News & Events

Admission Deadline Approaching

Applications are currently being accepted for the graduate programs; the deadline for admissions in March 5th, 2010. Those applying for a Master of Arts can click here, while those applying for the PhD programs can click here.

English Language Arts Majors DP 2 and 3 Portfolio Deadlines for Spring 2010

If you are planning on submitting your Professional Teaching Portfolio this semester for either DP2 or DP 3 review, please be aware of the following due dates:

DP2 Professional Teaching Portfolio

Due: Friday, February 26, 2010. Portfolios must be submitted by 11:59 p.m.

Note: You must post you portfolio on rGrade and send Dr. Hartman the link so that we know you are requesting the review.

Scoring will occur within 2 weeks after the submission deadline.

DP3 Professional Teaching Portfolio

Due: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 Portfolios must be submitted by 11:59 p.m.

Note: You must post you portfolio on rGrade and send me the link so that we know you are requesting the review.

Scores will be available on Tuesday, April 13, 2010 after 6:00 p.m.

Creative Writing Program presents "Penscape"

A juried reading of the best creative writing from graduate students.

Doctoral candidates Andrea Powell Wolfe, Laura Swartz, and Harald Leusmann will each be defending their dissertations during the week of finals.

Andrea Powell Wolfe will be defending her work, "Black Mothers and the Nation: Claiming Space and Crafting Signification for the Black Maternal Body in American Women's Narratives of Slavery, Reconstruction, and Segregation, 1852-2001" on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. in Robert Bell 261.

Laura Swartz will be defending her dissertation, “Occulture: W.B. Yeats’ Prose Fiction and the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth-Century Occult Revival” on Friday, December 18, 2009 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. in TC 405.

Harald Leusmann will be defending his dissertation, “Diaspora Consciousness in Black British Literature" on Friday, December 18, 2009 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. in Room 200 of the Ball Communication Building.

A copy of each project will be available for review in the Graduate Programs Office (RB 295).

Dr. Debbie Mix and English Graduate Programs have published their Fall Newsletter. Click here to read and learn more about the new graduate students, the graduate faculty, and much more.

Ball State’s very own Sean Lovelace won the Third Annual Short Short Fiction Chapbook Contest and Rose Metal Press released Lovelace’s stunning chapbook, HOW SOME PEOPLE LIKE THEIR EGGS this August. Professor Lovelace will give a reading from his new book on Wednesday, November 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the Letterman Building 125. The reading will be followed by a book signing with the author. The event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. HOW SOME PEOPLE LIKE THEIR EGGS is a collection of 10 flash fictions about things falling apart, wrung out wrong, raveling and unraveling, from missing woodchucks to train-struck ferrets, from Bonnie and Clyde to Charlie Brown (a notorious fatalist and depressive), from meteorites to bear attacks to gunplay in the bait shop. Lovelace previously published Tarts: Incisive Fiction from Emerging Writers in 2005 and Grass: A Fiction Chapbook in 2004.

Come celebrate the release of HOW SOME PEOPLE LIKE THEIR EGGS with us—and get your very own copy!

Writer Kelsey Timmerman will read from his new book, Where Am I Wearing? A Global Tour to the Countries, Factories, and People That Make Our Clothes on Tuesday, October 13^th at 7:30 p.m. in the Letterman Building, room 125. The reading will be followed by a book signing with the author. The event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. Timmerman’s work has appeared in publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Condé Nast Portfolio and has aired on NPR. He has spent the night in Castle Dracula in Romania, gone undercover as an underwear buyer in Bangladesh, played PlayStation in Kosovo, taught an island village to play baseball in Honduras, and in another life, worked as a SCUBA instructor in Key West, Florida.

Comic writer Harvey Pekar visits September 22

Underground comic book writer and social commentator Harvey Pekar will give a talk on life, writing, and comic books on Tuesday, September 22^nd at 7:30 p.m. in AJ 175. It is titled "Ordinary Life Can Be Pretty Complex Stuff." The talk will be followed by a book signing with the author. The event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served.

In 1976, Pekar published the first in a series of comic books about his quotidian life as a veterans hospital clerk and record collector in his native Cleveland. The series has continued with different illustrators through the years, earning Pekar an American Book Award in 1987. In 2003, the film based on his life and work—also called American Splendor—won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Pekar’s visit is co-sponsored by the Virginia Ball Center for Creative Inquiry and the Department of Telecommunications at Ball State University.

Creative Writing in the Community public reading

The public reading of excerpts from original works written by students in Barbara Bogue's English 409 (Creative Writing in the Community) in collaboration with partners from Big Brothers Big Sisters, CrownPointe Communities, Hillcroft Services, Inc., and Motivate Our Minds will take place in the historic and charming Cornerstone Center for the Arts on Thursday, April 10th, from 6:30 to 8:00 P.M.

This reading is more than just a showcase of creative works; the event also acknowledges the friendships forged between students and their partners. This is an opportunity to venture off the campus grounds to meet citizens of Muncie, to enjoy a historic setting, and to hear examples of fine writing (prose and poetry).

Fullbright Scholar talk March 21

Fullbright scholar Low Ee Ling will present this Friday on "English Language Teacher Preparation in Singapore: Pre-service to Professional Development." Dr. Ling 's talk will take place Friday, March 21, at 4:00 p.m. in Robert Bell 361. Her talk is presented by GSAB and the English Department.

Low Ee Ling is Associate Professor and Sub-dean for Degree Programs at the National Institute of Education, Nayang Technological University, Singapore. She has a PhD in Linguistics from Cambridge University, and is widely published in English linguistics and phonetics. Her measure for empirically validating rhythmic variation in languages, the Pairwise Variability Index, has been extensively applied and cited by international scholars. She is currently a visiting Fulbright Scholar at the Lynch School of Education at Boston College.

Debbie Mix to present on Gertrude Stein and women's innovative writing Feb. 29

Dr. Debbie Mix will give a presentation Friday, Feb. 29, concerning her book, recently published by4 the University of Iowa Press. Dr. Mix will discuss A Vocabulary of Thinking: Gertrude Stein and Contemporary North American Women’s Innovative Writing at 4 p.m. in 225 Bracken Library.

Undergraduate poetry and flash fiction gala

It's the First One Ever. It's happening soon. It's a Gala celebrating the original work of Ball's State's Undergraduate Writers. It's Limited Entry Only. There are CASH PRIZES. Sign up and read your poetry and flash fiction. It's happening soon. It's Limited Entry Only.

The Gala's happening on FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2008 in Bracken Library 225. Doors Open at 6:00 p.m..

There will be refreshments as well as CASH PRIZES. It's sponsored by L.I.T. and The Writers' Community of Ball State. It's the first one ever. Be a part of it, read your work, hear others read, maybe win some CASH, have a blast!

Theater Night: Love's Labours Lost

Lambda Iota Tau and the department are planning another English Department theater night to see Love's Labours Lost, on Thurs., Feb 21. We will meet before the performance in RB for dinner (type of food TBA; maybe pizza again, or maybe something even more exciting!), and then walk over to the theater together. We regret that we are unable to offer free tickets this time; however, if you purchase your tickets through the department, they will be available for a discounted price of $5.50, and of course, there will be the always popular free food involved. If you are interested in joining us, please RSVP to Dr. Adam Beach in the Undergraduate Programs office as soon as possible.

A Night at the Theater: Moby Dick Rehearsed

Join GSAB for a relaxing evening of pizza and a play. GSAB will be co-sponsoring ‘A Night at the Theater’ with the English department on Monday March 17th. All faculty and graduate students are invited. We will be meeting in room 361 around 6 p.m. for dinner and socializing, and then walk over to Emens to see Moby Dick Rehearsed a little before 7:30 (The play starts at 7:30). Tickets are $20 for faculty and are buy one get one free--so bring $10 for each ticket you want to purchase. Shawna will be collecting money in the graduate office until March 3rd. We will then purchase the tickets at one time so we can all sit together. Pizza will be provided at no cost (and graduate students are providing desert), but we ask that you bring salad or some small side dish to share if you are able to.

Dancing with the Stars

Congratulations to Brent Blackwell and his wife for their winning performance at Dancing with the Stars in Indianapolis, Jan. 18, 2008.

"What Middletown Read" Research Presentation Jan. 30

Bring your lunch and come to the first “Friday” Forum of the semester, an interdisciplinary research project with Dr. Frank Felsenstein of the English Department and Dr. James Connolly of the History Department, on Wednesday, Jan. 30, at 1:00 p.m. in Robert Bell 361.

The discovery in 2003 of a large cache of late nineteenth-century library records at the Muncie Public Library has led to an ongoing project to develop an open access database that will allow users a unique insight into early Midwestern reading habits. Muncie has already been studied demographically and sociologically as "Middletown", the quintessential mid-American small city, and the new records allow us to explore for the first time its literacy and cultural history. The talk will describe the discovery, its significance, and also some of the main technical questions that need to be addressed when setting up a complex database.

Graduate students will read creative works at Penscape event, Nov. 13

Deborah Mix's new book places Gertrude Stein at the center

In her new book, A Vocabulary of Thinking: Gertrude Stein and Contemporary North American Women’s Innovative Writing, from the University of Iowa Press, Deborah Mix places Gertrude Stein at the center of a feminist and multicultural account of twentieth-century innovative writing. Her meticulously argued work maps literary affiliations that connect Stein to the work of Harryette Mullen, Daphne Marlatt, Betsy Warland, Lyn Hejinian, and Theresa Hak Kyung Cha.

Leslie Wheeler of Washington and Lee University calls A Vocabulary of Thinking an “accomplished work,” and observes, “Mix argues freshly and usefully that Stein provides crucial resources for understanding the innovations of later women writers…she provides subtle, lucid, and convincing close readings of difficult but interesting works.” Read more at the publisher's website >>

Mai Kuha and Liz Riddle to present at Friday Forum Nov. 2

Drs. Mai Kuha and Liz Riddle will present their research "Sorry about Bush, Sweetie The Co-Construction of Solidarity among Strangers through Intimate Style in Apologies," at Friday Forum, Nov. 2, at 2 p.m. in Robert Bell 361.

Thousands of Americans posted personal apologies for George W. Bush’s win in the 2004 U.S. presidential election at sorryeverybody.com, eliciting responses from around the world. In this Friday Forum, Drs. Mai Kuha and Liz Riddle will present upon their findings from over a thousand of the apologies found on this site. Though the apologies posted on the site were addressed to strangers, Kuha and Riddle examined the phenomenon of linguistically framing the apologies as messages to close friends, a strategy to achieve image repair and minimize the gravity of the “OFFENSE” by separating the self from “OFFICIALDOM”.

Mai Kuha to present on southern Indiana speech Sept. 27

Mai Kuha will be presenting on “Indiana residents’ perceptions of southern Indiana speech: Nice and slow" in RB 361, on Thursday, Sept. 27 at 3:30.

The Broken Plate now accepting submissions for Spring 2008 issue

The Broken Plate, Ball State’s undergraduate literary magazine, is now accepting submissions from all BSU undergraduates. This magazine is produced by students in English 489, Practicum in Literary Editing and Publishing. The next issue will appear in Spring 2008.

Mark Neely will read from Dogs of Indiana at Friday Forum, Sept. 28

Listen to Mark Neely read poems from his manuscript Dogs of Indiana and discuss his writing process Friday, Sept. 28, at the first Friday Forum of the fall semester. Professor Neely will also answer your questions about poetry and production. Friday Forum is sponsored by Graduate Student Advisory Board.

The reading will take place at 1 p.m. in Robert Bell 361. Snacks and beverages will be provided.

Visiting writer Debra Marquart to read Oct. 3

Author Debra Marquart will give a reading of her work Oct. 3 at 7pm in Bracken Library Room 225. Learn more >>

English faculty earn top honors

Ball State bestowed its most prestigious honors to two English faculty members during the annual fall faculty meetings on Aug. 17.

The outstanding educators, selected by their peers, received cash awards from the Ball State University Foundation and plaques from the Alumni Association during the ceremony, considered the pre-eminent annual awards presentation for faculty.

Estate funds new scholarship for English students

The gift is from the estate of Janet Ross, a professor emeritus of English who taught at Ball State from 1961 until she retired in 1980. During her career, Ross also taught English as a second language classes to foreign students and was director of Ball State's master's degree program in teaching English as a foreign language.

The gift will fund the English Studies Scholarship to benefit Ball State students pursuing undergraduate, master's or doctoral degrees in English.

Graduating MAs to read their creative works

The graduating MA students will read from their creative works Thursday, April 26, at 7 p.m. in Bracken Library 225. Readings will include memoirs, stories, and poetry.

English department awards ceremony

The English department will conduct an awards ceremony at 3pm this Friday in RB 361 to celebrate the achievements of our outstanding students.

Sean Lovelace Unplugged

Sean Lovelace will talk at an Unplugged event this Friday at 4pm in RB 361. The title of his presentation is “How Metaphor Took Over my Fiction: Or Why All My Characters Explode.” This event is sponsored by Lambda Iota Tau.

Two events in Indy to feature creative writing faculty

Writing Home: The Writers' Center of Indiana's 2007 Gathering of Writers and Readers will feature BSU creative writing faculty members Jill Christman and Mark Neely, along with visiting writer Michael Martone and 17 of Indiana's best writers for a day of classes, workshops, and writing community. The gathering will take place on April 14, 2007 at the Indiana Art Center. For more information, visit www.indianawriters.org or contact event coordinator Victoria Barrett at vdbarrett@bsu.edu.

The Writers' Center of Indiana's Indy Underground Reading series will feature BSU creative writing professor Sean Aden Lovelace along with Michael Martone for an evening of fiction readings, live music, and great company on Friday, April 13 at Big Car Gallery in Indianapolis. Find out more at www.indianawriters.org.

Creative Writing in the Community reading April 12

3/30/2007 - The public reading of excerpts from original works written by students in Barbara Bogue's English 409 (Creative Writing in the Community) in collaboration with their partners from Big Brothers Big Sisters, Heritage Retirement Village, Hillcroft Services, Inc., Motivate Our Minds, and VSA arts of Indiana at Hillcroft will take place in the historic and charming Cornerstone Center for the Arts on Thursday, April 12th, from 6:30 to 8 P.M.

This reading is more than just a showcase of creative works; the event also acknowledges the friendships forged between students and their agency partners. This is an opportunity for your students to venture off the campus grounds to meet citizens of Muncie, to enjoy a historic setting, and to hear examples of fine writing (prose and poetry).Perhaps the reading will fit into or complement an assignment that you've planned for your class.

Fred Johnson wins Distinguished Dissertation Award

3/26/2007 - Fred Johnson has been awarded the Distinguished Dissertation Award for his dissertation, “Net Work: Social Networks, Disruptive Agency, and Innovation in Howells, Fitzgerald, Heller, Pynchon, and Gibson.” He will be given the award formally at the Graduate Student Recognition Ceremony on Tuesday, 10 April 2007, Cardinal Hall A-B. The reception begins at 3 p.m., the Recognition Ceremony will be held at 3:30 p.m., and the Distinguished Thesis Award and Distinguished Dissertation Award will be presented at 4 p.m. Both Fred and Dr. Kecia McBride, his Dissertation Director, will speak at that time.

Kecia McBride selected as Virginia B. Ball Center fellow

3/26/2007 - The Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry recently selected Kecia McBride, associate professor of English, as one of three faculty fellows to teach an immersive, interdisciplinary, collaborative, project-driven and community-based seminar for 2007-08. In Professor McBride's seminar, "The Expectation of Excellence: Girls, Sports and Community," students will study the impact of the Title IX Amendment to the Higher Education Act, prohibiting gender discrimination in athletics, and the work ethic and leadership skills of young girls.

The students will partner with Burris Laboratory School and the Indiana High School Athletic Association to produce a documentary. It will focus on the lives of student athletes who play for Steve Shondell's nationally renowned Burris Lady Owls volleyball team. In addition, the film will feature Birch Bayh, sponsor of the Title IX Amendment, and Pat Summitt, coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteer basketball team. Read more.

Dr. Lauren Onkey Unplugged

3/22/2007 - Today at 4pm, Dr. Lauren Onkey will give a multimedia Unplugged presentation titled “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Write about Rock & Roll.” Dr. Onkey will talk about how she incorporates her musical interests into her academic work, and how students can put their writing skills to work in writing about music.

Dr. Onkey has published essays on Jimi Hendrix, U2, Van Morrison and Bruce Springsteen, and is currently teaching a course in the English Department on racial interaction in rock and rap music. She will discuss how she got involved in writing about music and how English majors can do the same! This session is sponsored by Lambda Iota Tau and will take place in RB 284 (not 361, where Unplugged sessions often are held).

Mary Theresa Seig to present her research on living history

As part of this year's Department of Sociology colloquium series, Mary Theresa Seig, Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics, in the English Department at Ball State University, will discuss her research on talk in Conner Prairie. This presentation will describe a two-phase comparative study of interpreter and visitor interaction which was conducted over four years at the living history museum.

Practical Criticism Midwest Conference February 2

1/31/2007 - The Practical Criticism Midwest Conference will be held this Friday, February 2, 2007 at the Virginia Ball Center for Creative Inquiry. PCM provides a friendly forum for graduate students in the department to present papers to their peers and faculty. Priority is given to first time PCM presenters. The theme of this year's conference is "Alternative Identity: Voices from a Voiceless Generation."

ANNOUNCEMENTS