Jean Fernandez, English, Presents at “Ten Chairs”

Apr 9, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

Jean Fernandez, English, delivered an invited talk on Reading Chairs as a panelist for the Baltimore Museum of Art’s exhibition event “Ten Chairs.” The panel consisted of a cross-disciplinary group of thinkers who addressed one of the chairs in the collection as seen though the eyes of their discipline. Speakers included Bill Leslie, Johns Hopkins University, Madeline Dobie, Columbia University, Melanie Adley, University of Pennyslvania and Arthur Molella, Smithsonian Insititution.

Lia Purpura, English, to Present Reading at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts (4/10)

Apr 6, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

English Writer in Residence Lia Purpura is scheduled to present readings from her new book It Shouldn’t Have Been Beautiful at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts on Friday, April 10 at 8 p.m. The reading will be part of an event with the Poulenc Trio, a Baltimore-based wind trio that has been presenting virtuosic performances for over a decade. Purpura, whose work frequently appears in New Yorker magazine, will pair excerpts from her forthcoming book with a new arrangement for the Trio of Alfred Schnittke’s Suite in the Old Style. For more information on the event, click here. Update: On… Continue Reading Lia Purpura, English, to Present Reading at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts (4/10)

Marion Elizabeth Rodgers (3/31)

Mar 27, 2015 / 2 minutes of reading

For more than a quarter of a century, Marion Elizabeth Rodgers has been considered the foremost authority on the American critic and journalist H.L. Mencken as well as the editor of his works. Mencken was born and lived his entire life in Baltimore where he was long associated with the Baltimore Sun papers along with editing two of the nation’s most distinguished literary magazines – The American Mercury and The Smart Set. He was also the author of The American Language. Ms. Rodgers is the author of a critically acclaimed biography – “Mencken: The American Iconoclast” – published by Oxford… Continue Reading Marion Elizabeth Rodgers (3/31)

Manil Suri, Mathematics, and Michele Osherow, English, Reflect on Experience Performing “The Mathematics of Being Human”

Mar 4, 2015 / 2 minutes of reading

In an article in the March 6 edition of India Abroad magazine, Mathematics professor Manil Suri discussed the play he performed and co-wrote with English associate professor Michele Osherow, “The Mathematics of Being Human.” The play is an outgrowth of a seminar that the two professors jointly taught that bridged their areas of expertise. In the article, Suri participated in a Q&A about the play and his experience teaching with Osherow. To read the full article, click here. Suri and Osherow, both alumni of Carnegie Mellon University, were also interviewed for a recent news article on the university’s website about the play. In the… Continue Reading Manil Suri, Mathematics, and Michele Osherow, English, Reflect on Experience Performing “The Mathematics of Being Human”

Christopher Corbett, English, in Baltimore Style

Jan 21, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

Christopher Corbett, English, recently penned an essay reflecting on the harsh winter months in Baltimore Style.In the piece, Corbett decries January as the most unloved month, calling it the season of remorse. He writes, “January is really about winter, the bleak midwinter spoken of in the poem and hymn… I do not believe anyone enjoys January. We endure it.”Click here to read “In the Bleak Midwinter.”

Lia Purpura, English, in The New Yorker

Jan 16, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

In its January 19th issue, The New Yorker published a poem by English Writer in Residence Lia Purpura. The text of Purpura’s poem “Probability” is below. An audio recording of Purpura reading her poem can be found here. A link to previous poems by Purpura published in The New Yorker can be found here. Probability Most coincidents are not miraculous, but way more common than we think— it’s the shiver of noticing being central in a sequence of events that makes so much seem wild and rare— because what if it wasn’t? Astonishment’s nothing without your consent.

Piotr Gwiazda, English, Publishes New Book

Dec 23, 2014 / 1 minute of reading

Piotr Gwiazda, English, has published a new book US Poetry in the Age of Empire, 1979-2012 (Palgrave Macmillan). Examining poetry by Robert Pinsky, Adrienne Rich, and Amiri Baraka, among others, this book shows that leading US poets since 1979 have performed the role of public intellectuals through their poetic rhetoric. Piotr Gwiazda’s argument aims to revitalize the art of poetry and reaffirm its social value in an era of global politics and culture.

Christopher Corbett, English, in Baltimore Style

Dec 12, 2014 / 1 minute of reading

Christopher Corbett, English, penned an article for Baltimore Style in which he explored the nuances of “naughty or nice” in the Christmas song “Santa Claus in Coming to Town.” In the article, Corbett examines the lyrics of the song and makes a connection to George Orwell’s 1984. He states, “‘Santa Claus is Coming (Or Comin’) to Town’ is certainly a Santa for a dystopia—an Orwell or Huxley Santa. A Santa for ‘1984’ or ‘Brave New World.’” Click here to read “Naughty or Nice” in Baltimore Style.

Piotr Gwiazda, English, Participates in Ars Cameralis Festival, Poland

Dec 12, 2014 / 1 minute of reading

In November, Piotr Gwiazda, Associate Professor of English, participated in the 23rd Ars Cameralis Festival in Katowice, one of Poland’s most prestigious arts and literary festivals. On November 15, he gave a reading from his poetry in Polish translation at Kinoteatr Rialto. On November 17, he presented a lecture “Dreams of a Common Language: On Contemporary U.S. Poetry” at the English Language Institute of the University of Silesia in Sosnowiec. In a video interview (interview in Polish), Gwiazda described his critical and creative projects. He also commented on the Ars Cameralis Festival.

UMBC Humanities Faculty Discuss Serial in The Guardian

Dec 11, 2014 / 2 minutes of reading

Serial, a spin-off show from NPR’s “This American Life,” is a podcast in which reporter Sarah Koenig reinvestigates the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, a Baltimore County high school student. In the series, Koenig, a former Baltimore Sun staff writer, conducts numerous interviews and delves deeply into figuring out what led to the conviction of Adnan Syed, Hae’s ex-boyfriend, for her murder. An article published December 8 in The Guardian looks into why the podcast has drawn so much interest. Nicole King, an associate professor of American studies, is quoted in the article and comments on the narrative style of the podcast when… Continue Reading UMBC Humanities Faculty Discuss Serial in The Guardian

Lia Purpura, English, in The New Yorker, Orion Magazine

Nov 24, 2014 / 1 minute of reading

English Writer in Residence Lia Purpura is featured in the November 24 edition of The New Yorker. The magazine published her poem “Study with Melon.” You can read the poem in The New Yorker by clicking here. The full text of the poem is below: Study with Melon The stem end of a melon is weblike, form finding a pattern that’s thinking itself a density a concentration beginning a line then casting it out and moving on from, an order established, a gesture complete. Completion: how someone at a distance might see it. In addition, Purpura’s essay “In The Despoiled and Radiant Now” appears… Continue Reading Lia Purpura, English, in The New Yorker, Orion Magazine

Round Up: UMBC in the News, 10/24

Oct 24, 2014 / 1 minute of reading

One of the things that makes UMBC great is how wonderful our alumni, students, faculty, and staff are. Because of these amazing people, UMBC often finds itself “in the news,” so each week, we’ll be sharing with you a round-up of the most newsworthy achievements from our community. “UMBC AIRS Team” has won a NASA Group Achievement Award Intramural 3K Monster Dash (10/29) Head Swimming and Diving Coach Chad Cradock Earns 200th Career Victory Two Students From the English Department Named HASTAC Scholars for 2014-2015 Read more at UMBC Insights!

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