New Associate Department Head and Assistant Department Head 

Welcome New Faculty

Kelley Swilley:  Hometown: Douglas, GA. Both parents teach (my dad is a retired history professor, my mom a retired AFDC caseworker trainer) and have encouraged my interest in teaching; they taught me early on to love reading. In 1991 I earned a bachelor's degree from Shorter College (magna cum laude) and in 1994 I earned a master's degree from Valdosta State University. I am currently working on my dissertation in the nineteenth-century British novel. My other loves include writing, the theater, classic films, and music.

	"My name is Sarah Bowles, and I hail from Richmond, Kentucky.  I graduated in May 2000 from Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in English.  I spent the past year working as an admissions counselor for my undergraduate institution and am excited to be back in the classroom after my year-long hiatus.  I am primarily interested in 20th-century literature, specifically Southern American and Appalachian poetry and prose."
	Alise Chabaud recently earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Louisiana State University (2001).  A Louisiana native, she enjoys Cajun cuisine and dancing.  She is currently working towards a Master of Technical and Professional Communication degree.
	Anna Head is a 2001 graduate of Auburn University and a native of Elba, Alabama. Her interests include linguistics (Southern English) and Southern literature.
	Jerry Hinnen: "I have my BA from Birmingham-Southern College, graduated last May.  I am interested in creative writing, mostly poetry.  I have been married for two years to a third-year veterinary student named Brandy, and we have a cat named Blinky.  I am originally from Dadeville, AL."
	Amy Locklear: "I received my B.A. in English from the College of William and Mary in Virginia and began my graduate M.A. work at the University of North Dakota. My areas of interests include literature as social commentary, the use of history in literature, Holocaust studies/literature and Judaism, as well as the field of Rhetoric & Composition. Originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, I now live in Prattville, AL with husband Shawn and children Christina and Aaron."
	Jessie Lytle: "I'm from Maryland, studied at Hillsdale College, and am here to pursue the English MA and find out about the South.  My interests include philosophy & literature, theatre, teaching, and the outdoors."
	Nate Meier: Nathan earned his B.A. in 1999 from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, at which time he joined the family enterprise of growing corn and raising cattle. Having spent two years longing for a sort of intellectual stimulation neither cows nor cornstalks afford, Nathan is excited to be resuming his scholarly pursuits in the diverse community found here at Auburn.
	Kristen Miller: "I just graduated from LaGrange College (about 45 minutes up the interstate in LaGrange, Georgia) with a BA in English. More than half of my professors did graduate work at Auburn. My main interest is contemporary American fiction. Other stuff I do is teach karate, work as an assistant manager at the theater in LaGrange a few days a week, write, and design web pages."
	Katherine Perry received her MA from University of Texas at Dallas.  Her areas of interest include women's poetry, American contemporary fiction, ethnic studies, and feminist theory.  She likes music, hiking, cycling, and film.
	Amy Nichole Qualls received her undergraduate degree in English from Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. Her area of interest is Early American literature. "I have enjoyed the friendly atmosphere at Auburn so far. Everyone has made me feel welcome. I love to work out in my yard, so I am particularly enjoying the warmer environment."
	Amanda Ray: I received my BA in English from Spring Hill College in 2000. My areas of interest are British Literature, Women Writers, and the development of the fantasy genre. I am working towards my MA in English, with a focus in creative writing. My hobbies including reading, writing, and role-playing games.
	Cathy Rex received her undergraduate degree from Auburn and her MA from the University of Hawaii. Her interests are Early American literature and folklore/fairy tales. She is the mother of two sons, Sam and Will.
	Stephen Rygiel received a BS in Microbiology and a BA in English from Auburn University. "Sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand."
	Heather Vaughan: "Having received my Bachelor of Arts in English from Jacksonville University in my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, I have come to Auburn University to pursue a Master's degree in Rhetoric and Composition. My goal is to teach composition at the collegiate level. While my main focus is writing pedagogy, I enjoy working with international students, and am interested in the area of ESL, which I may incorporate into my studies at the PhD level."

English Department Picnic

Great Books Resources on the Web 

August Wilson, distinguished African American playwright, will be the keynote speaker for this year's symposium, which is titled "Writing Race Across the Atlantic World: 1492-1763."  The symposium will be held September 27-29, 2001, and is designed to "cover the origins of contemporary notions of race in the oceanic interculture of the Atlantic world in the early modern period." For more information, visit the University of Alabama website.

• Jim Ryan's essay on nineteenth-century American literary nationalism, women's reading practices, and Roman Catholicism has been accepted for publication in the journal American Literary History. Entitled "Orestes Brownson in Young America: Popular Books and the Fate of Catholic Criticism," the article is scheduled to appear in 2002.
  
• Barbara Brumbaugh presented "Jerusalem Delivered and [Sidney's] Revised Arcadia" at the 36th International Congress on Medieval Studies in Kalamazoo, Michigan, May 3-6, 2001.
  
• Craig Bertolet presented "The Murder of Janus Imperiale:  Commerce, Competition, and Civic Order" at the 36th International Congress on Medieval Studies in Kalamazoo, Michigan, May 3-6, 2001.

    If you would like to include an item in the "Professional Notes" section of The English Channel, please submit your note to Betsy Smith.

If you would like to include an item in the "Personal Notes" section of The English Channel, please submit your note to Betsy Smith.