English Matters: from UTC English

This time, I’m chatting with recent UTC English graduate Erin Hicks about how she helped me design my Taylor Swift course, how she wanted to integrate the pop superstar into her studies her senior year, and how her degree set her up for success as a coordinator for the Make-a-Wish Foundation! Theme music, “Storybook,” generously provided by Scott Holmes (scottholmesmusic.com)

Join us for a conversation with UTC English alum Mark Brooks as he talks about his time in Chattanooga, what happens when the plot surprises the author, and his new novel Laying Autumn’s Dust, available now! To learn more about Mark and his novel, visit his website here. Theme music, “Storybook,” generously provided by Scott Holmes (scottholmesmusic.com)

Senior Lecturer Andrew Najberg returns to tell us all about his most recent publications in horror and looking forward to writing in the fantasy genre. Like English professors are wont to do, we discuss our ever-expanding TBR lists, what we’re looking forward to in horror offerings, etc. We also discuss his upcoming Japanese women authors literature course. Find Andrew Najberg’s books wherever books are sold. For more information about English at UTC, visit https://www.utc.edu/arts-and-sciences/english Theme music, “Storybook,” generously provided by Scott Holmes (scottholmesmusic.com)

We’re joined this time by Dominik Heinrici, long-time UTC English faculty member and student. Dominik tells us about how he came to be at UTC, and shares with us his exciting work developing his popular class on medieval monsters! We talk about misconceptions about the medieval period, the role social media takes in creating panics, and the myth of the “digital native” along the way.

We’re joined this time by Dr. Karen Babine, Assistant Professor of Creative Writing. In a wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Babine shares intimate stories about the inspiration for her award-winning memoir, All the Wild Hungers (2019 Milkweed Editions). She tells us about her exciting course offerings in food writing and true crime at UTC, and also about her experiences managing UTC’s literary journal, The Sequoyah Review and her work with Assay: A Journal of Nonfiction Studies. You can find out more about Assay at https://www.assayjournal.com/

We’re joined this time by Marcia Noe, Professor of English and Women’s and Gender Studies at UTC, as she tells us about her new project, Three Midwestern Playwrights: How Floyd Dell, George Cram Cook, and Susan Glaspell Transformed American Theater, now out from Indiana University Press (link below). Dr. Noe tells us about her decades-long research process for this text, as well as the significance of the artistic community that grew from the collaboration of these three unique and influential creators. Pick up Dr. Noe's book at Indiana University Press. For more information about English at UTC, visit https://www.utc.edu/arts-and-sciences/english Theme music, “Storybook,” generously provided by Scott Holmes (scottholmesmusic.com)

This episode, we’re pleased to talk to Associate Lecturer Catherine Meeks Quinlan about her work developing and implementing our exciting new interdisciplinary Environmental Studies minor. For more information about the minor and how to enroll in these fascinating classes, please head to https://www.utc.edu/arts-and-sciences/departments/environmental-studies or reach out to Catherine at Catherine-Meeks at utc dot edu.

We're joined this time by senior lecturer Russell Helms as he talks with us about his love of French Realism and its significance to his own creative process. Russell also talks to us about his new novella, Sympathy, and how he came to the unique idea at its core. You can find Helms' Sympathy at Solstice Publishing: https://solsticeempire.com/products.aspx?categoryid=521 For more information about English at UTC, visit https://www.utc.edu/arts-and-sciences/english Theme music, “Storybook,” generously provided by Scott Holmes (scottholmesmusic.com)

Andrew Najberg is back on English Matters to discuss his interest in Japanese literature, how it has inflected his teaching and his own writing, and his upcoming course offerings in the subject. Be sure to keep an eye out for Andrew's newest work, Gollitok, coming soon from Cactus Moon Press! Check out more about the English Department at UTC at https://www.utc.edu/arts-and-sciences/english

We have a special cross-over this time while lecturers Josh Parks and Mike Jaynes talk on the DarkSky Podcast about their upcoming outdoor adventure book club, CampFire! More info here: https://campfirebookclub.wordpress.com/

Join us on English Matters this time as we talk to UTC English MA program alumna Jessica York about her journey from grad student to published author. Since this recording, Jessica has signed with literary agent Elizabeth Copps, founding agent of Copps Literary Services. Jessica was also recently invited to speak about her writing at DragonCon in Atlanta. For more information about Jessica and her work, please visit jessicaannyork.com! For more information about English at UTC, visit https://www.utc.edu/arts-and-sciences/english Theme music, “Storybook,” generously provided by Scott Holmes (scottholmesmusic.com).

For this episode, English Matters talks with Dr. Hannah Wakefield about her recent Race and Protest course and using podcasting as pedagogy. We also get to hear student work from the class. (Credits below!) Segment #1 courtesy of Hunter Burnheimer, Jacey Spann, Malachi Knight-Smith, Trip Carruthers Segment #2 courtesy of Aja Washington, Dillon Simpson, Kobe Clark, Mollee Sneed, Tyler Mullins Segment #3 courtesy of Cassidy Yarborough, Hiba Arkawazi, Kimbra Dunning, Obi Obidiebube For more information about English at UTC, visit https://www.utc.edu/arts-and-sciences/english Theme music, “Storybook,” generously provided by Scott Holmes (scottholmesmusic.com).

This episode of English Matters is devoted to exploring some of our exciting offerings for Spring 2022 - schedule now available on the university website! Theme music, “Storybook,” generously provided by Scott Holmes (scottholmesmusic.com).

This episode, we're chatting with Dr. Jenn Stewart, Director of Composition at UTC, about UTC's Read 2 Achieve Program, and how inclusion and diversity foster a fertile environment in the composition classroom. Theme music, “Storybook,” generously provided by Scott Holmes (scottholmesmusic.com).

On this episode of English Matters, we talk with Jo Kibble, a graduating senior in English, about the importance of proper naming, pronoun usage, and its significance to the transgender/non-binary community at large. Jo shares their experiences with the audience, and helps define an inclusive vision for UTC going forward.

This week, we’re talking to English lecturer Tiffany Mitchell and David Pleins from the Walker Center about their recent pedagogy book club and the experience of reading bell hooks’ Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom. Tiffany and David discuss the challenges of making sure that BIPOC voices are centered in pedagogy discussions, as well as the difference between active and passive allyship. Perhaps most importantly, we discuss the way that these ideas might make their way into college classrooms and help dismantle systemic racism in the university and beyond. (see the prior episode of English Matters with Beth Pearce and Tiffany *Please note that this interview was recorded in October 2020, prior to the last presidential election. Check in with the Walker Center’s website periodically for information about future book clubs and opportunities. Theme music, “Storybook,” generously provided by Scott Holmes (scottholmesmusic.com).

On this episode, we hear from author and UTC English Lecturer Andrew Najberg. Andrew talks to us about how he became a creative writing professor and how the teaching of creative writing differs from and mirrors other types of writing. Andrew also tells us about his own personal writing and publication process, and his inspiration for his forthcoming collection of poems, The Goats Have Taken Over the Barracks, available for pre-sale beginning November 23. You can see selected readings from the chapbook on Andrew’s Facebook page – and pre-order your copy from www.finishinglinepress.com Theme music, “Storybook,” generously provided by Scott Holmes (scottholmesmusic.com).

This time on the podcast, we’re talking with Dr. Oren Whightsel about how the rhetoric surrounding the debate over women’s suffrage proved to be a helpful tool in composition courses. We discuss the value of historicizing the teaching of rhetoric and composition for our new students, and how it helps them in places other than the university. Additionally, Devori and Oren talk about the experience teaching the rhetoric of voter suppression is especially interesting in an election year. We also talk about how English departments and first-year composition courses are uniquely able to speak to broader social issues that students often don’t contact elsewhere in their university education. Theme music, “Storybook,” generously provided by Scott Holmes (scottholmesmusic.com).

On this episode, we talk to UTC English major Anna Brewer about her experience with the department’s internship placement program. Through the program, Ms. Brewer was able to secure an internship with The Borgen Project (borgenproject.org), a non-profit that works to fight global poverty. She tells us about how she was able to secure her internship, the types of work she did, and how she plans to use her experiences to push her forward on a career path after she graduates. For more information on UTC’s internship program, visit www.utc.edu/english/internships. Theme music, “Storybook,” generously provided by Scott Holmes (scottholmesmusic.com).

In this episode, English department faculty Tiffany Mitchell and Beth Pearce discuss their process of teaching intersectional adolescent and YA literature in the UHON program, and how they hope to port those skillsets and questions into coursework in the English department. We talk about the value of adolescent literature when it comes to discussing tricky topics and ideas, as well as how a course like this can challenge instructors’ perceptions of the literature they teach. Additionally, Beth and Tiffany talk about the benefits of a team-teaching environment. Theme music, “Storybook,” generously provided by Scott Holmes (scottholmesmusic.com).

On this episode, UTC English instructor and alumna Jessica Miller (J. Kasper Kramer) talks about how UTC’s creative writing MA program poised her for success with her first novel, The Story that Cannot Be Told. Jessica tells us about the road from idea to publication, discusses why she was drawn to young adult fiction as a genre and how it’s more nuanced than some might think, and gives us a look forward to her next project, The List of Unspeakable Fears and why we like scary stuff. Theme music, “Storybook,” generously provided by Scott Holmes (scottholmesmusic.com).