CLA: Department of English

Professor Maria Damon will lead a discussion series entitled "Your Heart's Desire: Sex and Love in Jewish Literature" through July at the Highland Park Branch of the St. Paul Public Libraries. Damon, who won a 2006-07 Graduate and Professional Teaching Award, presents works by Philip Roth (July 3), Grace Paley (July 10), Shmuel Yosef Agnon (July 17), Abraham B. Yehoshua (July 24), and Rebecca Goldstein (July 31). To register contact Alayne Hopkins at (651) 366-6488 or alayne@thefriends.org.

Posted by Department of English at 2:52 PM | Permalink

Eric Dregni (MFA '07) will be reading and offering travel tips from his books Weird Minnesota and Midwest Marvels June 25 at the Brooklyn Park Library, June 27 at the Maple Grove Library, and July 9 at the Ridgedale Library, all at 7 pm. Interviewed by the Minnesota Daily about Weird Minnesota, Dregni noted, "We can't be proud of having the Colosseum or the Eiffel Tower, but we can be proud of a talking Paul Bunyan."

Posted by Department of English at 3:54 PM | Permalink

MFA candidate Emily August and 2001 MFA alumnus Michael Seward are among the readers at "OUT @ the Library," a special PRIDE event featuring "some of the finest GLBT writers in the Twin Cities." The reading, presented by the Carol Connolly GLBT Reading Series and part of a continuing library exhibit, will take place 7 pm Wednesday, June 27 at the Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall.

Posted by Department of English at 3:38 PM | Permalink

Laurie Lindeen (MFA ’04) celebrated the release of her debut memoir Petal Pusher: A Rock and Roll Cinderella Story June 16 at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. Lindeen, whose book follows her from teen music fan to musician in the band Zuzu’s Petals, was interviewed by Current personality Mary Lucia. She also read from her book and performed with the reunited Zuzu’s Petals. Other musical guests included Lori Barbero (former Babe in Toyland), Mark Olson (former Jayhawk), and Paul Westerberg (former Replacement). The performance was aired on the Current (89.3 FM) Sunday June 24. Lindeen will read at the Edina Barnes & Noble July 10 at 7:30 pm.

Posted by Department of English at 3:19 PM | Permalink

Medievalist George Shuffleton visits the Department of English this fall semester from Carlton College, where he is assistant professor of English. Shuffleton will teach ENGL 8110-001 Popular Literature of Late Medieval England. He has a particular interest in Chaucer, Langland, and Gower, and his current research focuses on the relationship between miscellany manuscripts and Middle English poetry.

Posted by Department of English at 6:17 PM | Permalink

On Sunday June 3, the Washington (D.C.) Times raved about Eireann Lorsung's poetry collection Music for Landing Planes By, out this spring on Milkweed Editions. Wrote critic Michael Brendan Dougherty: "The lyrical nature of her composition and the surprises that hang at the end of her verses make this assortment of delights eminently re-readable." Lorsung is a 2006 MFA. . . . Steve Healey (PhD candidate) will read his poetry at Minneapolis' Opposable Thumbs Bookstore June 8 at 7:30 pm. Also in Minneapolis, Haddayr Copley-Woods (MFA 2000) will read her fiction at Dreamhaven Books June 28 at 6:30 pm.

Posted by Department of English at 2:47 PM | Permalink