Call for Papers: Caribbean Irish Connections

Professor Maria McGarrity (English Department) is an organizer, along with Alison Donnell (University of Reading, UK) and Evelyn O’Callaghan (University of the West Indies, Barbados), of the conference Caribbean Irish Connections, and she sends along the following call for papers.

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In the middle of a story about a Jamaican woman called Miss Manda, whose speech acts reveal her as both multiply situated and ‘out of place’, the prominent Jamaican novelist Erna Brodber issues a surprising provocation to scholars of Caribbean studies,

I want to know what the Irish, the Scottish, the Welsh gave to the Creole mix as much as I want to know…what particular part of Africa is my heritage…I will solve the African riddle but who will tell me about the others? (Brodber 1998: 75)

Although there has been more recent scholarship on the connections between Ireland and the Caribbean, such as the The Black and Green Atlantic: Cross-Currents of the African and Irish Diasporas edited by O’Neill and Lloyd, there remains still too little conversation between scholars based in Caribbean Studies and those in Irish Studies. This conference aims to open up these conversations as they pertain to history, politics, language, geography, expressive cultural forms, and everyday practices (such as the use of a shamrock passport stamp in Montserrat). We seek the active engagement of scholars working within this highly focused yet potentially broad field to further shape this emerging critical discourse.

Please send abstracts of 250 words and a brief bio to a.j.donnell@reading.ac.uk by June 29, 2012. Presenters will be notified by first week in August.

A special accommodation rate has been negotiated for presenters at Beach View, Paynes Bay, St. James, Barbados, and all conference sessions will be held there. 
beachviewbarbados.com

Registration fees: (including lunches & BBQ supper with drinks on Saturday night):

US & Europe : US$150

Caribbean : US$75

Selected papers will be considered for an edited collection in Palgrave’s New Caribbean Studies series.

Jonathan Haynes: Sabbatical Activity

Jonathan Haynes was on the jury of the Zuma Film Festival in Abuja, Nigeria, in early May.  At the opening ceremony of the festival he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Nigerian Film Corporation.  While in Abuja he was named a Distinguished Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development and took part in a training workshop there in relation to a project supported by the Rockefeller Foundation.  He is now in Lagos, carrying on with his research.

Awards Ceremony

On May 2, 2012, the English Department held its annual Awards Ceremony, at which the following award winners and graduates were recognized.


SIGMA TAU DELTA inductees


John Casquarelli, MFA; Nicholas Conklin, BA; Theresa Gorella, BA; Rachel Jackson, MFA; Gina Pacheco, BA; Willie Perdomo, MFA; Sarah Reynolds, BA; Katiana Sylvain, BA; Ralph Tolbert



Excellence in English Awards for 2011-2012.
(Eligible: students with graduation dates of September 2011, January 2012, or May 2012.)


Graduate (3.8 GPA or higher): John Casquarelli, Aimee Herman, Tony Iantosca, Rachel Jackson, Willie Perdomo, Jessica Wedge

Undergrad (3.5 GPA or higher): Kadienne Bruinsma-Campbell, Nicholas Conklin, Theresa Gorella, Sarah Reynolds, Ralph Tolbert



Elaine Spielberg Award


Bridget Castro



Louis & Ann Parascandola Graduate Award


Laurel Schumacher



Edward Edelman & Susanne Popper-Edelman English Essay Prizes


Core Literature: Josh Lamore


Upper Division: Jahsel Carmichael


Senior Seminar: Jacquelle Morgan



Esther Hyneman Graduate Awards in Poetry & Fiction


Fiction: Michael Grove


Poetry: Felice Bell & Joey Infante


Cross-Genre Writing: Aimee Herman



Barbara Henning Distinguished Service Award


Sarah Walllen

NYCAAPSE Conference

On Tuesday, May 15th, the English Department is collaborating with NYCAAPSE in a one-day conference that brings LIU teachers, graduate students, and high school professionals together for an extended conversation on Our Common Cores - Theory and Practice. In a series of hands-on workshops, we will be exploring our shared values as well as the distinct expectations our students face as they move from high school to college.

The conference begins at 9 AM with a keynote address from Dr. Peggy O’Neill, Loyola University Maryland. Workshops on topics ranging from Teaching and Technology to Writing Fiction start at 10 AM, and the conference ends with lunch from 1:30-2:30 PM. Registration is free, with a $21 charge for lunch. The English Department will underwrite lunch for graduate students and any faculty who need the subsidy.

Last year's conference was a rousing success, in large part because of a strong presence from our department, and we hope that you will join us to make this year's gathering fruitful for all concerned. See flier has for details and the link for registration. For further information, contact Deborah Mutnick, Sealy Gilles, or Leah Dilworth.

Josh Lamore Wins 2012 Career Services Award

Josh LaMore (sophomore English major, Creative Writing concentration) is the winner of this year's Student Service Award from the Office of Career Services. Congratulations, Josh!