Next Reading Set

New Lit Out Loud strikes again. The next open mic reading will be held on Wednesday, February 18 at 7:00 pm at Fosters Martini Bar (726 Felix Street; 364-4400). If you missed us last time, come read and hang out at the third open mic in this series!

Canvas Staff Requests Submissions

Canvas staff members are looking for submissions for the sixth edition! All students , faculty, staff, and alumni of Missouri Western State University are encouraged to submit to the journal.
We are looking for creative works of unpublished fiction and non-fiction manuscripts up to 3,000 words, poetry (not exceeding five pieces), photographs in black and white not larger than 10"x12", and art for the new cover.

Submissions can be mailed, electronically submitted on the website (http://www.missouriwestern.edu/orgs/canvas/) or dropped off to the English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism office in Eder 222.

For more details please check out the website or contact Katy Strasser at kstrasser@missouriwestern.edu.

Adkins Textbook the Latest in EFLJ

Dr. Kaye Adkins has published a textbook for introductory technical communication courses. The seventh edition of Technical Communication A Practical Approach is now available. (Look up Kaye Adkins on Amazon.) In April 2007, an editor at Prentice Hall asked Dr. Adkins to take over responsibility for the book, which was in need of serious updating and revision. ("The first thing I did was remove all references to drafting tables and word processing departments") Although William S. Pfeiffer is listed as co-author, Dr. Adkins had sole responsibility for the revisions in the seventh edition, and she will revise future editions. Two technical communication majors, Ted Koehler and Rachel Stancliff, conducted research and helped create new models for the textbook.

Congratulations, Kaye!

New Lit Out Loud (even without microphone)

New Lit Out Loud was at it again, Wednesday, January 21st, at Fosters Martini Bar. For a few entertaining hours, Emcee Dana Andrews herded cats with fine voices. A dozen faculty, students, and opportunistic community members shared their work with a lively crowd.

The reading, brought to you by The Mochilla Review, is the first of several to be scheduled this spring semester, so keep your eyes open, which you can do at Fosters Martini Bar because it is smoke-free.

More to come.

Jason Youngkeit Publishes Interview

Dr. Jason Youngkeit has had published an interview with Argentine author Mempo Giardinelli in Alba de América 27 (2008): 551-557. The author is an internationally known Argentine author (novelist/short story writer/essayist). His works have been translated into 15 languages and he has received numerous literary prizes. Discussion topics include how his literary career began, the sources of his artistic creativity, how his works have reflected Argentina's infamous military dictatorship '76-'83, and also how he defines himself.

Faculty Present at Developmental Education Conference

Dawn Terrick, Bill Church, and Jeanie Manning made a presentation entitled "Developmental Education Learning Communities: Successes and Challenges" at the 13th Annual National Learning Communities Conference, held at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, MO, November 13-15, 2008.

Faculty and Students Serve as Judges

English faculty members Jane Frick, Patricia Brost, Meredith Katchen, Joe Marmaud, and Tom Pankiewicz, MWSU graduate assistant Erin Walker, and MWSU English majors Josie Clark and Kyla Ward were part of the cadre of Missouri educators participating in the national and Missouri Scholastic Writing Contest Preliminary Judging Sessions held in Blum Union on January 10 and 17. In two marathon Saturdays, the cadre scored over 3000 At-Large and 193 Missouri Region personal essays, poems, senior portfolios, science fiction, short stories, short-short stories, dramatic scripts, journalism, and humor pieces submitted by middle- and high-school students from throughout the United States, including those from sixty different schools in Missouri. This was the first year Missouri Region sessions and the sixth year that the At-Large scoring sessions have been held at MWSU. Jane Frick coordinated the scoring and facilitated the norming sessions which were sponsored by Prairie Lands Writing Project with funding for scorers provided by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers.

Ferguson's Book Debut

Susan Ferguson (BA English/Writing emphasis, 1985) has written and published Pass English Comp: The Study Guide for Critical Thinking, Rhetoric, and College Writing.

The release date of the book, published by Susan's company, Ninth Month Publishing Co., is Jan. 16, 2009. The book has potential in the college textbook marketplace as a resource for students in English composition and college writing classes who need to have the concepts of critical thinking, rhetoric, and college writing broken down into easy-to-read language with diagrams and examples. The book is the result of Susan's two-year stint as a graduate teaching assistant at Northern Arizona University (M.A. English-Creative Writing, 2008). The book is available for sale online at www.passenglishcomp.com.

Another successful writer brought to you by your friendly, neighborhood EFLJ. Congratulations, Susan!

Ann Thorne's Genes to Live On

Ann Thorne is now a grandmother, making only the second grandparent in EFLJ (Grandma Jane Frick--just ask to see pictures). This means either that we are a young department or that our children are lazy.

Annabelle Marie Thorne, daughter to Ann's son Jacob, was born on January 10 (8 pounds, 2 ounces, and measuring 22 inches). Mother Paulette and Little Thornelette are doing well, though it's just now dawning on Jacob that things will be different.

Congratulations, Gramma Ann!

New Lit. Out Loud

EFLJ's literary magazine, The Mochilla Review, is holding an open mic reading as part of what the editorial staff hopes will be a series of readings called "New Lit Out Loud." The first reading will be held Wednesday, January 21st, 7:00 pm at Fosters Martini Bar (726 Felix Street; 364-4400).

Come one and all to read, listen, and enjoy the Fellowship of Words.

Distinguished Alumni Award to Cheri Kempf

Cheri earned an English degree with a public relations emphasis in 1985 and is the owner and pitching instructor at Worth Club K, a national training facility for softball players. Since she opened Club K in 1991, she has taught and trained thousands of athletes at her main facility near Nashville, Tenn., and at several satellite locations.

Cheri, a member of Western Athletics Hall of Fame, has consulted with the Amateur Softball Association and the United States Olympic Committee to develop universal standards by which to teach fastpitch pitching, and she is a popular television analyst for college and professional softball. She has been seen and heard on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox Sports, the YES Network, Cox Sports Television and Comcast Cable Network.

Cheri is the author of "Softball Pitching Edge," and the inventor of two softball training devices - the Spin Right Spinner and the Powerline Mat.

"As a student-athlete, I was in the right place, size-wise, and I liked being in my hometown so my family could see me play," said Cheri, who played softball, tennis and basketball as a Western student. "I’m very happy to get the award."

*The above comes from page 23 of the Winter 2009 issue of Western (The Magazine of MWSU)