Congratulations Are In Order: Student Writing Contest

We are excited to share a snapshot of the judge's comments from this year's Student Writing Contest. The English Department is tremendously proud of these talented students and we thank all those who entered their work in the contest.

The winners will enjoy a $100 award and their submission will be published in the student literary journal, Warren.  An official celebration will be held on April 28, 2024.  

            The Baillie Award for the Literary Essay: “Curious Clerval” by Sydney Kyle 

“...It is nicely focused on a character in Frankenstein that deserves scholarly attention. It raises a host of significant points about the character. Research turned up significant sources as the thesis was investigated. The secondary sources and the primary source are utilized effectively. Yet the author’s voice is not undermined in the engaging analysis that is offered..."

The Fuller Fiction Award: “Lamia” by Maya Sites-Kagenski

“The story succeeds at blending myth and reality, shifting our understanding of what a monster is as Mia must contend with a curse while waiting the breakfast shift.  The writer’s omniscient narrator is smart, funny, and relatable as she navigates a harrowing transformation, allowing the reader to feel at home in the fantastical even as it turns nightmarish.”  

The Peters Award for Creative Nonfiction: “Ten Minutes, Ten Years” by Sarah Stambaugh

“I admire the writer’s trust in the reader and the decision-making and craftsmanship in choosing how much to reveal and when.  The writer offers a compelling narrative in language that feels apt and never forced, and within which every detail contributes.  And some of those details, slipped in quietly like a blade, are devastating.” 

The Savage Award for Poetry: “Do Not Look at Me That Way” by Hannah Harvey

“The poet’s use of the recurring lines of the villanelle eerily echoes the predatory behavior of the "you" addressed in the poem. The rhymes are mostly unpredictable and unforced, and the physical details lend a concreteness to the poem that makes the persona's understated emotional trauma all the more visceral and moving. Fine work.” 

Spotlight on Faculty

 Jerry Wemple, MFA, Professor of English, has three poems published in the current issue of Novus Literary Arts Journal: “Coda,” “Luxury,” and “The World’s Tiniest Memorial Day Parade Marches Down Pearl Street in Johnson, Vermont.” 

Wemple is the author of three poetry collections and has a new collection, “We Always Wondered What Became of You,” forthcoming from Broadstone Books. 

~Retrieved from The Triad 5.15.2023

Spotlight on Faculty: National Popular Culture Association (PCA) Conference

Christina Francis, Ph.D., professor of English, presented her paper, “Black Girl Magic 2.0: Blood and Embodiment in Tracy Deonn’s Bloodmarked,” at the National Popular Culture Association (PCA) Conference in San Antonio, TX, April 5-9, as part of the session dedicated to Novel Medievalism.

She also chaired two other sessions dedicated to American Medievalism and Anglo-Saxon Medievalism. Francis is in her 9th year as the area chair coordinator for Medievalism in Popular Culture for the PCA. 

 

~Retrieved from the TRIAD, April 10, 2023

Spotlight on Research

Dr. Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar, associate professor of English (shown at right), and Madeline Charles, a senior secondary education English major (Bloomsburg), traveled to the Writing Research Across Borders (WRAB) Conference in Trondheim, Norway, in February to present their research, “Striking the Right Balance: Different Types and Amounts of Feedback.”

They shared background and results from their empirical research study on feedback, where they found that students were most likely to make changes based on surface-level corrections rather than deeper revisions indicated by criticisms or suggestions. Also, the more corrections the instructor made, the less likely students were to make any changes at all, suggesting that instructors should be mindful of the type of feedback they use and focus on the most important issues in a student’s writing, pushing self-reflection over correction. The category of feedback that was potentially most helpful, suggestion, was by far the least represented, while correction, the least beneficial, was represented the most. The results of this study add to previous research suggesting that, when students are given feedback that pushes them to consider not just the current writing tasks but future ones, as well, students may value the feedback more. 

 

~Retrieved from The TRIAD 2.23.23

Congratulations Are In Order: Winners Of The Student Writing Contest

The English Department would like to congratulate the winners of this year's student writing contest in the following award categories.  We are very proud of your accomplishment!

The Baillie Award for the Literary Essay: “A Society, Spirited Away” by Maddison Price.

Judge’s comments: “The author’s enthusiasm for the film is clear, and the essay stimulates reader interest in the film.  The essay stayed focused on an engaging thesis, and the level of analysis was strong.  I also felt that the author developed ideas with clarity. There was effective summary of important parts of the film supplemented with engaging commentary.”  

The Fuller Fiction Award: “Chapter One of the Sea Captain and Her Lover” by Abbey Bowman.

Judge’s comments: “The story succeeds largely because of its memorable characters, inventive descriptions, and a sure-handed perspective that is both funny and whip-smart. By the end of the chapter, the reader understands that they are about to embark on a journey that is both epic and yet grounded in the messy details that make up real life.”

The Peters Award for Creative Nonfiction: “Untitled,” by Sarah Stambaugh.

Judge’s comments: "There are many subtle instances where the writer reveals snippets of their background while discussing the first six roommates.  I admire the trust in the reader.  I also admire the structure and tone of the essay.  It begins by focusing on six figures (which encapsulates the disassociation) before the writer steps out to really discuss their own situation upon arriving at college.  There is also a compelling objectiveness in the telling here.  The writer wants to help us understand something remarkable and accomplishes this by grounding us in excellent imagery.  They also trust us to bring our own empathy in order to appreciate how challenging and difficult their upbringing must have been.  In that trust, and in the fine decision-making about what to show or tell and what not, lies the power of this piece."

The Savage Award for Poetry: “Hyperphagia” by Maya Sites-Kagenski.

The judge found the piece “musical and wise with compelling metaphorical imagery and strong surprise.”

Shakespeare students Baltimore bound

On Sunday, October 23rd, students from Dr. Christina Francis’s Spring 22 Shakespeare and Fall 22 British Literature I classes attended Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night at the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s venue in Baltimore, MD.

Students had just finished reading and discussing the play in the weeks before the trip. Because the venue uses a thrust stage with minimal scenery and a balcony feature, students were able to experience the play in ways similar to Shakespeare’s original audiences. 

This trip was made possible by funding from the Department of English. 

Faculty Spotlight - Professor Jerry Wemple

Jerry Wemple had his poem “Picture” published in the Summer issue of River and South Review.  https://riverandsouth.com/index.php/2022/06/17/picturejerry-wemple/

He also appeared on a July edition of the Writers of Northern Appalachia program which is livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. Wemple read from new work and was interviewed.

                                           
                 Check out the interview here!

~Retrieved from English Department Meeting kudos on 9/23/2022.

~https://riverandsouth.com/index.php/2022/06/17/picturejerry-wemple/

~https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlG_NyPPGNg

Faculty Spotlight-Dr. Cassandra O'Sullivan Sachar

Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar has had eight pieces published or accepted for publication: fiction in Quagmire Literary Magazine, The Pine Cone Review, Ink Stains: A Dark Fiction Literary Anthology, and Down in the Dirt Magazine; creative nonfiction in Fresh Words: An International Literary Magazine, Impost, and The MockingOwl Roost; and a practitioner article in Educational Leadership.

~Retrieved from English Department Meeting kudos on 9/23/2022.

Bloom English Graduate Dan Hineline Celebrated

BU alumni are go-getters, men, and women, who excel at their jobs and make advances in their fields. 

One such graduate, a 2010 English major, Dan Hineline has recently been honored in Marquis Who's Who for his impressive contributions to the industry of real estate. These are biographical books, in which individuals are selected on their current reference value. 

Dan Hineline's success is a testament to the value of majoring in English. His story shows that you are not confined to a certain job or even a specific field with an English major. English is applicable and adds great value to many industries. And if English is your passion, do not be afraid to explore all that you can do with it! 

Congratulations Mr. Hineline on your success!  

If you would like more information on Mr. Hineline's success, you can access the link below, which takes you to the full article. 

https://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/481441/dan-hineline-celebrated-for-dedication-to-the-field-of-real-estate [24-7pressrelease.com]

Wake Up and Use the Resources!

In this week’s blog post, I wanted to call attention to a resource that we as students fail to use to its fullest extent: the Department of Alumni and Professional Engagement.

Last week, I had the pleasure to sit down and interview the Director for Career and Professional Development of the Dept. of Alumni and Professional Engagement, Wren Frisky. Ms. Fritsky has been with Bloomsburg University for over 5 years and serves as the CoST Liaison and TWC Campus Liaison for BU.

To start, I asked Ms. Fritsky to give me a brief rundown of what the Department of Alumni and Professional Engagement aims to do for students? She explained that the department has two main goals:

1)      To prepare students through networking practice, internships, career experiences, and professional development; they have a special grant, called a Professional Experience Grant (PEG) helps alleviate some of the costs associated with career experience.  

2)      To connect students to alumni so they can have a peek into various industries and make connections that will help them find employment after graduation.

To do this, the department provides workshops on everything from interview preparation to career coaching; from building a network to how to present yourself. The Department of Alumni and Professional Engagement also looks to host events to get alumni back to Bloomsburg to talk about their experience, and possibly connects them to career opportunities. One place you might have encountered the department’s handiwork is the COLA symposium and other BU college conferences. They help recruit and invite alumni to volunteer- as panelists, classroom speakers, experience hosts, and more.

The Department encourages students to get involved with networking platforms like Handshake and LinkedIn, which some of you might be very familiar with. The links below allow you to go directly to the login/account setup page for each of these platforms.  

·       LinkedIn: Log In or Sign Up

·       Students | Handshake (bloomu.joinhandshake.com)

 

Ms. Fritsky recommends that students utilize these resources as much as possible, calling them, “ A student’s best friend!” Social media platforms like these are especially helpful when wanting to build up your network, which the folks at A&PE say is everything when looking for a job or internship. This applies to all students, not just English majors.

Later in the interview, I asked if there were any specific scholarships or job placement for English majors? Her advice to me is to examine and reflect on yourself when you are looking for a job or field of study. Look at what you like or what you do not like. Reflect on your non-negotiables and broaden your search to include jobs with the type of skillset you have, not just what your major says. She also said to look for what makes you happy and to take every opportunity to push yourself to try things outside your comfort zone. Ms. Frtisky’s last point was to understand that college years should be used to try, fail, learn, and try again. In other words, take every opportunity that comes your way, even if you are a little afraid because you never know what can come of it.   

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with, Wren Fritsky or any of the department members at ProfessionalU@bloomu.edu. You can also find them at the Greenly Center 3F downtown.

Say Hello To: Destiny Lyda

 It's time for another "Say Hello To" blog piece!

Credit to Destiny Lyda 

This week I talked to a creative writing major, Destiny Lyda. Destiny is a sophomore here at Bloom. She originally started out as a secondary education major but was quickly drawn to the creative writing track. She told me that through one of her GenEd classes, Foundations of Writing, she became more interested in the English Department and what it had to offer. Destiny explained, "I had a great professor named Dr. Costanzo who talked about English and linguistics with such a passion, it sparked something in me!" She went on to tell me that she had always had a passion for writing and she had even thought about pursuing it but never thought she could. Destiny mentioned her concern to Dr. Costanzo. From there, he encouraged her to check out the other writing classes offered at Bloomsburg and see what happened. 

But what finally tipped the scales for Destiny was after going through field experience in the education major. She realized this was something she wasn't truly passionate about, so she made the decision to follow her dream of majoring in creative writing. 

The transition from one major to the other was smooth and easy. When Destiny entered the English department, her advisor Dr. Wemple helped her navigate the new major.  He added her with picking classes and gave her access to resources and emails if there was ever a question she needed answered. At the start of Fall 2020, Destiny officially became a part of the Creative Writing track here at Bloomsburg University. She told me, "Every single English class I have taken has been the best. I have learned so much and I get to write and read to my heart's content!"

Here at BU, every department strives for student success and encourages students to share their work with many organizations on and off-campus. The English department is no exception. While Destiny and  I chatted back and forth over email, I asked her what was it about the department she liked the most. She replied that organizations like Warren, the literary magazine here at Bloom, was one of those things that she was drawn to. She also commented on the opportunities that arise for amateur writers through contests put out by the English Department or organizations like Warren. 

Destiny also told me that she cannot wait for the semesters to come. She encourages those interested in literature and writing to consider a major or minor in English.  Destiny explained at the end of our communication that she can attest firsthand that English is not just books and writing.  The English Department includes degrees in professional writing or literature. These paths can open many doors for students wishing to have a career with companies and organizations as high-quality writers or publishers. When asked about what should readers take away from this interview, Destiny replied, "There is more to an English degree than you would think. If you have even a slight interest in a class or track in the department, ask! If you want to pursue that interest, the English Department can help."

Say Hello To: Allie Diehl

Last week, I had the privilege of interviewing one of the English Department's Secondary Education majors, Allie Diehl. We chatted over email about what brought her to Bloom, her experience with the department so far, and her future plans. 

Credit to Allie Diehl 

When Allie decided to go to BU to major in secondary education English, she knew she wanted to be in the education department. Growing up, she told me about how she watched her mother’s passion for teaching and quickly decided to follow her mother’s example. Allie remembers she loved to play school, made worksheets for her “students,” and even set up her bedroom to be a makeshift classroom. Besides her obvious childhood love of all things teaching, Allie said it helped that many of her friends had taken classes and majored in education. It also helped that the BU education program is recognized as one of the best in the state.

What Allie didn’t know then was how the English Department would challenge her to improve her overall writing, critical thinking, and analysis skills.  Allie expressed this to me when she said, “I’ve only had a few classes in the department so far, but they’ve all been outstanding. Many of the professors I’ve had have left such great impressions upon me that I’ve gone out of my way to take a class with them again.”

Another aspect of the English department also prompted her to look into becoming a WALES consultant. Her curiosity peaked, Allie decided to look into what WALES’ mission was and became very interested in working there. After contacting Dr. Roggenbuck, she was informed most students are recommended to the program by faculty and the training requires a 1-credit course. Allie remembered, “Once a professor recommended me to WALES, I was so excited. I’m currently taking the training course, and I’m loving it so far. I love the principles WALES stands upon, and I’m looking forward to joining the staff this fall.”

When I asked Allie about why she choose Secondary Education over the other tracks, she told me that she wants to inspire students to become the best individuals they can be and give them a good foundation for their future. She also stressed her love of writing. She did say that she has become more interested in literature since starting college thanks to the department here at BU.

At the end of our interview, I asked about what her future goals were, Allie, said, “Not all my future students will love English the way I do, and that’s perfectly okay. My goal is to have students recognize the value in English studies and allow them to express themselves through what we do in the classroom”. She went on to say that she believes teaching students the content they need to be successful is of the utmost importance. But she stressed the importance of developing ways that were creative and impactful ways she could find that would teach her students to grow both inside and outside of the classroom. 

All credit to Allie Diehl.  

Big Dog Reading Series: Professor Jerry Wemple's Artemas & Ark: the Ridge and Valley Poems

You might know Dr. Jerry Wemple from previous blog posts, written by a past contributor, or perhaps you’ve had him as a professor, or maybe you've just merely passed him on campus pre-COVID. What you might not know about Dr. Wemple is he’s a published poet and a creative non-fiction writer. He has been published in journals and anthologies and has written four poetry collections.

Credit to BU Faculty Page 

Dr. Wemple has also been present with several awards for his incredible work. He was first awarded the Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award in 2000 for his poetry collection, You Can See It From Here. Then four years later, The Civil War in Baltimore was awarded the Word Journal Chapbook prize.  That was only the tip of the iceberg.

Just last year, Dr. Wemple published a new collection called Artemas & Ark: the Ridge and Valley Poems, which was described by WVIA presenter, Erika Funke, as, “Distinctive-lyrical and ballad-like, and a mythical landscape.” Dr. Wemple has been invited to talk about his poetry on both the WVIA radio program ArtScene and the Arts In Bloom of Bloomsburg University Big Dog Reading Series. He also gave a virtual reading for the Big Dog Reading series on February 4^th, 2021 that was streamed live on Facebook Live and YouTube.

If this something that interests you or you want to find out more about Dr. Jerry Wemple’s work, you can follow the links at the bottom of the page. There you can find the link to his interview with Erika Funke from WVIA’s ArtScene and to his virtual reading for Big Dog Reading Series from February 4, 2021.

 

Here is the link for the radio interview

https://soundcloud.com/wvia-public-media/jerry-wemple-february-01-2021?in=wvia-public-media/sets/artscene-1 [soundcloud.com]

 

Here is a link for the reading

https://www.facebook.com/ArtsinBloomBU/videos/873033730178436 [facebook.com]

 

 

 

 

Get To Know Your Department

Get To Know Your Department: Michael Martin Edition 

Credit to Bloomsburg University Faculty Page  

Of all the possible jobs he could end up in, Michael Martin never thought he would be a professor. For his undergraduate studies, he received his bachelors’ degree in History and Humanities from Dana College in Nebraska in 1983. After this, he was on track to become a parish pastor. But obviously, life had other plans. He left the clergy roster to go back to school and get his doctorate at Michigan Technological University in Houghton in Rhetoric and Technical Communication, which boasts one of the top five rhetoric programs in the country. He also received an invitation to do his Ph.D. in Theology at Princeton but turned it down. After earning his doctorate in 2003, he taught as an assistant professor of Technical Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Stout for six years, before receiving a job as an assistant professor and director of the Digital Rhetoric and Professional Writing Program in 2009. Dr. Michael Martin is now the full-time associate professor of Professional and Technical Writing Program in the English major here at Bloomsburg University.

While the good doctor is clearly accomplished academically, his passion for helping his students succeed is equal to his skill in rhetoric and writing. Dr. Martin strives to be there for every individual student that he has, no matter the issue. But during my interview with him, he told me that he had to grow into that role. He explained about the first teaching job he had at the University of Wisconsin being a huge learning curve for himself personally. He told me that through that job, he gained the understanding that being understanding and flexible towards students didn’t mean lowering his standards; it was merely finding the balance of challenging the student to develop their skills while being understanding of circumstances.

On an average day, you can find Dr. Martin juggling his classes, both upper level, and GEP classes, helping high school seniors create resumes and cover letters, advising his student advisees, and overseeing the English Department’s internships, all while making time for not just current students, but alumni as well. Dr. Martin expressed that, “We need to continue to cultivate our relationships with alumni, even after they’ve gone, so they know they’re not forgotten.” He makes a point of staying in contact with many of his former students and alumni as a testament to this belief.

As we finished our interview, I asked Dr. Martin about what he felt the biggest change was that came with teaching students fully online? He replied with this, “The biggest difference for us (educators) is to prepare them for the technologically advanced world that they are going into. We are trying to navigate it at the same time, so how do we prepare them for a world that has been turned upside down? We do so by equipping them with the skills needed to be successful at their jobs when they leave the academic and transition to into the professional.” This is what the English Department and Bloomsburg are all about; providing students with the knowledge needed to not only be successful but to inspire change in the world around them.     

Interviewing Alumni: Sarah Karasek on "The Little Punk Princess"

This week we interviewed alumnus Sarah Karasek about her upcoming book The Little Punk Princess: A Fairy Tale started as an URSCA project (that's Undergraduate Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity if you don't know), that took off. Take a break from studying for finals this week and give this quick little interview a listen.

The Little Punk Princess: A Fairy Tale synopsis: 

Princess is the heiress to the Presidency of America, but she has a dark secret - a deep love of metal, punk, and ska - all illegal contraband under the new ultra-conservative government.  When her secret stash of music is discovered, she is faced with the harsh decision of fleeing her country or giving up her only pleasure forever.

Unable to stand the prospect of a mind-numbing life full of Top 40 playlists, Princess departs through slums, sewers and swamps in search of a mysterious land beyond The Wall. With the aid of several magical friends and a little bit of luck, she makes her way to a place where music and culture flourish. A carnival village where great bands play 24/7 and Princess is invited backstage. But the culture clash may be more than she expected: her designer clothes get dirty, everyone thinks she’s a poser, and she’s asked to wash dishes like a lowly commoner. But if Princess can find a new way of existing in the world, she might just help change it for the better.

(Amazon.com)

Sarah also graciously expanded a little more via email after the interview Check out what she had to say about the editing process and the how the URSCA project helped her: 

"Because I edit as I write, it took me about two and a half months to write my final draft. One of the most interesting things I learned was that my double-spaced word document was seventy-some pages, but the book-form is over ninety. For some reason I always guessed the page count would be about the same.

"Editing is soothing to me. When I edit, it's mostly making sure all the pieces connect. If I don't already have a chapter title, this is when I come up with one and make sure it fits the theme/s.

"I said on the phone that I couldn't have written the book without the URSCA project, but more exactly, I couldn't have written the book so early in my writing career if I didn't have the previous incentive to hardcore study the genre I was writing. This ties in with my emphasis on writing for an audience. If you're writing horror or romance or whatever else, make sure you've read enough things in that genre that you adore so that writing for yourself is that same as writing for that audience. Pay attention to the publishers and journals that you find really awesome pieces in. If you haven't quite found what you want to read yet, try digging deeper. I found bizarro (a very new movement) from surrealism, mostly spurred on by E.T.A. Hoffman who passed away in 1822.

"Shameless plug: Follow me on Twitter @haunted4always. I don't have an author profile on Goodreads yet, but I'd love to see what you're reading there, so feel free so friend me. I go by my usual name, Sarah Karasek."

Be on the lookout for this book in May!

Tips to Stay Sane During Finals Week

Yeah, finals are coming up next week. We all know what that means. The beginning of the semester feels like it happened eons ago, and you can’t remember how to spell basic words. Instead of feeling stressed out trying to remember facts from your seven different classes, try these helpful tips:

Study Advice:

Stop studying the night before – At some point you need to tell yourself “It’s past 1 in the morning, I’ve crammed all I can into my head”. Space out your studying this week. Sleep is important.

Take breaks – People can generally study between 20 minutes to an hour before they start to “crash” or get distracted, so try to absorb knowledge in 30 chunks and take 10 minutes in between to grab a snack or take a lap around the library.

Use all your senses – The more senses you use when studying, the more likely the information will stick in your head. Try reading them out loud, rewriting them by hand, or even singing them. One thing that helps a lot is re-teaching them. Call your parents or siblings, sit down with your roommate, and “teach” them about what you learned this semester.

Test-Taking Tips:

Clear your head – take a few moments before going to your final to close your eyes and breathe, especially if you’re anxious. You don’t have to purge every thought, just take a second to calm your thoughts down.

Get in there with an “I don’t care attitude” – it sounds counterintuitive, but going into a test without worrying over whether it will make or break your grade in class will help you calm de-stress a little.

Self-Care: 

Sleep – If you ignored my advice about not studying the night before—why? Sleep is important!

Eat something – Eating is also important. You’re not you when you’re hungry (Snickers Logo). Hydrating falls under this one, too.

Clean up – Especially important if you’re traveling to go back home for winter break. Take a five-minute break to make your bed, put away some clothes. Decluttering the space around you can help declutter your thoughts.

After Finals?

This is de-stress time. Take some time to celebrate or commiserate with your friends and/or family about how you did, but don’t obsess over it. Let yourself relax. No matter how you did, you just got done with your finals! Good job.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Alumnus Interview with JC Lee

About the movie Luce (2019):

“It's been ten years since Amy and Peter Edgar (Naomi Watts and Tim Roth) adopted their son from war-torn Eritrea, and they thought the worst was behind them. Luce Edgar (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) has become an all-star student beloved by his community in Arlington, Virginia. His African American teacher, Harriet Wilson (Octavia Spencer), believes he is a symbol of black excellence that sets a positive example for his peers. But when he is assigned to write an essay in the voice of a historical twentieth-century figure, Luce turns in a paper that makes an alarming statement about political violence. Worried about how this assignment reflects upon her star pupil, Harriet searches his locker and finds something that confirms her worst fears.” (rottentomatoes)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Recently, I had the opportunity to have a conversation with JC Lee, an alumnus of Bloomsburg University and Juilliard who recently showed his move Luce on campus. We talked about his movie, his career, his methods for how he got from point A to point B in his life, and advice he had for anyone trying to do the same.

The inspiration for the original play came from multiple places and facets of his life, including how he himself is mixed race, and how he’s had to code-switch to fit in with different groups of people in his life, a theme prevalent in his play-turned-movie. He also drew a little bit from his love of superheroes and their own alter egos, and the idea that everyone has a mask that they put on for others.

The movie Luce was originally as play, as we know. Lee has been involved in the theater for basically his entire life, especially during his undergrad at Bloomsburg University, and his time at Julliard. During our conversation, he told me that he’d been writing a bunch of comic stories with superheroes at Juilliard for a while.  Near the end of his time there, he was told that he had to write a “grown-up” story. “I thought, “What does that even mean?” he joked with me, and told me he’d ended up returning to an idea that he’d jotted down in a notebook years ago and written in “Come back to this when you’re 35.” That idea ended up becoming Luce.

The play debuted in 2013, and it was due to the encouragement, prompting and pushing of a friend that it became the movie it is today.

How he got to where he is, Lee told me, is basically through hard work. You have to have a drive, and it’s something people are born with or not. “I have no doubt that there are a lot of talented people in LA,” he said, “but you have to have the drive to go after your goals.” He’s had to support himself for much of his life, and his suggestion on “making it” was to go for it.

Currently, Lee is working on another play, a short movie based on a short story by Stephen King, and series for Apple TV. When I asked him why he took on so many varied forms of media, he told me that working on different genres and forms of media helped to hone his skills.

Following that, his advice is to hone your skills by working on different things, and also to take in everything. Every form of media, books and TV shows and movies and plays, and to take in the bad as well as the good.

Thanks to JC Lee for letting me pick your brain and share your thoughts with the masses.

Meet Our Students: Liana Amadeo

What's your name? Liana (Lee) Rosalie Amadeo
Where are you from? Central Islip, Long Island, NY
What's your major? English, Secondary Education
Minor? Literature
Year? Senior
Literary Strengths? Writing Analysis
Favorite books and/or TV shows? My favorite book is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Why did you become an English major? In 8th grade I had a really caring English teacher who pushed me to be the best I can be and showed me that I was actually good at something when I didn’t truly see any of my strengths. He is one of the many reasons I chose this profession.
Favorite class(es) ever taken? Creative Writing with Professor Koch and Literature for Young Adults with Dr. Stuart
What organizations are you a part of? Warren Literary and Art Journal, Sigma Tau Delta
Favorite subjects to write about, formally or informally? I love writing memoir pieces about my own life. I also like to write about Marvel and Transformers in my free time.
Quick, create a title for a book you’d like to write: A Marvelous Transformation
Now a title for a book about you: Little Lee
Dream job? 12th grade English teacher
Any advice for incoming freshmen or students thinking about taking more English classes? Take something that isn’t in your comfort zone. You may be surprised by how much you love the challenge.

Liana is the Managing editor of Warren Literary and Art Journal, which is currently taking submissions! Check out their social media to learn more: 

Instagram: @warrenbu49

Twitter: @warrenbu49

Email: litmag@bloomu.edu

Big Dog Reading with Wemple and Lawrence

Our own Prof. Wemple and Dr. Lawrence were the guests for the most recent installment of the Big Dog Reading Series.

Prof Wemple introduced the event with a the statement, "November, the worst month of the year," a sentiment echoed by many who prefer warmer weather. Ironically enough, both educators' readings were set in the summer.

Dr. Lawrence started us off with some personal and deeply touching flash (non)fiction and illustrations (and a bonus drawing she added in to lighten the mood).

She began with a flash fiction piece, then led into a series of flash-nonfiction pieces she wrote about her recent discovery of her birth father, following a timeline that started before she was born, and ending in the summer of 2019.

Her pieces explored family dynamics, mother-daughter interactions, including one of her truest lines, “mothers in opera are notoriously bad,” and piecing together parts of the past to create something beautiful out a messy, scattered life.

Best line: “When I was 5, I thought Mr. Rogers was my father.”

Wemple read second, introducing a set of nostalgic summertime poems he wrote during a retreat this past summer.

His six poems were titled as follows: “That Summer,” “GAR,” (standing for Grand Army of the Republic), “Smash Cans,” and “Almost,” “First Visit, South Carolina,” and “Tapies.” 

His prose led us through sun-soaked backyards and parking garages with evocative imagery and engaged all the senses, recalling the nostalgia of summers long past. He connected the past with the present, and engaged the audience: “Of course, everything is connected, even those of you listening to this here and now.”

Another quote: “Because baseball is a metaphor for life, I’m gonna end with a baseball poem.”