Tag: conference

March 22, 2023 English Corner Student Voices, Student Voices

A student-to-scholar transformation

Pictured L-R: Dr. Christian Smith, Dr. Emma Howes, Kelsie Crough, Jennifer Terry, and Peyton Barrett

For many student writers, attending a nationwide conference and presenting original work is one of the first steps to establishing their professional identities. On March 29-April 1, 2023, three students from the English department will, for the first time, attend a Sigma Tau Delta (STD) conference in Denver, Co. to showcase their work.

Sigma Tau Delta is an international English Honors Society that provides spaces for networking and honors graduate and undergraduate research in English studies. The conference invites its chapters and respective advisors from various universities across the globe to share experiences and ideas, be recognized for their achievements, and meet numerous respected authors. Aside from present their own work, students at this conference will celebrate Toni Morrison’s contributions to the English field; attend a lecture with Nicky Beer, writer and poetry professor at the University of Colorado Denver; and explore Brenda Peynado’s short story collection The Rock Eaters. We had a chance to chat with the three students attending, all of whom are also officers in the CCU chapter of Sigma Tau Delta: Jennifer Terry (president), Kelsie Crough (co-vice president), and Peyton Barrett (treasurer). The students discussed both their conference presentations and their expectations.

Terry will present three original poems: “Drifting Too Far,” “Pawn Shop Electric Bills,” and “Adoration of the Ages,” the latter of which has recently been published by LoftBooks. All three poems focus on the different manifestations of love. “Since poetry is part of who I am,” said Terry, “it made sense for me to submit [poems] to the conference.” Terry noted that since Coastal Carolina University’s chapter of STD has not been to the national conference in many years, she has high expectations for the event.

Since poetry is who I am, it made sense for me to submit [poems] to the conference.

Jennifer terry

“I am most looking forward to exploring a new place with Kelsie, Peyton, and the advisers while we interact with other chapters of the Sigma Tau Delta organization and listen to some great readings of all sorts of writing and research,” said Terry.

  Crough will present “Fire in the Glass House,” an original short story she wrote in a Fiction II class with Jason Ockert, professor of creative writing. The second-person narrative employs magical realism in its exploration of Crough’s anxieties about losing a loved one. “I chose this piece for a few reasons,” said Crough. “First, I believed that it highlighted my skill as a writer and showed an emotional depth to my writing. Second, it was an unpublished piece that felt…ready for the world to see.” Like Terry, Crough is excited to meet and network with other writers, yet she is also eager to present her work to a large, professional audience for the first time. The conference presentation is “such a unique experience that not a lot of young writers get to do,” said Crough, “and I am looking forward to getting that experience and making memories that I can reflect on as I grow as a writer.”

Crough presented her poem at a recent Brown Bag Lunch event, sponsored by the English department’s Student Success Committee

 Barrett will present an academic paper on discourse surrounding sexual violence, specifically regarding agency and how we can relocate that agency to benefit victims of sexual violence. Barrett’s interest in the topic stemmed from her composition and rhetoric course with Dr. Howes, a CCU associate professor in Composition and Rhetoric and one of the advisors for Coastal’s STD chapter. Through her research, Barrett found a significant lack of education surrounding sexual violence discourse—a fact she wanted to change. “I felt that this research was…something most people have never heard of or didn’t know much about,” said Barrett, “so it felt right to submit this paper for the Sigma Tau Delta conference.” Barrett is also excited to learn from the other writers presenting at the conference and to see what new conversations and pieces are entering English studies. “I know there will be a lot to learn and experience at this conference, and that’s probably the best part of this trip,” said Barrett.

Barrett presented her academic work at the Brown Bag Lunch event as a preview to the conference.

All three students said that support from their professors and friends, specifically Dr. Howes and Dr. Smith, another STD advisor and associate professor in Composition and Rhetoric, motivated them to attend this conference. “[Dr. Smith] was very encouraging to Kelsie, Peyton, and I about what we wanted to submit and was there for guidance if we needed it,” said Terry.

Smith urges current and prospective students in Sigma Tau Delta to submit their work to the next conference. “This is a fantastic opportunity,” said Smith, “and our students attend a school that sees that [and] is willing to help them get there.”

These students delivered a preview of their presentations at the recent departmental Brown Bag Lunch event, sponsored by the Student Success Committee.

March 6, 2023 English Corner Student Voices

Walking the professional walk: MAW students at AWP

For writers, walking into a room full of renowned authors is like a child walking into Disneyland; the awe is palpable. This week, several CCU graduate students will travel across the country to have just that experience.

Five students in the Master of Arts in Writing program at Coastal Carolina University will be attending the 2023 Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference and Bookfair in Seattle, Washington later this week. The Association of Writers and Writing Programs (A.W.P.) is a community-based organization created to provide networking opportunities for writers. The official A.W.P. website expands on this by discussing how the mission of the association is to provide support, advocacy, and resources to writers, providing a great opportunity for students interested in creative writing to visit Seattle.

The four-day annual conference is a gathering of creative writing professors, students, teachers, writers, editors, and publishers to exchange ideas and discuss within the writing community. The event will feature speakers, panels, and a bookfair. The bookfair is used to promote graduate schools, literary journals, publishing houses, and a multitude of other programs and job opportunities aimed to assist creative writers. Manny graduate students attend to scout for jobs, further education, and even to discover new authors.

Joe Oestreich, the associate dean of the Edwards College at CCU, has been a frequent flyer at the A.W.P. conferences since 2004, when he attended his first conference as a graduate student with Ohio State University. Oestreich says he was initially intimidated by the size of the convention, but when he went back the next year he quickly came to the realization that “the creative writing world is a beach, and this is the whole beach.” He is also excited for students to be able to attend this year to connect with other writers, editors, and publishers working in the same field. Oestreich believes the A.W.P. conference is a great opportunity for graduate students to network and make connections that, in his personal experience, can last a lifetime.

 One current CCU M.A.W. student, Lilith Yurkin, plans to attend the conference and is looking forward to seeing the panelists and meeting new people in the field. Yurkin says they are most excited to see panelists Stephen Graham Jones and Silvia Moreno Garcia, two speculative authors speaking at the conference. They also said, based on the conference’s offerings, the event is “much more diverse than [they] had expected” and includes a wide range of events consisting of “people talking about anything from AI technology to writing as a queer person.”

An aforementioned author attending the conference, Stephen Graham Jones, has published nearly 30 books ranging in genres of horror, crime, and experimental fiction. Jones is a Blackfoot Native American author who leans on his experience in cultural identity in his recent novel, The Only Good Indians. Silvia Moreno Garcia is a Mexican Canadian novelist, most notably known for her TikTok famous novel, Mexican Gothic, which was published in 2020. Along with these two reputable authors, there will be thousands of other creative writers in attendance at this year’s convention.

Catie Zimmer, a current M.A.W. student who plans to attend the conference, says she’s looking forward to seeing Keetje Kuipers and Jericho Brown, two award-winning poets who will be attending the conference. Zimmer has admired these poets from afar but is especially excited to see them in person. Kuipers is going to be discussing poetry in terms of motherhood, trauma, and sexuality in a year of political turmoil and change. Brown is scheduled to discuss his personal experience as a black writer and poet. Zimmer will also be working at the bookfair to promote CCU’s Master of Arts in Writing program.

While many famous, world-renowned poets and novelists will be in attendance, some of Coastal Carolina University’s own professors will be presenting their works in front of larger audiences. For example, Dan Albergotti, Amira Hanafi, and Oestreich will be signing their own works of creative fiction during the bookfair portion of the convention.

The M.A.W. program has provided for students to attend the A.W.P. conference for 10 years now and has received positive feedback from excited participants.

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