Recommended Reading

Three poets with books published by New Issues will be participating in the Gwen Frostic Reading Series next semester. John Rybicki's Traveling at High Speeds was one of New Issues’ very first publications, published in 1996, and has been a bestseller ever since. The book has been taught in numerous college classes with much success. David Keplinger and Heather Sellers will also be reading. Visit the New Issues website to learn more about their titles and to read sample poems. New Issues provides free desk copies to professors that decide to include a New Issues title on their syllabus. Contact new-issues (at) wmich.edu for more information.

Short Story Competition / Friends of Polish Art

Are you a closet writer? Always wanted to see your name and creation in print? Here’s your chance. Friends of Polish Arts (FPA) is proud to announce the 2007-2008 Short Story Competition.

The competition is open to all Michigan residents of Polish descent who are at least 18 years old. Entrants may submit up to two short stories on any subject they wish. Entries are limited to 1500 words and must be the original work of the author that has never been published or won an award in any other competition. The entry fee is $10.00 per person. Deadline for entries is February 1, 2008. Besides cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention, winners will have their stories published in the Friends of Polish Arts Newsletter, The American Council for Polish Culture Heritage, and in Tygodnik Swiat Polski, The Polish World.

Entry forms and rules are available at the Friends of Polish Arts website, http://friendsofpolishart.info/dotnetnuke or by contacting Janet Ann Hedin at janetannfpa@hotmail.com, 248-546-8004 or Susan Nash at Susannash4@aol.com, 743-428-9809.

Marcus Johnson's Christmas Greeting

I just received this video clip from Marcus Johnson, our MFA in Fiction student who is serving in Iraq with the Indiana National Guard. In the clip, he wishes us all in the English Department a Merry Christmas. Remember, if you'd like to send anything to Marcus, just let me know. I sent out a package three weeks ago, with lots of Christmas goodies, on behalf of his friends in the English department, but I'll bet that in the post-holiday "let down," Marcus would love to receive your cards. Here's the link to his video: http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=24208109

Graduate Students Receive Grants

Graduate students Todd Bannon and Cindy St. John are recipients of competitive support grants from the Graduate College. Todd received funding from the Graduate Student Travel Fund, Cindy from the Graduate Student Research Fund. Congrats!

Joslin Named Fulbright Senior Specialist

Katherine Joslin has been named a Fulbright Senior Specialist. She is scheduled to visit Minufiya University, Egypt, for one month in the spring of 2008. Senior specialists are intended to increase the participation of leading U.S. scholars and professionals in Fulbright academic exchanges, encourage new activities that go beyond the traditional Fulbright activities of lecturing and research, and promote increased connections between U.S. and non-U.S. post-secondary academic institutions.

Bonnie Wozniak

Our former English Department member Bonnie Wozniak died suddenly Friday night. She taught English 100 for us when she was getting her MA and then her MFA-poetry. She also worked for New Issues Press. For the last several years she had been teaching English at Lake Michigan Community College in South Haven. She was originally from Dearborn, where the visitation and Mass will be. Visitation at Querfeld Funeral Home, Monday 6 - 8, and Tuesday 2 - 4 and 6 - 8. Mass Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. at The Divine Child Church, in Dearborn.

Helen Sellers

Professor Helen Sellers died this week at the age of 95. She came to the English Department in the Fall of 1947 and retired in 1974. Her specialty was modern literature and she continued to attend literary and musical events after she retired. She is remembered as a teacher both fair and demanding, a quiet and reserved person well-liked by students and colleagues.

Third Coast Reading Series, December 7

The Third Coast Reading Series is closing the semester this Friday, December 7 at 7:30pm with a reading by graduate students Louis Khor (fiction), Hilary Selznick (non-fiction), and Birkin Gilmore (poetry). As always freshments and good humor will abound. Please help spead the word, invite your students, and join us.