{"id":24011,"date":"2025-02-19T13:41:02","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T18:41:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/?page_id=24011"},"modified":"2025-02-19T13:49:09","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T18:49:09","slug":"words-matter-fall-2024","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/publications\/words-matter-fall-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Words Matter (Fall 2024)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Volume XIV, Issue I<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-in-page\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/documents\/words-matter-fall-2024.pdf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">View Printable Version<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"simpletoc-title\">Table of Contents<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"simpletoc-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#the-devil-you-know-visiting-writers-series-presents-john-vercher\">The Devil You Know: Visiting Writer\u2019s Series Presents John Vercher<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#note-from-the-chair\">Note from the Chair<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#in-her-words-a-poetry-reading-with-joan-larkin-and-alicia-ostriker\">In Her Words: A Poetry Reading with Joan Larkin and Alicia Ostriker<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#a-tribute-to-jean-valentine\">A Tribute to Jean Valentine<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#latinx-poetry-reading-and-writing-workshop\">LatinX Poetry Reading and Writing Workshop<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#student-spotlight-taylors-version\">Student Spotlight: Taylor\u2019s Version<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#8th-annual-ink-and-electricity\">8th Annual Ink and Electricity<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#news-from-the-monmouth-review\">News from the Monmouth Review<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#department-student-achievements\">Department Student Achievements<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#department-alumni-achievements\">Department Alumni Achievements<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#congratulations-to-the-winners-of-the-fall-23-graduate-creative-writing-contest\">Congratulations to the winners of the Fall \u201923 Graduate Creative Writing Contest!<\/a>\n\n\n<\/li>\n\n<li><a href=\"#ma-theses-and-manuscripts-defended\">M.A. Theses and Manuscripts Defended<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faculty-news\">Faculty News<\/a>\n\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#congratulation-graduates-and-sigma-tau-delta-members\">Congratulation Graduates and Sigma Tau Delta Members<\/a>\n\n\n<\/li>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-devil-you-know-visiting-writers-series-presents-john-vercher\"><strong>The Devil You Know: Visiting Writer\u2019s Series Presents John Vercher<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p><strong>Taylor Memoli<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"960\" style=\"object-position: 34.65% 30.325%\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_4_2.jpeg\" alt=\"John Vercher and Alena Graedon in a room with the Devil is Fine book cover displayed on a monitor\" class=\"wp-image-24017\" style=\"width:300px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_4_2.jpeg 540w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_4_2-169x300.jpeg 169w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_4_2-84x150.jpeg 84w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Visiting Writers Series held an event on Nov. 6, 2024, hosting Monmouth\u2019s newest artist-in-resident, John Vercher, in The Great Hall. Vercher is the author of three novels and his most recent novel Devil is Fine was recently named one of \u201cThe 100 Must-Read Books of 2024\u201d by Time Magazine. During the event, Vercher read a passage from Devil is Fine and answered questions from the audience and the event host, Alena Graedon, associate professor for the Department of English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vercher started by reading a quote by Toni Morrison and telling the audience, \u201cI\u2019m not going to read from the grief portions of this book\u2026 I\u2019m going to read some funny s&#8211;t.\u201d He continued to read a passage from his novel that caused eruptions of laughter from the sizable audience and the event host, Alena Graedon, associate professor for the Department of English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The rest of the event held time for questions. Vercher answered about his writing influences, his reason and tips for writing speculative fiction, and even gave the audience a sneak peek at the influences and content of his upcoming novel. \u201cI thought that the event was fantastic,\u201d Graedon said. \u201cIt was very well attended, and the bookstore sold out of John\u2019s book\u2014the first time that\u2019s happened in quite a while, staff said. John\u2019s opening remarks and the quote that he read from Toni Morrison really resonated during a difficult week. And the reading itself was so funny, pointed, and cathartic. I\u2019ve heard variations on, \u2018I really needed that\u2019 from many, many students and faculty members who attended. I felt the same way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is Vercher\u2019s first-semester teaching, and when asked about his experience at the University, he had only positive things to say about it. He explained, \u201cI could not have been more excited [to get this job]. I met with the hiring committee via Zoom and knew very quickly that they represented everything I\u2019d read about the department and more. I found myself eagerly anticipating the next interview and the next, because with each conversation with them, my excitement for potentially working with them all grew exponentially. Needless to say, I was incredibly happy to receive the call from the Dean offering me the position. My short time here has already been a terrific experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vercher continued, \u201cNot only has the faculty been incredibly welcoming, but my students have been top-tier. They are engaging, creative, and driven. It\u2019s a pleasure to come to work every day. Not everyone gets to say that and I\u2019m grateful for the experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Visiting Writers Series has been connecting students with established authors since 2005. Graedon explained, \u201cI think that the Visiting Writers Series plays a vital role in creating cultural access and expanding literary awareness for the Monmouth community and the public at large.\u201d She continued, \u201cWe\u2019re living in an era when storytelling is as ascendant as it has ever been\u2014we\u2019re all constantly immersed in narratives of different genres and mediums: novels, memoirs, poetry, and plays, films, TV series, and video games\u2014but literary culture can seem more and more rarified and remote. For as long as I\u2019ve been alive, there\u2019s been hand-wringing over the death of print, and the decline of the written word as an important cultural medium. But if we want people to keep reading, we need to make literature feel like a normal and compelling part of everyday life, which is what the Visiting Writers Series aims to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Graedon concluded, \u201cIt\u2019s also intended to help writers in our community develop their craft and learn about the publishing industry. I happen to think that literature is absolutely essential, now more than ever. It\u2019s clear that we\u2019re living through an extremely politically polarized time; some people see their fellow citizens as enemies\u2014as evil, even. And while I don\u2019t think that literature can fix that on its own, I do think that by reading literature, we can begin to understand other perspectives and start necessary conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Reprinted with permission from Taylor Memoli, The Outlook, Vol. 97, No. 10, November 20, 2024<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"note-from-the-chair\"><strong>Note from the Chair<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p><strong>John P. Hanly, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Fall 2024 semester has been a busy and fruitful one for the Monmouth University English department. It has, as per usual, been a semester full of inspiring Visiting Writers Series readings and informative lectures, of fun Sig Tau happenings and grad student gatherings, and of meaningful daily interactions between colleagues and fellow students who love nothing more than the opportunity to discover and discuss a great book with a friend. But in addition to, or perhaps above, all of this, for the Department of English, it has been a semester of comings and goings. This being our department newsletter and for reasons that will soon become apparent, I should start with the goings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It would be remiss to proceed any further without taking a moment to thank the individual who, more so than anyone, is responsible for this biannual newsletter being the engaging, colorful, substantive, and highly professional publication that it is: our department\u2019s former administrative assistant, Bethany Dickerson. Dickerson joined the English department as our office coordinator in 2016 and stepped into the administrative assistant\u2019s role in 2018. As the department\u2019s administrative assistant, she was responsible for covering a wide range of important duties integral to maintaining the department\u2019s budget and records, inputting the department\u2019s course schedule, and helping the department obtain the data it needs to make informed decisions and serve our students. Dickerson excelled in all of these capacities, but she especially excelled in upgrading and updating our social media and web presence and in making our newsletter something really worth reading. Virtually everything that is outstanding about our newsletter is attributable to Dickerson\u2019s initiative, talent, and dedication. Therefore, while we\u2019re confident that Words Matter will continue to matter (and be outstanding) under the editorship of our new administrative assistant, Stacey Ayers, it\u2019s an understatement to say that Dickerson will be missed. Former department chair, Susan Goulding, Ph.D., when asked about her experience working with Dickerson, said, \u201cIt has been my great honor and pleasure to have worked with Bethany over the last several years, first as our office coordinator and then our administrative assistant. During my term as department chair, I relied thoroughly on her exceptional work, always done with integrity, respect, and skill. I will miss her presence in our department, but am happy to see her move into a new opportunity in her career.\u201d I could say exactly the same about my experiences working with Dickerson and wholeheartedly second Goulding\u2019s sentiments. Thanks to Dickerson, on behalf of everyone in the English department, for her support, dedication, hard work, and friendship. We wish her the best in her new position in the SHSS Dean\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to adjusting to Dickerson\u2019s departure, this semester required adjusting to another notable \u201cgoing,\u201d as we figured out how to move forward after the retirement of our longstanding and much-valued colleague, Mary Kate Azcuy, D.Litt. For over twenty-five years, Azcuy was an integral member of and contributor to the Monmouth University Department of English. Consistently one of the department\u2019s most in-demand and versatile instructors and advisors, she provided outstanding teaching for hundreds of literature and creative writing courses and served as a first or second reader for over thirty-five M.A., M.F.A., and Honors thesis projects. Azcuy also developed some of the department\u2019s most popular and innovative themed general education literature courses (Bite Me: Vampire Literature &amp; Here Be Dragons: The Hero\u2019s Journey), courses in the undergraduate English major (Place and Space in American Literature &amp; Postmodern Literature), and graduate-level courses (Modern American Literature &amp; Contemporary American Literature). Azcuy\u2019s contributions and accomplishments as a scholar and a creative writer were also notable and wide-ranging. Some highlights included a 2020 Fulbright Scholar Award to lecture on American Literature and Culture at the Russian State University for the Humanities in Moscow, being selected as a featured poet for the 2018 French POEM project at the Sorbonne Nouvelle, publishing her creative non-fiction essay \u201cThe Red Snowsuit\u201d in The Kenyon Review in 2017, and two AIRIE Fellowships to serve as an Artist\/Poet-In-Residence at the Florida Everglades National Park in 2009 and 2010. During her time here, Azcuy left an indelible, inarguably positive mark on her colleagues and her students with her extraordinary teaching, her tireless mentoring, her intellectual contributions, and her genuine and positive personality. We are, therefore, highly pleased to share that the English department has unanimously department has unanimously recommended (and the Provost and Board of Trustees have approved) her remaining affiliated with the university and our department as an Emeritus Faculty member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, all of the \u201cgoings\u201d that the English department has had to contend with have been counterbalanced by some exciting \u201ccomings.\u201d Most notably, we have had the pleasure of welcoming John Vercher as a new full-time Artist-in-Residence for the 2024-2025 academic year. Vercher is the author of three novels, the most recent of which, &#8220;Devil is Fine&#8221;, was published by Celadon (a division of MacMillan) in June. His debut novel, &#8220;Three-Fifths&#8221; was named one of the best books of 2019 by the Chicago Tribune, and a Book of the Year by The Sunday Times, The Financial Times, and The Guardian, while his second novel, &#8220;After the Lights Go Out&#8221; (Soho Press, 2022) was described as \u201csimply brilliant\u201d by Publishers Weekly and \u201cShrewd and explosive\u201d by The New York Times. This being the case, and having recently had the opportunity hear John read an excerpt from &#8220;Devil is Fine&#8221; at his exceptionally well attended Visiting Writer\u2019s Series reading in November, we were ecstatic, but not surprised, to learn midway through the Fall semester that &#8220;Devil is Fine&#8221; has been listed by TIME as one of the 100 Must-Read Books of 2024 and that the novel has been included on the longlist for the 2025 Aspen Words Literary Prize. No doubt even greater things are yet to come for our new colleague, and we\u2019re ecstatic to have him here to work with our undergraduate and graduate-level creative writing students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before wrapping up, I would like to once again express our sincere appreciation for the substantial financial assistance that was provided to the creative writing program by a donor who wishes to remain anonymous. Without this much-needed assistance, the various readings, events, and student activities that you\u2019ll read about in this semester\u2019s newsletter couldn\u2019t have happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Best wishes for an enjoyable and relaxing winter break and for an exceptional and productive Spring semester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"in-her-words-a-poetry-reading-with-joan-larkin-and-alicia-ostriker\"><strong>In Her Words: A Poetry Reading with Joan Larkin and Alicia Ostriker<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p><strong>Eleanor Curatolo and Amanda Ljajka<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Oct. 29, poets Joan Larkin and Alicia Ostriker were invited to Monmouth University thanks to a gift to the Creative Writing program and in partnership with the Visiting Writers Series and the Program in Gender and Intersectionality Studies. Larkin is the winner of several awards such as the Shelley Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America, along with several fellowships. In the 1970s, she co-founded the independent publishing company Out &amp; Out Books. Ostriker serves as chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and is the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim and Rockefeller Foundations. According to Mihaela Moscaliuc, Ph.D., professor of English at Monmouth University, Larkin and Ostriker are \u201ctwo indispensable voices in contemporary poetry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Larkin had studied at Swarthmore College, the University of Arizona, and Brooklyn College, earning a bachelor degree and two masters degrees in the arts and fine arts. She has taught at Drew University, Sarah Lawrence College, New England College, and Goddard College. Larkin has written seven poetry collections, and began the poetry reading with her most recent collection Old Stranger. In this assortment of poems, Larkin explores identity, death, loss, art, and love. Larkin writes in elegant and tender lines to express these ideas, establishing the importance of reflecting on the stranger within oneself. Larkin read through several of the most notable poems within this collection, including \u201cMy Father\u2019s Tie Rack,\u201d \u201cChain of Events,\u201d and \u201cGirl\u2019s Department.\u201d Larkin\u2019s work has the power to reach the raw emotions of everyone who comes across it. For Larkin, the reader is the most important aspect of the poem, as she explains \u201cYou have to have a community to have poetry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ostriker received her bachelor\u2019s degree and M.A. from Brandeis University as well as her Ph.D from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She was previously a professor at Rutgers University\u2019s English department. Ostriker has authored 19 published poetry collections that address topics such as feminism, illness, beauty, and motherhood. Moscaliuc described her poetry as having a \u201ccomplexity with a sharp clarity.\u201d Ostriker read poems from her newest work, &#8220;The Holy and Broken Bliss&#8221;, which portray what she claims are both \u201cpersonal and collective experiences\u201d during the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Ostriker believes this was a \u201ctime of physical and societal sickness\u201d for the United States. These ideas were present in some of the poems she read such as \u201cAll that Year\u201d and \u201cNocturne.\u201d Ostriker concluded the reading with \u201cCoda,\u201d hoping her work can \u201cbe shards of the holy and unbroken bliss that circles and shackles the earth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The event concluded with questions for both poets from the audience. One member of the audience asked, \u201cHow do you decide how to write a title?\u201d Ostriker replied, \u201cWe struggle with the title like we struggle with everything else.\u201d To which Larkin explained \u201cThe title is often the last thing that comes to mind. If you want a title, it has to be alive like the poem.\u201d In praise of both poets, Moscaliuc warmly commented that they \u201ccontributed so much for female writers afraid to write about taboo subjects\u201d. Larkin admitted, \u201cI\u2019m astonished to hear I did all these things\u201d. The final question from the audience was \u201cWhen did you feel the poetry took on a different form?\u201d Ostriker answered, \u201cIt happened when I started thinking about myself as a poet\u2026Once I said that I was a poet out loud, it started to be true.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"600\" data-id=\"24020\" style=\"object-position: 42.06% 36.02%\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_5_2.jpeg\" alt=\"Joan Larkin giving a poetry reading in the Great Hall\" class=\"wp-image-24020\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_5_2.jpeg 450w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_5_2-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_5_2-113x150.jpeg 113w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joan Larkin giving a poetry reading in the Great Hall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"600\" data-id=\"24023\" style=\"object-position: 57.485% 37.8%\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_5_3.jpeg\" alt=\"Alicia Ostriker giving a poetry reading in the Great Hall\" class=\"wp-image-24023\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_5_3.jpeg 450w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_5_3-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_5_3-113x150.jpeg 113w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alicia Ostriker giving a poetry reading in the Great Hall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a-tribute-to-jean-valentine\"><strong>A Tribute to Jean Valentine<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p><strong>Veronique Manfredini<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Oct. 29, 2024, Monmouth University\u2019s English Department hosted a heartfelt panel to honor the life and work of the late poet Jean Valentine. Valentine, a luminary in American poetry, passed away during the pandemic due to Alzheimer\u2019s complications. The event brought together an esteemed group of poets and friends of Jean Valentine\u2014Carey Salerno, Joan Larkin, Anne Marie Macari, and Alicia Ostriker\u2014to reflect on Valentine\u2019s life, artistry, and enduring influence, peppered with beautiful readings by the late poet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jean Valentine, born in Chicago, won the 1965 Yale Younger Poets Award for her debut collection. Her life\u2019s work, characterized by a profound sensitivity to the human condition, is gathered in the anthology Light Me Down, published by Alice James Books. This press, co-founded in 1973, was dedicated to amplifying women\u2019s voices in poetry\u2014a mission Valentine championed throughout her career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Carey Salerno, Executive Director of Alice James Books, described Valentine\u2019s vision as uniquely attuned to the \u201cvastness within us.\u201d Reflecting on a conversation, she shared, \u201cThe longer I stare at something, the more difficult it becomes to see it for what it is.\u201d When a friend rebutted, \u201cThat\u2019s not really something a poet would say,\u201d Salerno thought of Valentine\u2019s poetry, which invites readers into a state of unknowing and exploration, without being inaccessible. Highlighting Valentine\u2019s remarkable ability to reveal layers of meaning within the mundane\u2014a skill that was quintessentially hers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anne Marie Macari praised Valentine\u2019s commitment to precision, stating, \u201cEvery word in her poetry mattered.\u201d She also admired Valentine\u2019s humility and boundless imagination, which allowed her to transcend boundaries and infuse her work with forgiveness and humanity. Alicia Ostriker added that Valentine\u2019s language was \u201chaunting in ways that can\u2019t be explained,\u201d while Joan Larkin emphasized her clarity, noting Valentine\u2019s desire for her poems to resonate without obscurity, and how, though she gave up control in the writing process, \u201cin the creative act, nonetheless, she has agency, she has intention. She is a maker, that is her life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This moving tribute, concluded with readings of Jean Valentine\u2019s poetry by some students in the audience, celebrating a poet whose work continues to inspire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"676\" style=\"object-position: 42.752% 40.397%\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_6_2.jpeg\" alt=\"Five women posing for a photo inside an ornate room, with a television in the back\" class=\"wp-image-24026\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_6_2.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_6_2-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_6_2-1024x577.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_6_2-768x433.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_6_2-150x85.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pictured (left to right): Carey Salerno, Anne Marie Micari, Joan Larkin, Mihaela Moscaliuc, and Alicia Ostriker, posing in the Great Hall after the tribute to Jean Valentine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"latinx-poetry-reading-and-writing-workshop\"><strong>LatinX Poetry Reading and Writing Workshop<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p><strong>Dorothy Doyle, M.A. <strong>\u2019<\/strong>23<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"256\" height=\"343\" style=\"object-position: 34.95% 34.615%\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_7_2.jpeg\" alt=\"Laura Villareal\" class=\"wp-image-24028\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_7_2.jpeg 256w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_7_2-224x300.jpeg 224w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_7_2-112x150.jpeg 112w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Poet Laura Villareal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In honor of Latinx Heritage Month, the English Department, in conjunction with the Intercultural Center, hosted two September events with guest poets Laura Villareal and Alfredo Aguilar. In the morning a writing workshop open to all was held inside the Intercultural Center. In the afternoon a formal reading of the poets\u2019 work was held in the Julian Abele Room in the Great Hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Professor Mihaela Moscaliuc, Ph.D, mentioned in her introduction, Villareal is a graduate of Rutgers University\u2019s MFA program and has been honored with fellowships from the Stadler Center for Poetry and Literary Arts, the National Book Critics Circle\u2019s Emerging Critics Program, and the Dobie Paisano Fellowship Program at the University of Texas-Austin. She is currently an associate with Letras Latinas, the literary initiative at the University of Notre Dame\u2019s Institute for Latino Studies, where she co-edits and writes for the Letras Latinas Blog. Her debut poetry collection, &#8220;Girl\u2019s Guide to Leaving&#8221; (U of Wisconsin P, 2022) received the Texas Institute of Letters\u2019 John A. Robert Johnson Award for a First Book of Poetry as well as the Writers\u2019 League of Texas Book Award for Poetry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In introducing Villareal\u2019s work, Moscaliuc noted that \u201cVillareal\u2019s poems explore cultural heritage, intergenerational trauma, cultural expectations, the work of memory, and the violence of self-reinvention. They are formally inventive and, in their inventiveness, draw attention to how, like poems looking for forms that best suit their intent, their speakers search for language that might best encapsulate who they are at various times and in relation to sometimes conflicting histories.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, Moscaliuc introduced us to Aguilar, telling us he was born and raised in North County San Diego. Aguilar won the 92Y\u2019s Discovery Poetry Contest and had been awarded fellowships from MacDowell, the Bread Loaf Writers\u2019 Conference, The Frost Place, and the Stadler Center for Poetry and Literary Arts. In his debut collection, &#8220;On This Side of the Desert&#8221;, which was selected by poet Natalie Diaz for the Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize and published by the Kent State UP in 2020, Aguilar reflects, as Moscaliuc pointed out, \u201con his Mexican heritage, on the complexities of borders and borderlands identities.\u201d Diaz is quoted as saying, \u201cThe desert and the crossings become center instead of the edges or fringes, until we lose track of which side is the right side and the wrong side, which side we left and which we arrived in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"227\" height=\"367\" style=\"object-position: 54.415% 30.13%\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_7_3.jpeg\" alt=\"Alfredo Aguillar\" class=\"wp-image-24029\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_7_3.jpeg 227w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_7_3-186x300.jpeg 186w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_7_3-93x150.jpeg 93w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 227px) 100vw, 227px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Poet Alfredo Aguillar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the writing workshop, students were treated to thought-provoking and amusing \u201cprompts\u201d that had been formulated by the poets to elicit creative and unconventional approaches to writing. The hour passed quickly with a lot of laughter and a palpable sense of communal spirit. Participants were encouraged to share their work and were treated to surprising, humorous, and emotionally evocative poems written by their fellow students. Everyone left feeling uplifted and inspired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the afternoon poetry reading in the Julian Abele Room, the Intercultural Center generously distributed copies of the poets\u2019 collections to the first forty people who arrived. This afforded many attendees the enjoyment of reading along with the poets as they shared their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After the readings, Moscaliuc encouraged the overflowing crowd to take the opportunity to speak directly with Villareal and Aguilar. Students and faculty members asked thoughtful questions not only about the poets\u2019 processes and influences, but about their experiences as Latino Americans growing up in late twentieth and early twenty first century America. These discussions further elevated the understanding of the poets\u2019 unique perspectives and concluded an extraordinary day of writing, poetry, and culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"student-spotlight-taylors-version\"><strong>Student Spotlight: Taylor\u2019s Version<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p><strong>Lauren Bevacqua<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"333\" style=\"object-position: 32.39% 30.74%\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_8_2.jpeg\" alt=\"Taylor Memoli holding up a copy of The Outlook\" class=\"wp-image-24040\" style=\"width:250px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_8_2.jpeg 250w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_8_2-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_8_2-113x150.jpeg 113w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Taylor Memoli holding up a copy of <em>The Outlook<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Taylor Memoli is a senior English and Creative Writing student and editor-in-chief of the student-run newspaper, <em>The Outlook<\/em>. We talked with her about her experience as an English major, and how it has helped her excel as an editor. Taylor said, \u201cMy experience as an English major at Monmouth has been an absolute pleasure. I am so happy I chose this major; I could not see myself fitting in any other department here. I have met with the most amazing, supportive professors and incredibly gifted classmates. Each English class I have taken here has been a dream, and I can truly say I have become a better writer and reader from each and everyone of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At <em>The Outlook<\/em>, Taylor began as a contributing writer, and worked her way to entertainment editor and was offered the editor-in-chief position. She reflects on how much more confident of a writer she is because of the English major, \u201cWith my English major, I have become such a confident writer. Ever since I was young I loved to write, and to this day, I can\u2019t stop. I\u2019ve never cared what I wrote, just as long as I could get the ideas in my head onto paper; I always found that to be a beautiful thing. Within the major, I have been able to write essays, poetry, short stories, and screenplays. Monmouth has never pigeonholed me into a certain kind of writing, and I am so appreciative of all of their support. The skills I learned in the major help me so much every day at <em>The Outlook<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Being editor-in-chief is a more demanding role than many realize. Between staying late in the newsroom on Tuesday nights to double- and triple-checking the paper and writing her own articles, Memoli attributes much of her success to her English major. \u201cWithout my English major, I don\u2019t think I would be where I am today at <em>The Outlook<\/em>. My English classes have not only helped me become a better writer but also a better leader. I\u2019ve been able to use the skills I gained in my major to teach others at <em>The Outlook<\/em> essential writing techniques they may not have learned in other disciplines. I truly owe my position to my English professors. Without their guidance and support, I would never have had the confidence to join <em>The Outlook<\/em> as a contributing writer, let alone run it,\u201d Memoli concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" style=\"object-position: 45.3575% 42.113125%\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_8_3-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"Two rows of young professionals inside a newsroom, smiling for the camera\" class=\"wp-image-24041\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_8_3-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_8_3-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_8_3-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_8_3-150x100.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_8_3.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The 2024-25 Editorial Staff of The Outlook. Top row from left to right: Lorelai Hilarczyk, Bailey Fredericks, Taylor Memoli, Kiley Hubbar, and Michael Gruseke. Bottom row from left to right: Brendan Sheehan, Mairead Spellacy, Lauren  Bevacqua, Ava McGinty, and Matthew Boyle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"8th-annual-ink-and-electricity\"><strong>8th Annual Ink and Electricity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p><strong>Melaina Carrera<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-top\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 33%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>On Tuesday, Oct. 1, the 8th Annual Ink and Electricity: Advancing Liberal Learning in the Digital Age Series took place with Kristin Bluemel, Ph.D., delivering a teach-in lecture entitled \u201cGreen Worlds in Black and White: Feminist Readings of the 1930s Wood Engraving Revival\u201d. The lecture was a part of the \u201cI Wish to Say\u2026\u201d teach-in series in connection with the art exhibition of Sheryl Oring\u2019s social practice art projects curated by Corey Dzenko, Ph.D., in the DiMattio Gallery. Bluemel covered the lives and incredible work of four forgotten women artists: Gwen Raverat, Joan Hassall, Claire Leighton, and Agnes Miller Parker. Bluemel answered questions following her lecture about her research and the process of publishing her work. The lecture was based on Bluemel\u2019s forthcoming book, an interdisciplinary study of feminist biography, literary criticism, and book history, written for scholarly and trade audiences and illustrated with 79 black-and-white wood engravings and 8 color plates. Publication of &#8220;Enchanted Wood: Women Artists, Rural Britain, and the Twentieth-Century Wood Engraving Revival&#8221;, which was accepted by the University of Minnesota Press, is anticipated in fall 2025.<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"807\" height=\"605\" style=\"object-position: 45.1275% 67.075%\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_9_2.jpeg\" alt=\"Woman delivering a lecture, powerpoint presentation being projected on the screen\" class=\"wp-image-24047 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_9_2.jpeg 807w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_9_2-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_9_2-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_9_2-150x112.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 807px) 100vw, 807px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"news-from-the-monmouth-review\"><strong>News from the Monmouth Review<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p><strong>Zafira Demiri<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Monmouth Review is the university\u2019s student-run literary and arts magazine, unique in that it has both editorial and club responsibilities. One of our main goals this semester was to ensure we were prepared to pass the baton to the next E-board: we compiled a series of files, templates, and documents that describe the process of what we\u2019ve done for the magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve also taken the time, as part of our contributions to co-sponsoring the annual Toni Morrison Day Creative Writing Contest, to create a reference guide on the author. The idea here was to compile resources that students entering the contest who may be unfamiliar with her work will have access to a handy set of videos, articles, excerpts, and photographs to inspire and inform them on Morrison and her work. This can be found on the Monmouth Review eCampus page under \u201cContent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We kicked off this semester at the Involvement Fair, recruiting new members, submitters, and readers by handing out past editions of the magazine. We also decided to increase our meeting time to twice monthly (the first and third Wednesday of each month) in order to afford us with more time to host workshops. On Oct. 3, we met virtually with Jeremy Schraffenberger, editor of the North American Review, for a workshop on InDesign\u2014one of the most popular platforms for designing magazines, inside and out. We hosted several workshops led by student leaders: our president Dan Martin led a workshop in the fundamentals of drawing; our vice-president Niki Manfredini and assistant editor Morgan Kelly led a poetry workshop together; and we were also joined by M.A.\/M.F.A. student Jac Collo for a workshop on sonnets. On Nov. 6, we hosted a one-on-one collaborative workshop to give graduate students the opportunity to have their work peer-reviewed before submitting to the M.A.\/M.F.A. Creative Writing Contest (but of course, all students were welcomed to join).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our last gathering of the semester was the Early Bird Submission Party on Dec. 6, a time for all students to gather together, share their work, and win prizes. Our final call for submissions closes on Jan. 8, 2025, and all work, including for the Toni Morrison Day Contests, can be submitted under \u201cAssignments\u201d in eCampus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"department-student-achievements\"><strong>Department Student Achievements<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile is-image-fill-element\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 33%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Graduate student, Carlee Migliorisi \u201824, presented the paper \u201cThe Impact of Pattie Boyd: A 1960s Counter Culture Study,\u201d at the 2nd Annual International Beatles Symposium: Celebrating A Hard Day\u2019s Night at 60, July 5-7, 2024, Hosted by Liverpool Hope University.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Migliorisi also served as the sole research assistant for &#8220;Bruce Songs&#8221; (Rutgers University Press, 2024), written by Kenneth Womack, Ph.D., and Kenneth Campbell, Ph.D., which will serve as a companion text for the two Springsteen classes taught at Monmouth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Migliorisi will have a chapter published in &#8220;Nostalgia and Song: Production, Text, Reception and the Quest for Home&#8221; (Bloomsbury, 2025). Her chapter, \u201cNavigating The Ties That Bind: Nostalgia, Bruce Springsteen, And The \u2018Long Walk Home\u2019\u201d analyzes nostalgia and notions of home found in the music of Bruce Springsteen.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"410\" height=\"274\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_4.jpeg\" alt=\"Carlee Migliorisi outside the Great Hall\" class=\"wp-image-24052 size-full\" style=\"object-position:50% 50%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_4.jpeg 410w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_4-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_4-150x100.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Undergraduate students Breanna Guinta, Meghan Reilly, and Ashley Zingillioglu presented at the Mid-Atlantic Popular and American Culture Association (MAPACA) annual conference in Atlantic City, NJ, in November. Each student presented their own work: \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Guinta presented her departmental honors thesis, \u201cNathaniel Parker\u2019s Willis\u2019s travel essays from France during the 1832 cholera pandemic\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reilly presented a portion of her Honors School thesis on Judith Ortiz Cofer\u2019s book \u201cSilent Dancing\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Zingillioglu presented her Honors School thesis titled \u201cTalking with My Classmates: An Interactive Social Story for Students with Autism\u201d.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Zingillioglu also released a song, \u201cDon\u2019t Hug My Mama\u201d on Blue Hawk Records\u2019 Open 24 Hours album under her stage name, Azure Kai. Azure Kai was featured in several online publications including, Leonard Mangazine, Desire Weekly, We Speak Media, and Medium.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"308\" height=\"205\" data-id=\"24053\" style=\"object-position: 56.835% 25.73%\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_1.jpeg\" alt=\"Breanna Guinta in front of the Great Hall\" class=\"wp-image-24053\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_1.jpeg 308w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_1-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_1-150x100.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 308px) 100vw, 308px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"308\" height=\"205\" data-id=\"24056\" style=\"object-position: 52.2% 20.965%\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_2.jpeg\" alt=\"Meghan Reilly in front of the Great Hall\" class=\"wp-image-24056\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_2.jpeg 308w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_2-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_2-150x100.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 308px) 100vw, 308px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"248\" height=\"165\" data-id=\"24058\" style=\"object-position: 47.175% 29.525%\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_3.jpeg\" alt=\"Ashley Zingillioglu sitting on a park bench\" class=\"wp-image-24058\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_3.jpeg 248w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_3-150x100.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 248px) 100vw, 248px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"department-alumni-achievements\"><strong>Department Alumni Achievements<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Congratulations to alumna and former adjunct faculty member, Corinne Cavallo, M.F.A.&#8217;23, on accepting a full-time tenure track position with Middlesex College.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Congratulations to Carolyn Cid &#8217;24M, who recently signed a deal with The Unbound Press to publish her upcoming novel, &#8220;A Mother&#8217;s Love&#8221;.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Congratulations to Olivia Frew \u201824, who accepted a position as a 1-1 instructional aide at Gateway Regional High School, and is currently enrolled at Rutgers University in the Masters of Information program in the School Librarianship track.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"363\" height=\"484\" data-id=\"24061\" style=\"object-position: 46.39% 42.605%\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_7.jpeg\" alt=\"Corrine Cavallo\" class=\"wp-image-24061\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_7.jpeg 363w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_7-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_7-113x150.jpeg 113w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 363px) 100vw, 363px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"175\" height=\"204\" data-id=\"24064\" style=\"object-position: 50.88% 49.645%\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_5.jpeg\" alt=\"Carolyn Cid\" class=\"wp-image-24064\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_5.jpeg 175w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_5-129x150.jpeg 129w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 175px) 100vw, 175px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"254\" height=\"339\" data-id=\"24065\" style=\"object-position: 49.135% 49.345%\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_6.jpeg\" alt=\"Olivia Frew\" class=\"wp-image-24065\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_6.jpeg 254w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_6-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_11_6-112x150.jpeg 112w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 254px) 100vw, 254px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"congratulations-to-the-winners-of-the-fall-23-graduate-creative-writing-contest\"><strong>Congratulations to the winners of the Fall \u201923 Graduate Creative Writing Contest!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p>The submissions for the Poetry and Prose Awards underwent a blind reading by judges Carey Salerno (Poetry) and Hanna Pylv\u00e4inen (Prose).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile is-image-fill-element\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 33%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\"><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"prose-alicia-notorio-for-white-noise\">Prose: Alicia Notorio for \u201cWhite Noise,\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Judged by Hanna Pylv\u00e4inen who said the following of Notorio\u2019s work: I chose \u201cWhite Noise\u201d for its confident detailing of a grim reality\u2014the story juxtaposes the supposed flash and bang of a brewery with the abuse percolating beneath. I was drawn especially to the writer\u2019s skillful movement in time and how the story took place over several settings and periods. Most of all \u201cWhite Noise\u201d displays the painful paralysis of disassociation with chilling detail; this is an affecting piece.<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"352\" height=\"625\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_12_2.jpeg\" alt=\"Alicia Notorio, wearing a shirt with ghosts, standing in front of halloween decor\" class=\"wp-image-24067 size-full\" style=\"object-position:55% 32%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_12_2.jpeg 352w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_12_2-169x300.jpeg 169w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_12_2-84x150.jpeg 84w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 352px) 100vw, 352px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:2rem\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile is-image-fill-element\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 33%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\"><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"poetry-kaitlin-l-mcguire-for-rsvp-no-and-other-poems-judged-by-carey\">Poetry: Kaitlin L. McGuire for &#8220;RSVP NO and Other Poems,&#8221; Judged by Carey<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Salerno who said the following if McGuire\u2019s work: &#8220;These tender and deeply personal lyrics are dedicated to growth, healing, and effecting a greater understanding of the self. They deftly traverse the territory of vulnerability, family, interpersonal relationships, love, personal growth, regret, grief, and loss. With lines brimming with Philia, they feel future-leaning and seek answers about the self through the lens of their speakers&#8217; interactions and experiences with others. In &#8220;You,&#8221; the poet begins with defense mechanisms then tempers, and vulnerability comes shorn on the page: &#8220;I didn\u2019t want anyone, \/ anything, \/ softening my edges.&#8221; &#8220;Until, \/ You.&#8221; Whereafter the poem morphs into redolent expressions of joy and transformation: &#8220;In the sink, sea of feeling \/ sweet, savory, saucy, vulnerable.&#8221; These poems carry worlds and there&#8217;s much beauty within them.<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"184\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_12_1.jpeg\" alt=\"Kaitlin K McGuire\" class=\"wp-image-24073 size-full\" style=\"object-position:56% 11%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_12_1.jpeg 184w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_12_1-135x300.jpeg 135w, https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/549\/2025\/02\/image_12_1-67x150.jpeg 67w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 184px) 100vw, 184px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ma-theses-and-manuscripts-defended\"><strong>M.A. Theses and Manuscripts Defended<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Valerie Aristy-Reyes, \u201cChatGPT and the Writing Process.\u201d Fall 2024.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Liza Gordon, <em>Out of Time<\/em>. Fall 2024.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Debora Graas, <em>Odd Child<\/em>. Fall 2024.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Alicia Notorio, <em>Fugazi<\/em>. Fall 2024.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Marci Rubin, <em>The Next Shot<\/em>. Fall 2024.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emma Varga, \u201cProfessing Her Vows to Learning: Unveiling an Ironic Historiography in Sor Juana\u2019s Response.\u201d Distinction, Fall 2024.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faculty-news\"><strong>Faculty News<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Interim Associate Dean Kris Bluemel\u2019s book, &#8220;Enchanted Wood: Women Artists, Rural Britain, and the Twentieth-Century Wood Engraving Revival&#8221;, was accepted by the University of Minnesota Press, with publication anticipated in fall 2025.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Congratulations to Mihaela Moscaliuc, Ph.D., who was awarded a 2024 Pushcart prize for her non-fiction essay, \u201cExtractions\u201d (Ploughshares 49:1); the essay was also selected as a notable essay in this year\u2019s Best American Essays. Her international anthology of poems, &#8220;Fruits of the Earth&#8221;, co-edited with Michael Waters, has been accepted by Knopf for their Everyman\u2019s Library Pocket Poets and is slated for publication next year. Moscaliuc also participated in the 16th edition of the International Poetry Festival Paralelo Cero in Ecuador where she read from her bilingual collection &#8220;Algunos Poemas Fugitivos&#8221; (Tr. by Frances Siman) and discussed poetry at The Centro Cultural Benjam\u00edn Carri\u00f3n and at other venues in Quito.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Associate Professor Alena Graedon published several short stories and essays: \u201cEstrella Distante,\u201d Pleiades, fall 2024; \u201cWonderful,\u201d North American Review, fall 2024; and \u201cThreesome,\u201d Southern Indiana Review, fall 2023. Her short story, \u201cNo Changing\u201d (Paris Review, fall 2023) was nominated for a 2023 Pushcart prize.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Artist-in-Residence John Vercher\u2019s third novel, &#8220;Devil is Fine&#8221;, was named to TIME magazine\u2019s list of 100 must-read books of 2024 and included on the Longlist for the Aspen Words Literary Prize.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Associate Professor Lisa Vetere\u2019s article entitled, &#8220;The Black Magic of Hepzibah: Evoking the Ecogothic of Hawthorne\u2019s Hags.&#8221; will be appearing in the Fall 2024 issue of the Nathaniel Hawthorne Review.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Courtney Wright-Werner, Ph.D., presented her work, \u201cTranslating Situational Pedagogy: Tutors Who Teach.\u201d at the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association Conference in Palm Springs in November. Werner also published an article, &#8220;Review: A Working Model for Contingent Faculty&#8221; in Writing Center Journal, 42.3, 2024.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>English Faculty participated in a panel at this year\u2019s International Interdisciplinary Conference on Race. The panel topic was: Reading for Racial Justice: Reflections on a Professional Development Workshop Program and was chaired by Frederick McKitrick, Ph.D., associate professor of history and chair of the department of art and design. Jeff Jackson, Ph.D., moderated the panel and faculty presented their individual work: Elizabeth Gilmartin-Keating, Ph.D., &#8220;Teaching Frederick Douglass in a General Education Irish Literature Course.&#8221; Lecturer Beth Sara Swanson, &#8220;Becoming Minor, Becoming Monster.&#8221; Lecturer Joe Torchia, &#8220;Studying Satirical Clusters Helps Highlight the Literary Prowess of African American Authors&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"congratulation-graduates-and-sigma-tau-delta-members\">Congratulation Graduates and Sigma Tau Delta Members<\/h2>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"january-2025-graduates\">January 2025 Graduates<\/h3>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-four-column\">\n<li>Valerie Aristy-Reyes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kevin Flook<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Liza Gordon<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Alicia Notorio<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Michael Pezzano<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Julie Prokop<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Christina Rodriguez<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Marci Rubin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emma Varga<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>John Vurro<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Robert Zadotti<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Andie Zaikov<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sigma-tau-delta-fall-2024-inductees\">Sigma Tau Delta Fall 2024 Inductees<\/h3>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-four-column\">\n<li>Andrew Vinca<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Madison Connelly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sabrina Chung<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gwyneth Finn<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Peter Malave<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Veronique Manfredini<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kaitlin McGuire<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:2rem\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Volume XIV, Issue I The Devil You Know: Visiting Writer\u2019s Series Presents John Vercher Taylor Memoli The Visiting Writers Series held an event on Nov. 6, 2024, hosting Monmouth\u2019s newest artist-in-resident, John Vercher, in The Great Hall. Vercher is the author of three novels and his most recent novel Devil is Fine was recently named [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"parent":539,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_mu_eop_enabled":false,"_mu_eop_name":"","_mu_eop_name_override":false,"_mu_eop_description":"","_mu_eop_description_override":false,"_mu_eop_url":"","_mu_eop_url_override":false,"_mu_eop_program_type":"","_mu_eop_educational_credential":"","_mu_eop_time_to_complete":"","_mu_eop_number_of_credits":"","_mu_eop_occupational_category":"","_mu_eop_occupational_category_code":"","_mu_eop_program_prerequisites":"","_mu_eop_application_deadline":"","_mu_eop_application_start_date":"","_mu_eop_start_date":"","_mu_eop_end_date":"","_mu_eop_day_of_week":"","_mu_eop_time_of_day":"","_mu_eop_educational_program_mode":"","_mu_eop_financial_aid_eligible":"","_mu_eop_maximum_enrollment":"","_mu_eop_offers_price":"","_mu_eop_offers_currency":"USD","_mu_eop_offers_price_per":"","_mu_eop_offers_preset":"","_mu_eop_salary_upon_completion":"","_mu_eop_training_salary":"","_mu_eop_recognized_by_name":"","_mu_eop_recognized_by_url":"","_mu_eop_concentrations":"","_mu_eop_identifier_cip":"","_mu_eop_provider_name":"","_mu_eop_provider_name_override":false,"_mu_eop_provider_url":"","_mu_eop_provider_address":"","_mu_eop_provider_city":"","_mu_eop_provider_state":"","_mu_eop_provider_zip":"","_mu_eop_provider_country":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-24011","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24011"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24011\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24092,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24011\/revisions\/24092"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}