The English Grad Studies office will be closed from December 17 at 3 pm through the holidays. We will reopen on January 3.

There are still seats available in English 6770!

6770 Folk Art and Material Culture Prof. Lisa Gabbert

This graduate seminar will focus on the history and politics of the idea of “folk art,” as well as specific examples of traditional art and material culture from around the globe. Students will learn to how to read objects not only as finished forms that illustrate various ideas and cultural values, but also come to understand the importance of examining processes, tools, and production in the making of art. In addition to readings, we will watch a significant number of ethnographic films. Requirements include a seminar-length paper of 25 pages, which may be based either in ethnographic or library research. Our books will cover, among other things, topics such as women’s dress in India, Zapotec weavings, neo-pagan altars, and chairmaking in Kentucky. There will also be a number of articles covering theoretical and conceptual approaches. Required BooksDeetz, James. In Small Things Forgotten: An Archeology of Early American Life. Revised and expanded edition. Anchor Books, 1996.
Glassie, Henry. The Potter’s Art. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2000.
Griffith, James S. Hecho a Mano: The Traditional Arts of Tucson’s Mexican American Community. University of Arizona Press, 2000.
Jones, Michael Owen. Craftsman of the Cumberlands: Tradition and Creativity, 1989.
Magliocco, Sabina. Neo-Pagan Altars: Making Things Whole. University Press of Mississippi, 2002.
Shukla, Pravina. Grace of Four Moons: Dress, Adornment, and the Art of the Body in Modern India. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2008.
Wood, William Warner. Made in Mexico: Zapotec Weavers and the Global Ethnic Art Market. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2008. Additional readings will be required

SUU Call for Presentations

Call for Presentations                                                                         Deadline: December 31, 2012

Southern Utah University’s Women and Gender Studies Program, the Community Engagement Center and the Center for Women and Families are pleased to announce a call for papers for the 2nd Annual Women and Gender Studies Academic Conference.  Inspired by the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) 57^thsession  theme, Southern Utah University will host a conference focusing on the issue of “Men, Women, and Violence: Finding a Voice.” This year’s conference will be held March 27-28, 2013, on the SUU campus in Cedar City, Utah.

Michele Weldon, an award-winning journalist at Northwestern University and author of I Closed my Eyes, is the confirmed keynote.  The conference's other featured speaker will be Dr. Catherine Richardson, Métis Assistant Professor in Indigenous Specialization at the University of Victoria.

The conference will explore practical paths of action along with theoretical constructs that relate to issues of violence and gender. Presentations will address a variety of issues from the perspective of academic research, social work, expressive writing, and local community resources.  Academics, social work practitioners, activists, artists, creative writers, community organizers, and undergraduate and graduate students alike are encouraged to submit presentations. 

Suggested topics can include but are not limited to:

• Family Violence
• The Language of Violence
• Relationship Violence on College Campuses
• Alcohol, Drugs and Violence
• Gendered Violence in the Media
• Self-Empowerment and Self-Expression
• Violence and Gender Roles
• Resources and Remedies to Reduce Violence
• Cultures of Violence
• Geographies of Violence
• Resistance to Violence
• Structural Violence
• Violence and Human Rights Violation

At the conference, presenters and participants will engage in discussions and activities to gain a broader knowledge of gender, violence, and related issues.  Presentations may take one of five forms:

• Panel presentation (three 10-minute presentations + 15 minutes of Q&A per panel)
• Paper presentation (30 minutes + 15 minutes of Q&A)
• Poster presentation
• Artistic or other creative presentation
• Other (e.g., facilitated discussion, workshop, video presentation, etc.)

Submit online at    http://suu.edu/womenandgenderstudies/conference.html
Contact:  Rudia Heddings at  rudiaheddings@suu.edu or call 435-865-7860

Idaho State University English Graduate Student Association

Due to the late term in Idaho, as well as considerable interest, we are extending the deadline of the IGC out until December 23rd.

The officers of the Idaho State University English Graduate Student Association invite you to join us for the 8th annual Inter-mountain Graduate Conference at Idaho State University, March 1-2, 2013. The primary theme for this conference is “Growth.” Academia is, after all, about growth. We swell with knowledge and experience as we move through the steps from undergraduates to scholars in the field. The discipline grows with us as we contribute our own research. As graduate students we are uniquely involved in the growth of the discipline as we grow ourselves. How are we as graduate students contributing to the growth of the discipline? How has your research contributed to the growth of a specific focus? What new and exciting focus is on the horizon? How has the discipline itself grown in recent years? In addition, we welcome presentations by graduate students on all areas of literature, languages, film, composition, pedagogy, creative writing, and professional writing. Proposals may interpret the EGSA theme broadly.

This conference is open to graduate students in English and related fields. We are open to panel submissions as well as individual paper submissions. We would also like to invite undergraduate students to submit a proposal, though we ask that you also submit a recommendation letter from an instructor along with your proposal. Please go to www.isu.edu/english/EGSA/imconf.html<http://www.isu.edu/english/EGSA/imconf.html>  like us on FaceBook at http://www.facebook.com/isu.egsa, or email the conference coordinators at egsa@isu.edufor more information.

Please send proposals of no more than 250 words, a working title, recommendation letter if required, and contact information including name, school, degree level, and email address to egsa@isu.eduby December 23rd  2012.

Summer Teaching Opportunities

The Institute of Reading Development is seeking candidates for summer 2013 teaching positions. We seek applicants with an undergraduate degree or higher from any discipline. We provide a paid training program and comprehensive on-going support. Summer teaching positions with the Institute offer the opportunity to:

• Earn more than $6,000 during the summer. Teachers typically earn between $500 and $700 per week while teaching.
• Gain over 500 hours of teacher-training and teaching experience with a variety of age groups.
• Help students of all ages develop their reading skills and ability to become imaginatively absorbed in books.

The Institute is an educational service provider that teaches developmental reading programs in partnership with the continuing education departments of more than 100 colleges and universities across the United States. Our classes for students of all ages improve their reading skills and teach them to experience absorption in literature. We hire people who:

• Have strong reading skills and read for pleasure
• Have a Bachelor's Degree in any discipline
• Are responsible and hard working
• Have good communication and organizational skills
• Will be patient and supportive with students
• Have regular access to a reliable car

We invite you to submit an online application and learn more about teaching for the Institute at our website:
http://instituteofreadingdevelopmentteachingjobs.com/
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