At this week's meeting, EGO will discuss the proposed change to Writing Program teaching associateships from teaching 2 courses to teaching 3 courses of smaller sizes. Please attend the meeting to discuss your views on the proposal.

by EgO at UMass

In last Friday's weekly newsletter, the Writing Program announced a proposal to change the nature of the teaching associateships it offers starting in the Fall of 2010. The changes are serious and would impact all English graduate students, regardless of whether or not you are currently teaching in the Writing Program. Hear about what the proposal entails and share your views at the GSS meeting.

by EgO at UMass

Please participate in GEO’s first membership meeting of the year, Wednesday, February 3, 2010 from 6pm -7pm, Campus Center 174-176. This meeting is preceded by an Assembly of Stewards meeting that starts at 5pm (same location). Both meetings are open to all members.

Membership will vote on electing a new member-at-large to steering. Members at large are voting members in the Steering Committee as well as voting members in the Assembly of Stewards.

The election committee will be presenting the results of the closed nominations for President, Vice President and Secretary Treasurer. Additionally, the personnel committee will present to the Assembly of Stewards their recommendations of candidates to fill four staff positions.

Food and refreshments will be provided.

by EgO at UMass

Contact UHS:
413-577-5000

by EgO at UMass

EGO Seminar: Obstacles and Questions for Incoming Students
4-5pm
Bartlett 256
read more….

GEO Child Care Forum
5-6pm
Campus Center 911-15

Thursday, January 28th
English Department Reception
4pm-6pm
Amherst Room, Tenth Floor, Campus Center

Friday, January 29th
Diversity on Tap
4pm
Northampton Brewery

View EGO’s Google Calendar.

by EgO at UMass

Perhaps you’ve read it in the Chronicle of Higher Education or The New York Times, but if not, be forewarned: the academic job market is getting tougher. Some experts are predicting a 20% chance of getting a job as a professor of English in the next few years. Don’t get scared - get moving! Now, more than ever, it is essential to know what the profession is all about. That’s why, all semester long, every other Wednesday at 4pm, EGO (English Graduate Organization) is offering a series of hour-long colloquia on professionalization.

Who Should Come: People who are new to and / or confused by the program or profession. Veterans who can offer their hard-won wisdom. Everyone is welcome.

What: Now that you have at least a semester under your belt, it’s time to get the lowdown on how the program really works, how you can make it work for you and where the potential pitfalls are. No question is silly or off-limits. This is a great opportunity to get your questions answered by people who've recently been through it as well as to meet fellow scholars. And we’ll have snacks.

view this semester's seminar schedule...

by EgO at UMass

Caught in the Act: Performance and Performativity
An Interdisciplinary Graduate Conference
Hosted by UMass Amherst English Graduate Students

This is a reminder that the deadline for submitting abstracts for our department's graduate conference is THIS coming Saturday, January 23rd. This year's conference, Caught in the Act: Performance and Performativity, is shaping up to be an exciting day. We invite submissions for scholarly papers, panels, performances, and creative presentations.

Conference theme: Performativity is inescapable; we all take part in it. Immensely productive in its broad, interdisciplinary applications, performativity has influenced projects engaged in configuring identities in non-essentialist ways, as well as focused scholarly attention on how performativity is manifest in everyday and staged performances. What are the political and artistic implications, then, for language and culture? This conference seeks to explore how performativity and performance intersect in everyday behaviors as well as in performances in literature, theatre, language, visual culture, and politics.

For more information, see 2010 Conference.

by EgO at UMass

by EgO at UMass

We will begin with a short general meeting of all instructors followed by a mini-conference, with break-out sessions led by TOs, on topics of interest to writing instructors and geared towards useful advice for spring teaching. Lunch will be served. This meeting is mandatory for all spring 2010 Writing Program instructors.
See Program

by EgO at UMass

Caught in the Act: Performance and Performativity
An Interdisciplinary Graduate Conference
Hosted by UMass Amherst English Graduate Students

Performativity is inescapable; we all take part in it. Immensely productive in its broad, interdisciplinary applications, performativity has influenced projects engaged in configuring identities in non-essentialist ways, as well as focused scholarly attention on how performativity is manifest in everyday and staged performances. What are the political and artistic implications, then, for language and culture? This conference seeks to explore how performativity and performance intersect in everyday behaviors as well as in performances in literature, theatre, language, visual culture, and politics.

We invite submissions for scholarly papers, panels, performances, and creative presentations.

For more information, see 2010 Conference.

Image courtesy of Rickydavid under CC license:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuppini/
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

by EgO at UMass

Come join us for the last EGO meeting of the semester, this Wed. 12/16, at 5pm at the Amherst Brewing Company. Everyone is welcome.

We'll have updates on all the work EGO has done this semester, but we'd also like to talk about what's next. What would you like to see EGO address next semester? What would make your time at UMass a better and more productive experience?

Mostly, though, we'd love to see you to celebrate the end of yet another semester! Hope to see you all soon!

by EgO at UMass

The English Graduate Program will host an information session, "Everything you ever wanted to know about the MA/PhD Graduate Program, but were afraid to ask…." There will be lots of time for questions, meeting other students, and brainstorming ideas for next year. Pizza will be served.

by EgO at UMass

The English Department's annual Troy Lecture takes place in the Student Union Ballroom, where Sherman Alexie, the author of The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and the screenplay of Smoke Signals, will present “The Business of Fancydancing.”

Visit Alexie's website: http://www.shermanalexie.com.

by EgO at UMass

The English Graduate Conference deadline is fast approaching. Do you want to submit but you’re not sure how to begin an abstract? Or have you already begun an abstract but want feedback? Come to the

CONFERENCE ABSTRACT WORKSHOP, THIS THURSDAY, December 3rd at noon in Bartlett 316.

This one hour long, low stakes session is for graduate students of all levels of experience, in any stage of writing an abstract. We’ll supply tips and advice for writing an abstract and presenting at conferences, sample copies of abstracts for both individual and panel presentations, and the call for papers for the 2010 English Graduate Conference. While this is a busy time in the semester, the Grad Conference deadline is January 23, the week we return from winter break.

You’ll need:

•Your ideas. These can come in the form of a paper you want to turn into an abstract, a draft of an abstract, an idea for a paper you think you might write, or simply questions you have about submitting to academic conferences.

•Writing materials or a laptop.

•Any call for papers you want to submit to in addition to the English Graduate Conference.

Questions? ude.ssamu.hsilgne|lerrubmj#ude.ssamu.hsilgne|lerrubmj. See you this Thursday!

by juliemb

We're looking for a new photo for the English grad wiki homepage! Submit an original photo by Thanksgiving (Thursday, Nov. 26th) to ude.ssamu.hsilgne|ogessamu#ude.ssamu.hsilgne|ogessamu. All non-winning photos will be considered for use elsewhere on the site. Photos need not be professional or formal. We are especially (but not exclusively) interested in the following:

• Pictures of English grad students at work or play
• Individual or group pictures of English grad students
• Pictures of English grad students teaching
• Pictures of English department events
• Pictures of the UMass campus

When submitting your photo, please confirm that you are the copyright holder to the image (i.e., you took the photo) and that you give permission for your photo to be used on the English Grad Wiki website.

by EgO at UMass

EGO welcomes all English graduate students at the next meeting. On the agenda:

• Conference updates, bake sale
• Professionalization workshops for spring
• Seminar committee: graduate interest seminars
• 20th century movie night
• Wiki updates

by EgO at UMass

GEO’s International Student Caucus, in collaboration with Student Legal Services Office and the International Programs Office, presents: LEGAL ISSUES FORUM for International Students. The goal of the forum is to address the many legal concerns that international students have regarding various aspects of their stay in the U.S.

Panelists:
Joseph P. Curran, Esq. of Curran and Berger Immigration Law
Bernadette Stark, Senior Staff Attorney, Student Legal Services Office
Nancy Condon, International Scholar Advisor, International Programs Office

Visit http://www.geouaw.org for more information.

by EgO at UMass

The English graduate office will be hosting a two-area workshop to provide important information for any graduate student interested in learning about the exam, protocol, and moving through the process. Refreshments will be provided.

by EgO at UMass

Help support this year's English Graduate Conference by patronizing the bake sale! We'll be selling delicious baked goods homemade by English graduate students all day this Wednesday.

To Donate:
If you would like to donate baked goods, simply prepare your favorite baked good and wrap it for individual sale. You can leave your contribution in the grad lounge fridge on Monday 16th, Tuesday 17, or even drop it off Wednesday morning. We are excited to taste your yummy brownies, cookies, muffins, cupcakes or any other treat you want to share! Contact ude.ssamu.hsilgne|nigams#eettimmoc ecnerefnoc eht if you would like to contribute.

Thanks for your help!

by EgO at UMass

This week Peter Elbow, noted scholar of rhetoric and writing and Professor Emeritus of the English department, will give a talk entitled “What Can We Learn from the Audible Intonation of Speech that Can Help us with Silent Visible Writing?”

"Tuesdays at 4" is a series of faculty lectures hosted by the UMass English Department. Graduate students are encouraged to end. Refreshments are provided.

by EgO at UMass