scholars, Allow me to start by thanking all the donors...

News/Plymouth State University/Students

September 30, 2016

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird: How Cover Art Changes Perception

It’s#bannedbooksweek2016 and I wanted to take a closer look at one of the most famous banned books: Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. The inclusion of Lee’s novel in school curriculums has been (and continues to be, to some degree) controversial due to its dealings with racism and the portrayal of black characters. While its contested nature has been quite static...

Banned Books

September 29, 2016

“Books are Weapons in the War of Ideas”

Lovely little post today–with art!–from Electric Literature on #bannedbooksweek, including this great passage from President Franklin D. Roosevelt: “Books cannot be killed by fire. People die, but books never die. No man and no force can put thought in a concentration camp forever. No man and no force can take from the world the books that embody man’s eternal fight...

Uncategorized

September 27, 2016

Deadline For Centripetal Submissions Is October 11th

Centripetal, Plymouth State University’s art and literary magazine, is accepting submissions until October 11th! Assembled and edited by PSU’s Poets and Writers, Centripetal brings together the written word and visual arts like photography and graphic design in a singular publication. Students, alumni, faculty, and staff are all encouraged to submit their best poems, scripts, prose, and visual art. You can send your...

News/Plymouth State University/Students

September 26, 2016

Our Own Paul Rogalus Featured On Flash Fiction Magazine’s Website!

PSU’s own Paul Rogalus, English professor and writer extraordinaire, just had his flash fiction story Grateful Black Denim featured on flashfictionmagazine.com! Grateful Black Denim is compact yet it packs a poignant punch as it examines the physicality of loss and how those we love are always with us even after they’re gone. Paul’s two cents on this piece and the process of publication?...

Faculty/Plymouth State University

September 23, 2016

One Of Your Favorite Childhood Books Was The Most Banned Book Of The 90’s

Remember Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark? Doesn’t ring a bell? Is it all coming back to you now? According to the ALA’s website, Alvin Schwartz’s horror series (yes, it was specifically written for children despite those horrifying illustrations) were the most banned books of the 90’s. Schwartz’s stories were based on folklore while the grotesque and bizarre images...

Banned Books

September 21, 2016

New To PSU: Abby Goode, Assistant Professor of Early American Lit

The English department here at Plymouth State University has grown since last semester with the addition of Assistant Professor of Early American Literature, Abby Goode! To celebrate her induction into the Ellen Reed enclave, I asked Abby a few questions to learn a bit more about her. And of course I asked her what her favorite book is because English majors...

Faculty/Plymouth State University