- Newsworthy: Don Cunningham Retiring After 16 Years at Auburn University
- English Hour - "Star Wars: Mythology of Our Time, or Bad Art?" - Today - April 27 - 12 pm in 2454 Haley Center
- Screening of Dan Griffin's Documentary Carson McCullers: Lonely Hunter - Thursday - April 28 - 4 pm in Draughon Library Auditorium
- CLA PETL Awards Ceremony and Reception - Friday - April 29 - 3 pm at Telfair Peet Theatre
- "The Quilts of Gee's Bend are Coming: What Do We Do With Them?" - Monday - May 2 - 12 pm in 2454 Haley Center
- EGO Spring Reception - Monday - May 2 - 6:30 pm at St. Dunstan's
- 6th Annual Tweed Classic - Tuesday - May 3 - 8:30 am at the Short Course at Grand National
- Lead Teacher Meeting - Wednesday - May 4 - 10:30 am in 3104 Haley Center - Lunch at 12 pm in 8009 Haley Center
- Undergraduate Jonnie Lane to Present Paper at Women's Studies Student Paper Forum
- Alumni and Awards Celebration Pictures
Newsworthy: Don Cunningham Retiring After 16 Y
ears at Auburn University
Don Cunningham, Coordinator of Technical and Professional Communication, will retire in May after 16 years of teaching at Auburn University. One of the founding members and a Fellow of the Association of Teachers of Technical Writing, he began the organization's journal, The Technical Writing Teacher, and served as the editor of the journal for 11 years.
Cunningham participated in the development of technical writing programs at Morehead State University, Texas Tech University, and Auburn. He is also a Fellow of the Society for Technical Communication and recipient of the STC Jay R. Gould Award for Excellence in Teaching Technical Communication.
After his retirement, Cunningham and his wife, Pat, will relocate to their new property in Cooper County, Missouri, which they have formally christened "Two Ponds." He looks forward to spending his time mowing the 9.5 acre property, gardening, or enjoying his hammock on the banks of the back pond, where two Canadian geese have taken residence.
Cunningham will, when the mood strikes him, conduct research and write about his great-great-great grandfather, Ira P. Nash, one of the earliest settlers in Missouri who is mentioned in most histories of the state, but whose life has never been fully documented. Cunningham will also continue to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees of Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri.
He will be missed!
English Hour - "Star Wars: Mythology of Our Time, or Bad Art?" - Wednesday - April 27 - 12 pm
The final English Hour of the year will be a brown-bag lunch session on Wednesday, April 27, at 12 pm.
In anticipation of the May 19 release of Star Wars Episode 3, Revenge of the Sith, Timothy Dykstal, James Truman, Craig Bertolet, and Keith Gibson will debate the question: “Star Wars: Mythology of our Time, or Bad Art?”
Screening of Dan Griffin's Documentary Carson McCullers: Lonely Hunter - Thursday - Apr
il 28 - 4 pm in Draughon Library Auditorium
Filmmaker Dan Griffin will screen his latest documentary Carson McCullers: Lonely Hunter on Thursday, April 28, at 4 pm in the Draughon Library Auditorium. A lecture by Griffin and question-and-answer session will follow the 40 minute documentary.
McCullers, Columbus, GA native and author of The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Member of the Wedding, and Ballad of the Sad Cafe, was a literary celebrity by the age of 25. Among her friends were Tennessee Williams, Marilyn Monroe, Eudora Welty, and Edward Albee.
Griffin served as a producer for "Good Rockin' Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records" for the PBS series American Masters, as well as for concert films for Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi. He has also worked with artists Garrison Keillor, Donald Fagen, Jackson Browne, and 10,000 maniacs.
While researching Lonely Hunter, Griffin interviewed Arthur Miller, Horton Foote, and several of McCullers's other literary friends and colleagues. His documentary includes interviews with Miller, Foote, Edward Albee, Alan Arkin, Simon Callow, Moby, and John Ziegler, among others. Also, McCullers's family gave Griffin rare audio and film footage to be used in his documentary. Lonely Hunter features new songs by artists such as Jackson Brown, Marshall Crenshaw, Aimee Mann, Carly Simon, and Suzanne Vega.
Sponsored by the English Department and the Center for the Arts & Humanities, the program is being held in conjunction with The Acting Company's performance of The Heart is a Lonely Hunter on Monday, May 2, at 7 pm at the Telfair Peet Theatre. This performance is an adaptation by Rebecca Gilman, a talented contemporary playwright.
For more information, please call 334-844-4948.
CLA PETL Awards Ceremony and Reception - Friday - April 29 - 3 pm at Telfair Peet Theatre
The annual College of Liberal Arts Promotion of Excellence in Teaching and Learning (PETL) Awards ceremony will be held on Friday, April 29, at 3 pm at the Telfair Peet Theatre to honor exemplary teachers. Wayne Flynt of the History Department will be the featured speaker. A reception catered by Terra Cotta will follow the ceremony.
"The Quilts of Gee's Bend are Coming: What Do We Do With Them?" - Monday - May 2 - 12 pm in 2454 Haley Center
Alicia Carroll and Katherine Perry will present information on incorporating the quilts of Gee's Bend into curricula in preparation for the exhibition at The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art in Fall 2005. More information about "The Quilts of Gee's Bend in Context" can be found online.
EGO Spring Reception - Monday - May 2 - 6:30 pm at St. Dunstan's
The English Graduate Organization will host a reception honoring both students and faculty. As the faculty of this department have, for many years, been gracious enough to show their support by hosting the reception, this year EGO would like to invite the entire faculty as honored guests.
Graduate students have enjoyed this opportunity to gather together in the past, and hope faculty will join them at St. Dunstan's on Monday, May 2, to celebrate all of their shared achievements and the end of another academic year. The festivities will begin at 6:30 pm and end around 9:30 pm.
Children are welcome. Food and drinks will be provided as has been the tradition.
Please mark the evening in your calendars and join EGO for what should be a lovely time! Contact Katharyn Privett, Katherine Perry, or Eva Shoop for additional information.
6th Annual Tweed Classic - Tuesday - May 3 - 8:30 am at the Short Course at Grand National
Golfers will once again tee-up in the annual quest for the honor of donning the tweed jacket in the English Department's Tweed Classic, the golf tournament that mixes Department Heads and duffers in an annual rite of passage into summer. This is a "best ball" tournament, which means everyone gets to hit every stroke, but you only play (and score) the one that comes closest to the pin. Any group of four has a legitimate shot to win, especially if we group the teams well.
The tournament will begin at 8:30 am on Tuesday, May 3, at the Short Course at Grand National at Opelika. Afterwards, teams will reassemble in a neutral spot for lunch, libations, and the awarding of the coveted Tweed. Contact Timothy Dykstal or Jon Bolton if you're interested.
Lead Teacher Meeting - Wednesday - May 4 - 10:30 am in 3104 Haley Center - Lunch at 12 pm in 8009 Haley Center
Lead Teachers are established English faculty who train first-year GTAs to teach in our Composition Program. GTAs gain valuable information about best teaching practices and program guidelines. Lead Teachers gain some assistance with their courses (though mentoring, of course, is a time commitment in itself).
Before the semester ends, we would like to get together all faculty who have served or may want to serve as Lead Teachers to discuss experiences in and get suggestions for improving the program. We want to discuss topics such as the co-teaching agreement, expected time commitment, the respective responsibilities of Lead Teacher and GTA, and more. The meeting will be held from 10:30 am until 12 pm in 3104 Haley Center.
This is not the beginning-of-the-year workshop. (The Fall workshop is scheduled for Friday, August 12.)
If you have been or may want to be a Lead Teacher, you are urged to attend this meeting. Lunch will be served at its conclusion in 8009 Haley Center.
Undergraduate Jonnie Lane to Present Paper at Women's Studies Student Paper Forum
Jonnie Lane, senior in English, is one of the four undergraduates selected to present at the Women's Studies Student Paper Forum on April 28. Her paper is titled "`Getting your Freak On': Pornography in African-American Novels and the Black Relationship." The Forum is from 2 to 5 pm in 202 Foy.
Alumni and Awards Celebration Pictures
The Alumni and Awards Celebration, held on Thursday, April 21, was a great success! View a slideshow of pictures from the event here.
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Last updated April 27, 2005