English: Activities and Publications

Georgian Court University's celebration of national day on writing 2011
October 20 and 21, 2011

Sponsored by Sigma Mu, English Honor Society, and the Department of English

October 20
Events throughout the day and into the evening included:

Professional & Academic Writing Panel GCU Faculty and staff share their experiences with research, writing, and publishing for diverse audiences. Little Theater

Mary Lee Batesko, Professor of Education: "Writing for an International Audience"

Claire Gallagher, Professor of Education: “A Picture and a Thousand Questions: researching the schools on Ellis Island

Robert Louden, Professor of Criminal Justice; Program Director: “If I Can Do It So Can You; Almost 50 Years from Term Papers to Now!”

Nancy Wiencek, Assistant Professor of Communications; Chairperson: “Writing for the Media”

Authors Panel Published authors talk about the challenges and joys or writing and publishing. Followed by a Book sale and signing. Little Theater

Toni DePalma, GCU adjunct, author of Under the Banyon Tree and Jeremy Owl

William Noble, GCU adjunct, author of Noble's Book of Writing Blunders (And How To Avoid Them) and Presidential Power On Trail: From Watergate to All the President’s Men.

M. Kate Quinn, author of Summer Iris, Moonlight and Violet, and coming soon Brookside Daisy

Memoir Writing Workshop Mini-workshop for aspiring memoirists. Little Theater

Michelle Giles, GCU Advancement Communications Specialist, MILL memoir workshop facilitator, short story author.
Grace Login
Bianca Login
Kerrin McCarthy

Open Mic Night GCU community and friends share poetry, short stories, or excerpts from works-in-progress. Ruggiero Room. Coordinated by Samantha Glassford. Presenters: Grace Login, Bianca Login and Kerrin McCarthy.

October 21
Sponsored by the First-Year Seminar Program

Meet the Author Mary Alice Monroe, author of The Butterfly’s Daughter, talked about her writing process, read excerpts from her book, and answered questions from the audience. Book sale and signing followed. Casino.

On Thursday, October 8, 2009 the U.S. Senate passed a resolution declaring October 20 as the National Day on Writing! Thanks to the National Council of Teachers of English for proposing and promoting this annual event.

Learn more about the national event at www.ncte.org/dayonwriting/

Submit your writing to GCU’s Community of Writers gallery http://galleryofwriting.org/galleries/2376427

For questions, please contact Dr. Connie Chismar at chismar@georgian.edu

Undergraduate Research Conferences

Our majors have successfully presented their research and writing at national undergraduate research conferences. They have an opportunity to do so in the fall semester when GCU holds its annual Undergraduate Research Conference or at Academic Excellence Night in the spring semester. Contact Dr. Pamela J. Rader raderp@georgian.edu for further information about national research conferences. 

The Fountain Spray

The college literary magazine, The Fountain Spray, displays the original poetry and artwork of creative students from every department. English majors, however, are usually among the leaders in this enterprise. Contact Dr. Russell McDonald mcdonaldr@georgian.edu for further information.

The Lion's Tale

The Lion's Tale, Georgian Court's student-run newspaper, gives students a chance to develop as journalists, photograph graphic artists, advertising execs, managers and, most importantly, student leaders. 

Recent Poets/Speakers

 For the GCU Centennial Celebration, The Department of English and Communications was honored to present Billy Collins, Ph.D., who served as poet laureate of the United States from 2001 to 2003. Dr. Collins is the author of several books of poetry, including Ballistics (2008), She Was Just Seventeen (2006), The Trouble with Poetry (2005); Nine Horses (2002); Sailing Alone Around the Room: New and Selected Poems (2001); and Picnic, Lightning (1998). His poetry has appeared in anthologies, textbooks, and a variety of periodicals, including Poetry, American Poetry Review, American Scholar, Harper’s, Paris Review, and The New Yorker.

2011 Dr. Paul Mariani, author of six poetry collections and published biographies on Hart Crane, Robert Lowell, William Carlos Williams, John Berryman, and Gerard Manley Hopkins, spoke on April 28th.

2008 Maria Mazziotti Gillan, Founder & Executive Director of the Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College and Director of the Creative Writing Program at Binghamton University, publisher of 8 books of poetry and co-editor of three anthologies.  Read from her most recent book All That Lies Between Us.

2008 Dr. Merrill Skaggs, Baldwin Professor of the Humanities, Drew University.  Spoke on Willa Cather and William Faulkner.

2006 Robert Pinsky, three time Poet Laureate of The United States, presented a poetry reading.

2006 David Amram famed composer, presented The David Amram Jazz Trio and Reminiscences of life on The Road with Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and The Beats.