Whitney May’s essay, “The Technology of Anguish: (Re)Imagining Post-9/11 Trauma in the Fantasy Universes of Tamora Pierce,” has been published in the edited collection Displaced: Literature of Indigeneity, Migration, and Trauma, from Routledge. The collection is part of their “Studies in Contemporary Literature” series. Whitney recently participated as a panelist at the Common Experience event “The Truth About Urban Myths and Legends,” a roundtable discussion between Texas State students and scholars of folklore at the university.
Vanessa Couto Johnson will be a reader at the AWP 2020 Offsite joint event of Forklift, Ohio; Rinky Dink Press; and Slope Editions, held at Bar 1919 on Thursday, March 5 from 9-11 p.m. She is also scheduled for author signings at the AWP Bookfair at Slope Editions’ table (T2036) on Saturday, March 7 from 12:30-2:00 p.m.
MFA fiction student Brady Brickner-Wood published a review of Emily Nemens’ debut novel, The Cactus League, in Harvard Review. Her short story, “Shrine Room,” will appear in Bellevue Literary Review‘s spring issue.
Katie Kapurch published “The Beatles, Fashion, and Cultural Iconography,” a chapter in Kenneth Womack’s new collection, The Beatles in Context. The book is part of Cambridge University Press’s “Composers in Context” series and explores wide-ranging aspects of the Beatles’ artistry.
Kathleen Peirce’s new poetry manuscript, Lion’s Paw, will be published by Miami University Press.
Cyrus Cassells and Naomi Shihab Nye will receive awards at this year’s meeting of the Texas Institute of Letters: Cyrus’ Still Life with Children: Selected Poems of Francesc Parcerisas will receive The Souerette Diehl Fraser Award for Best Translation of a Book, and Naomi’s The Tiny Journalist will receive The Helen C. Smith Memorial Award for Best Book of Poetry.
Assistant Professor Cecily Parks has been named Sigma Tau Delta Professor of the Year. Her poem “Nasturtiums” appears in the latest issue of wildness at https://readwildness.com/21/.
Ross Feeler’s short story “Parisian Honeymoon,” was published in Electric Literature‘s Recommended Reading, with an introduction by Brandon Taylor: <https://electricliterature.com/parisian-honeymoon-ross-feeler/>
MARC student Lea Colchado’s poems “Ausencia” and “Sundays” have been accepted for publication in Boundless: The Anthology of the Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival.
Dean of the Graduate College Dr. Andrea Golato reports that Dr. Debra Monroe, faculty member in the Department of English, is the recipient of the 2019–2020 Conference of Southern Graduate Schools Outstanding Mentor Award. Since more than 200 graduate colleges belong to CSGS, the competition for this award is quite fierce and being selected is a very special honor. The Graduate College nominated Dr. Monroe, who was also the recipient of the 2019-2020 Graduate College Outstanding Mentor Award, for her outstanding work with countless Master’s students in the Creative Writing MFA program. In particular, the committee recognized her tireless efforts to work closely with both students and alumni and help them publish their creative works as award-winning books and stories in high-profile venues. Through her efforts, she has greatly enhanced the academic and professional pursuits of her students while also attracting top-quality applicants to the Creative Writing Program at Texas State. The Conference of Southern Graduate Schools Outstanding Mentor Award will be bestowed upon Dr. Monroe next Weekend at the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools Annual Meeting. She will receive a monetary award and a very nice plaque.
Kitty Ledbetter’s article, “The Women’s Press,” has just been published in Volume 2 of the Edinburgh History of the British and Irish Press, a three-volume history that offers a definitive account of newspaper and periodical press activity across Britain and Ireland from 1650 to the present day.