Welcome to the blog for the Villanova English department! Visit often for updates on department events, guest speakers, faculty and student accomplishments, and reviews and musings from professors and undergraduates alike.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

City Year

ABOUT CITY YEAR
City Year unites young people of all backgrounds for a year of full-time service, giving them the skills and opportunities to change the world. In communities across the United States and through two international affiliates, these diverse young leaders help get students back on track to graduation by working to improve their attendance, behavior and course performance.

CONTACT CITY YEAR
Have questions?  Contact the Philadelphia Recruitment Team at philadelphiarecruitment@cityyear.org or 267-386-7035.

APPLY NOW
The final deadline is April 30th, 2014.  Apply online any time at cityyear.org/applynow.


Thursday, April 24, 2014

Pictures from Shakespeare's Birthday Party


Prizes!
The cake.

Prof. Alice Dailey, primary organizer of the event and mc.
Reading questions for the "Shakespeare or Batman" game.
Students playing the "Shakespeare or Batman" game.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Alumni Profile: Maggie Mallon, Class of 2010

Occupation: Senior Digital Producer at Glamour

Major:  English.  Minor:  Political Science.  Concentration:  Writing and Rhetoric

What do you do? “My daily responsibilities involve updating the Glamour.com homepage and channel pages, as well as building new editorial content. I work closely with the site developers to test new site features and work to create original HTML/CSS-based pages. I also write for the site, contributing most frequently to Glamour's political/current events blog 'The Conversation' and the entertainment blog ‘Obsessed.’”

Why did you choose to major in English at Villanova?  “Like most English majors, I always loved reading and writing. I chose to major in English because I wanted to hone my analytical skills and develop my voice. In addition to the core classes, the department offered a diverse selection of electives that would allow me to explore my interests, be it magazine writing, newspaper journalism, or travel writing; these offerings were integral in my decision.”

What was the best part of your experience at Villanova? “I loved being an editor of The Villanovan and being the news director of WXVU. Aside from being my favorite extracurricular activities, they were both creative multimedia outlets that afforded me invaluable editorial and leadership experience--experience that I've used in every professional role I've taken on since graduating.”
Maggie Mallon, Class of 2010
Did you receive any help from other Villanova alumni in developing your career? “I basically owe my current job to English alum Jackie Lebowitz. Jackie was a guest speaker during my Writing for Magazines class in the fall of 2009, and I stayed in touch with her during my senior year and after graduation. I was freelancing at Details when she recommended me for an assistant to the editor-in-chief opening at Glamour. Though I didn’t get that job, I did end up with the contact information for the online editorial director at Glamour. When they had an opening for an online producer position a few months later, I interviewed and got the job. I’ve been at Glamour ever since.”

Because I majored in English at Villanova… “I'm able to utilize the analytic skills I gained as an undergraduate in my daily life. I really can't overstate how important both strong critical-thinking and writing skills are in the professional world.”

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Emily Frankenberry in Denmark

Current Villanova English major Emily Frankenberry is studying abroad this semester in Copenhagen and is blogging about her experiences.  To read entries from the blog, click here.

Emily and bike in Copenhagen.

Jeri Smith-Ready Reading

Villanova alum Jeri Smith-Ready (class of '91 English major) will be joined by three fellow YA authors from the Philadelphia area--Kelly Fiore, Justina Ireland, and Jen Salvato Doktorski--for a reading, discussion, and signing of their latest novels. Jeri's April release, realistic contemporary teen novel This Side of Salvation, takes place on Philadelphia's Main Line and deals with grief, first love, and all aspects of faith. Booklist called This Side of Salvation a "smart, well-rounded, and unpredictable tale" in its starred review.

Details:
Children's Book World
17 Haverford Station Road
Haverford, PA
Friday, April 18, 7-9pm
http://www.childrensbookworld.net/
610-642-6274



Friday, April 11, 2014

Turner Broadcasting Site Visit

Turner Broadcasting in NYC is hosting a site visit exclusively for Liberal Arts & Sciences students on Friday, April 25th from 8:30am to 5:30pm. You will learn about the work of the Advertising Sales areas and meet Villanova alumni who work at the company. OUS Intern Jeremy Menninger, who interned at TurnerBroadcasting in NYC last summer, will be leading this site visit.

TO REGISTER:
To register for the site visit, you need to email bridgesocietyevents@gmail.com with the following information:
·         Name
·         Villanova email
·         Year
·         Major/minor (or intended major/minor)
·         Cell phone number
·         Emergency contact - name, relationship, cell phone number
This is a first-come, first-served sign-up. Students of all years are welcome to participate. On the morning of Tuesday, April 15th, we'll share the list of students who have registered for the site visit. You will need to submit a deposit of $20 by Wednesday, April 16th to SAC 107 to hold your spot. The deposit will be returned to you on the trip.


Ida B. Wells Lecture in Africana Studies

Please join us on Monday, April 14th at 4:00 p.m. in Falvey 205 for the Annual Ida B. Wells Lecture in Africana Studies.  Dr. Herman Beavers, Associate Professor of English and Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, will be talking on "A Conversation to Have at Home: [Dis]Placing Respectability's Visual Politics in Toni Morrison's Jazz.”


Monday, April 7, 2014

Job Opportunity for May Graduates

Dana Imperia, a Villanova English major who graduated in 2005 and who is a lawyer for the firm Baumann, Landau & Simon, asked us to send the following to you:

Baumann, Landau & Simon, a boutique immigration law firm, seeks a FT Legal Assistant to start May/June. Must be a college graduate with strong English/Writing background and organizational skills, meticulous attention to detail, excellent writing skills, and an interest in working with immigrants on employment-based nonimmigrant and immigrant visa cases.  Send resume, cover letter and writing sample (writing sample does not need to be legal-related) to dimperia@bls-immigration.com.  Visit our website at www.bls-immigration.com for additional information about the law firm.


Literary Festival: An Evening with Jaimy Gordon


Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Job Opportunities with the National Board of Medical Examiners

The National Board of Medical Examiners in Philadelphia (near Penn’s campus) is currently recruiting for two Editorial Production Assistants and encourages May graduates to apply. The job includes a lot of basic editorial work, new submission management, and some administrative tasks.  The NBME is a nonprofit company that offers great benefits, appreciates work-life balance, and has a lot of opportunities for career growth. The company does technical/medical rather than creative editing, but a medical/science background is NOT required. Candidates should possess a high level of attention to detail and should not be afraid to ask questions. Click here for the job description and link to apply.  For questions about the job, please contact former Villanova English major Ally Kulesher at akulesher@nbme.org.