Submit Your Work: West Chester University Undergraduate Poetry Awards

West Chester University's annual undergraduate poetry awards are now accepting submissions until January 24, 2019. The Iris N. Spencer Poetry Award and Myong Cha Son Haiku Award welcome unpublished, original poems. Winners of both awards will received a cash prize of $1,500. Runners-up will receive $500. The Rhina P. Espaillat Poetry Award is for original poems written in Spanish or for translations of Spanish poems into English. Winners receive $500. See the flyer below for details on how to submit your work. All awards are for undergraduate students only.

WCU has also opened registration for its Poetry Conference, which will be held on April 2-4, 2020 on the WCU Campus. Please visit www.wcupa.edu/poetry for student and non-student rates and other details. The conference offers undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to participate in guided workshops led by some of the nation's top poets (Molly Peacock, Annie Finch, George Green, Juliana Gray, Shirley Geok-Lin Lim, Steven Kuusisto, and Susan de Sola) while engaging with poets of all ages and diverse backgrounds from all over the country.

Call for Papers: Gender and Women's Studies Student Research Conference - April 3, 2020

The 31st Annual Gender & Women’s Studies Student Research Conference is on Friday, April 3, 2020. It is an exciting opportunity to showcase your work, discuss your interests with students and faculty from Villanova and other area universities, and see the broad range of intellectual disciplines encompassed by Gender and Women’s Studies. Essays and creative work must engage gender, sexuality, or feminist theories. All papers must have been written during Spring or Fall 2019 or written specifically for the conference. Papers submitted for the conference may also be eligible to win one of three cash prizes.

Paper Eligibility, Submission Guidelines, and Prizes information:

http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/artsci/gws/ecs_conference/papers.html

Submission Deadline: Friday, February 7, 2020

Conference presented by Villanova's Gender & Women's Studies Program and The Greater Philadelphia Women's Studies Consortium. Questions? Email gws@villanova.edu. 

Dr. Kamran Javadizadeh Wins Prestigious Award for Essay on Claudia Rankine's Citizen and Robert Lowell

Huge congratulations to Dr. Kamran Javadizadeh, who has been awarded this year's William Riley Parker Prize for the best article published in PMLA, the leading journal for literary studies! His article “The Atlantic Ocean Breaking on Our Heads: Claudia Rankine, Robert Lowell, and the Whiteness of the Lyric Subject” appeared in the May 2019 issue of PMLA. 

Dr. Javadizadeh will be presented with his awarnd on 11 January 2020, during the association’s annual convention, to be held in Seattle. The members of the selection committee were Elizabeth Bearden (Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison); Christopher D. Castiglia (Penn State Univ., University Park), chair; Beth Piatote (Univ. of California, Berkeley); Melissa E. Sanchez (Univ. of Pennsylvania); and John H. Smith (Univ. of California, Irvine).

In their citation the committee wrote: "'The Atlantic Ocean Breaking on Our Heads' rose gracefully from a comparison of a line appearing in poems written by Claudia Rankine and Robert Lowell to a far-reaching and sophisticated argument about lyric subjectivity and whiteness. Based primarily on insightful close readings of texts by Rankine and Lowell, Kamran Javadizadeh’s essay skillfully works those astute interpretations in a broader context involving the racial dynamics of various genres of twentieth-century poetry, particularly lyric verse (confessional and experimental). Javadizadeh’s exceptionally thoughtful essay has important implications beyond the two authors at its center, making a substantial contribution to the field of new lyric studies."

See here to learn more about Dr. Javadizadeh's article.

Villanova English Alum: Casey Berner ('16), project coordinator at the Wilma Theater

By Audrey Gibson ('20)

Located in Center City Philadelphia, the Wilma Theater invites audiences to experience original productions of contemporary and classical plays. Behind the scenes, quite literally, you can find Villanova English alumna Casey Berner.

After Berner graduated from Villanova in 2016 with a double major in English and communication, she continued her education at Villanova, receiving a master’s degree in theater with a certificate in non-profit administration. Her interest in stage management guided her to a fellowship program at the Wilma, which led to her current position as a project coordinator.

Berner’s role as a project coordinator spans the fields of marketing and development. Some of her daily tasks include managing calendars, coordinating schedules, setting up job interviews, and serving as a liaison to the board of directors.

Berner says she did not always know she wanted to pursue a career in theater. In fact, she did not think there were any jobs available other than acting and directing. However, during her senior year at Villanova, she realized that most of her courses, involvements, and interests were related to theater, pointing her in the natural direction of a master’s program.

“I would be nowhere without my English degree,” Berner says, reflecting on how her undergraduate degree has shaped her professional experience.

Berner says the skills she gained as an English major have been incredibly helpful to her job now. She credits her undergraduate courses and professors with teaching her how to read closely, write for an audience, and communicate clearly. She says these skills have been valuable for tasks ranging from writing about current productions to sending emails to board members and theater executives.

Berner struggles to narrow her list of favorite undergraduate English courses, naming Alice Dailey’s “Renaissance Revenge Tragedies,” Crystal Lucky’s “African American Literature,” and Lauren Shohet’s course on Milton as some of her most memorable.

“You are blessed with so many opportunities at Villanova,” Berner says, offering her advice to current students. “Try new things and see what sticks.”

Berner also has professional advice to offer students searching for internships and jobs.

“Learn to write and speak really well,” Berner says. “Everything is about communication. You can pick up hard skills, but having the ability to communicate is so vital.”

While Berner may not have known her undergraduate degree would lead her to her current career, she says she is grateful for how beneficial it has been along the way. Behind the scenes at the Wilma, Berner combines her interests in English and theater, watching literature come to life on stage.

Internship Opportunity: Financial Publishing

ABF Journal, a print publication geared towards the asset-based finance industry, is looking for some student interns to assist with editing and proofreading. Nadine Bonner, the editor of the journal, says that if the students show potential, she is also willing to give them writing assignments. She is looking for two interns who would be available four to six hours a week. These positions would be of special interest to English majors looking towards a career in publishing. The journal's offices are on Conestoga Ave in Rosemont.

You can see samples of the magazines the company publishes here and here. In addition to the print magazines, ABF Journal two daily e-news letters with items of interest to our readers.

To apply for the position or to find out more information, contact Nadine Bonner at nadine.bonner@abfjournal.com.

Center for Irish Studies Awarded Two Grants Worth $135,000 for Digitization Project

Congratulations to Villanova's Center for Irish Studies, which has been awarded two grants worth a total of $135,000 for its Digitization Project! The awards -- $125,000 from the Gladys Brooks Foundation and a further $10,000 from the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation -- will enable Irish Studies to establish an endowment for acquiring and digitizing Irish Studies archival materials, helping to transform Falvey Library into the first global hub of Irish Studies digital materials to be made freely available to the public. 

Dr. Joseph Lennon, professor of English and associate dean of International and Interdisciplinary Initiatives, welcomed the news: "We are excited and grateful to the foundations for these awards, which will allow us to further archive and digitize materials of regional Irish-American organizations. These include the Terence MacSwiney Club in Jenkintown, named in honor of the poet, playwright and Lord Mayor of Cork who died on hunger strike in Brixton prison in 1920, and whose centenary we mark next year. The materials of this nationalist club shed light on the history and culture of such organizations through their documents and make Villanova a digital hub.

"I'm especially pleased that, unlike other university special collections, all of our digitized materials are freely available to researchers, students, and interested people with an internet connection. This grant will keep it free and help us offer an annual event about our Irish collections, literary and historical!"

Study at the T. S. Eliot International Summer School in London

Villanova students—consider spending a fantastic week in London at the T. S. Eliot International Summer School this summer! Famed British novelist, Ian McEwan will be giving the opening lecture and Villanova English's own Dr. Megan Quigley will be giving another! 

Dr Quigley says: "It’s a really amazing way to learn about Eliot’s works and life and his relevance in 2020. I’ve had fantastic seminars there with a mix of graduate and undergraduate students and just those interested in Eliot’s poetry, all learning in an immersive & exciting environment."

For more information and to register, see here. Registration for the school (July 4-12, 2020) is now open. Seats are limited and allotted on a first-come first-serve basis, as are some full and partial-tuition scholarships, so you are encouraged to apply early. You can also follow the school on Facebook, Instagram (tseliot_school), and Twitter (TSEliotSchool) for regular updates.

Dr. Quigley also encourages you to email her if you have any questions (megan.quigley@villanova.edu).

Villanova Alums Discuss Careers in Publishing

What does a career in publishing look like? How does someone interested in jobs or internships in publishing get started? 

On Monday night, a packed room gathered to hear four, high-powered Villanova alumni answer these and other questions at an event organized by the English department, Communications, the Writing and Rhetoric Program and the Creative Writing Program. Cece Ryan, Publisher of People magazine and Senior VP at Meredith Corporation underscored that there are lots of different kinds of publishing (hint: it’s not all about books). According to Ryan, finding fulfilling work after Villanova should be an exhilarating process. Villanova students can feel both proud and prepared to meet their futures.

Gary Urda, senior vice-president for sales at Simon & Schuster, reminded the audience that publishing is a $26bn a year industry on the cutting edge of art and culture. Given the size of the industry, what percentage of jobs in this field are editorial? At Simon & Schuster, Urda estimated about 10 per cent. He then discussed the dynamic role that people with business, marketing, advertising, design, and legal backgrounds play in the publishing industry.

Bob Bender, VP and executive editor at Simon & Schuster, edits nonfiction and biography, including the bestselling Failure Is Not an Option, by Gene Kranz. When asked about the future of publishing and books, Bender said that the format changes, but the written word, and publishing, are here to stay. Bender was one of two English majors on the panel, though each of the panelists talked about how a love of books, reading, and curiosity are good skills for all publishing professionals to have.

Kelly Moran, a 2019 graduate and the other Villanova English major on the panel, landed her first internship in a literary agency while a student at Villanova. While the agency internship was a good experience, it helped her to see that editing might not be the best fit for her interests. Moran went on to complete a range of internships in New York and London, which ultimately led to her current position as a publicity assistant at St. Martin’s/Macmillan.

To launch a career in publishing, all of the panelists remarked on the importance of networking and building strong relationships. After a lively Q & A, students had a chance to mingle with the panelists and put these ideas into action. LinkedIn and Nova Network are good ways to connect with other alumni and professionals outside of these career events. In the meantime, the success of the evening was a reminder that publishing matters.  

Job Opportunity: Medical Writer at University of Pennsylvania Department of Ophthalmology

The Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania is looking to hire a medical writer, ideally a recent graduate or December graduate, who could start in January 2020.

Responsibilities:

• Prepare presentations for Chairman of Ophthalmology Department at University of Pennsylvania on a variety of topics, such as ocular cancers or increasing representation of women in medicine.
• Write and edit letters of recommendation, speeches, and other official documents for Ophthalmology Department, including the Executive Summary.
• Write original articles for bi-annual Scheie Vision magazine, including brainstorming, interviewing, editing, and contributing to design.
• Create online newsletter to communicate news and relevant information to alumni, donors, referring physicians, and others.
• Undertake responsibility for all internal Departmental communication, including sending monthly news emails to faculty and staff and editing all Departmental emails/communication materials.
• Serve as Project Manager for the Chairman as a Section Editor of Principles and Practices of Ophthalmology.
• Assist with drafting and submission of grant and faculty award applications for Ophthalmology Department.
• Contribute to writing manuscripts for research studies and developing the research mission of the Department.

Qualifications:

• The applicant must have a Bachelor’s degree; demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills; be highly organized; and possess strong ambition, interpersonal skills, and the ability to multitask.

If you are interested in applying, please send a resume, cover letter, and writing sample to Rebecca Salowe at Rebecca.salowe@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.