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May 2010 A Publication of the Department of English & Literature Issue No. 6 |
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News from the Department of
English & Literature | |
In addition to the English Department's spring event to see Macbeth at the Guthrie, Dr. Keith Jones was welcomed to the theater on March 18 to give a presentation on the universality of Shakespeare.
Eight Northwestern students along with Professors Hougen and McCann recently attended the Faith and Writing Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The group had the privilege of hearing from well-known Christian authors about issues such as vocation, integration of faith and writing, and creative portrayal of truth. | | A local coffee shop was packed with Northwestern students, professors, alumni, and friends for the annual Fine Print reading on April 20. Student writers published in the literary magazine Inkstone shared their poems and prose pieces with passion and candor. |
| Classroom Commentary: ENG2235: Editing and Proofreading |
Editing and Proofreading is a 2-credit course that will do much more than sharpen students' editing skills beyond the Editing Competency Exam. Students will be introduced to the editing process, become familiar with publishing standards, practice with authentic texts and in-house manuals, and talk with editors. Those interested in writing, publishing, and editing as freelance work will love the practicality of this course.
This class will be offered in Fall 2010, so register now! |
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Faculty Focus:
Dr. Helen Aling |
Dr. Helen and Dr. Charles Aling at Kenilworth Castle
What made you decide to major in English? While a sophomore at a community college, I took a survey of British literature where I fell in love with Milton's Paradise Lost, its epic sweep through Heaven, Hell, and Eden as well as its entrancing blank verse. Though I had always been an avid reader, this course stirred something deep within me.
What are your favorite courses to teach?
Each course has its own appeal. For sheer fun, I love my class on Sherlock Holmes. For probing the mystery of evil, Holocaust Literature has no equal. For appreciating my Western cultural roots and for opening doors to British literature, Classic Literature takes first place. Any course with nineteenth-century authors gives me joy. Victorian novels, especially those by Dickens, always pull me into that world, no matter how many times I have read them.
You're known as a lover of all things Victorian. Why is this so?
So many of today's issues were wrestled with a century ago -- evolution and faith, the inerrancy of Scripture, women's roles, the proper function of superpowers in the world, and many more.
Besides serving as chair and teaching, what keeps you busy?
Recently, I have become intrigued with tracing the genealogy of our family, especially those who emigrated from London in the early 1800's. In the summer, my husband and I pack up and head to our cabin on a lake in central Minnesota where we relax, read, swim, and visit friends as well as indulge my passion for garage sales.
What are some of your most memorable summers?
No doubt one is the two months in Luxor, Egypt, where my husband was doing archaeological work at Karnack Temple while it often reached 120 degrees. Another is a college mission trip to the Navajo reservation in Arizona.
What were some of your best times with students at NWC?
Spending three weeks with our students on a bus touring Britain was definitely a highlight. We led three tours, adding Paris to the last one.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Read! Read! Read!
Join our Facebook group "English @ NWC"
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| Featured Student: Rachel Clark |
 What is your major/emphasis and year?
I am a senior English major with a literature emphasis.
Why did you end up pursuing your major, and what has made you stay?I decided to be an English major in tenth grade after getting excited about coming up with a thesis for a paper comparing two novels: Lord of the Flies and A Separate Peace. I took that excitement as a good sign that I was meant to be an English major.
What experiences have you had in the English department that you have valued?
I have valued the time spent in my classes. I love reading on my own, but it is so enriching to discuss great literature with professors and other students. This year my senior capstone in literature was particularly valuable to me. I loved the writing community that was formed between the students and our professor, Dr. Sommers, as we critiqued each other's work and pushed each other to write the best literary analyses that we could. I have also been grateful for the opportunity to be a part of Sigma Tau Delta and present my capstone paper at the convention in St. Louis. One of the greatest blessings, though, of being part of the English department is the people I've gotten to know. What do you plan to do with your major, and what are you doing to prepare for that career or other application?
After I graduate in May, I actually won't be working in an English-related field. God has steered me in another direction for the time being -- playing flute and piccolo in a Navy Fleet Band. Music is another passion of mine, and this past fall, I finished a minor in music. In high school, I felt that God may be calling me to serve in the military some day. I had grown up in a military family; my dad was a hospital corpsman in the navy for twenty years, and we had lived on bases in Japan and Okinawa. I began preparations for an audition then, and last February, I was given the opportunity to audition with the Navy Band in Great Lakes, Illinois. I will be serving active duty as a Navy Musician for at least the next four years, Lord willing. Pursuing an English-related field is still something that may be in my future.
Do you have any advice for incoming freshmen or people here considering your major?
My advice to incoming freshmen is to follow the path God has led you to with your whole heart. Study something you love, and don't worry too much if you don't know "what you'll do with your major." God will make that clear in His own time. Also, you might work in something that doesn't traditionally go with your major, and that's totally fine, too.Studying English and music simultaneously has given me a deeper appreciation for both. How do you feel God has used your major to show you His plan for your life?Choosing my major was a process that taught me to listen to His leading. Being an English major has also taught me to look at literature with perspective and discernment, and these are lessons I've been able to apply to my career and everyday life situations as well. I am largely who I am today because of my four years majoring in here. |
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| Announcements | |
The Department of English & Literature is proud to announce that thirteen new members were inducted to Sigma Tau Delta's Alpha Beta Omega Chapter on Monday, April 12. Congratulations to
Emily Battaglin
David Danielson II
Layna Diehl
Elena Fultz
Heidi Jusczak
Rebecca Kisch
Olga Lelyukh
Ashley Proulx
Kristin Roberts
Stephanie Seaman
Caroline Sebring
Jessica Sly
Chelsea Weber
Other highlights of the ceremony included honoring graduating seniors, senior testimonies, and a report from the 2010 Sigma Tau Delta Convention in St. Louis, Missouri. |
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| Featured Alum: Carrie Noennig | |
Major and Year of Graduation: Writing, 2008
What are you doing these days?
I'm working as a technical writer at LSS Data Systems in Eden Prairie. LSS develops electronic health records for clinics. My job duties include writing online help for our software, creating release notes and functionality guides, and crafting articles for client and department newsletters. I also did a stint as a quality control tester last summer.
How has your English degree from Northwestern helped you (spiritually, professionally, cognitively, etc.)?
My English degree has given me a solid, dependable working knowledge of the mechanics of the English language. This understanding and competency enables me to effectively communicate complex concepts in clear language for our customers (and, apparently, to be alliterative). Lately I've been very thankful for Advanced Grammar and Writer's Style especially. You never know when you'll have a lunchtime conversation about syllable/word ratios.
Any tips for current or prospective English majors?
Be curious. It may sound like a plug to go and see Alice in Wonderland (which, by the way, is excellent), but curiosity really pays off when it comes to technical writing. Secondly, don't be afraid to ask questions. You can never be an expert in everything, but you can make friends and find people who know a lot about things you may not know about. Finally, go that extra mile. Don't stop until excellence is in your grasp.
What is your favorite book or author?
Well, let's face it. I love Jane Austen. I also enjoy Anne Lamott; Bird by Bird is a favorite.
Anything else you would like to share?
While it's important to be faithful in your work, take time to get to know your co-workers and to find out what makes them tick. Work is doubly enjoyable when you love your job and the people around you |
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Summer Reading Recommendations from the Professors
| Professor McCann
I recommend Nicholson Baker's The Anthologist, a novel about an aging poet struggling to write the introductory essay to an anthology he's compiled (action packed, as you can tell!). Also, I suggest Robert Farrar Capon's The Supper of the Lamb, a book about food and spirituality written in the 1960s by an Episcopalian priest that sort of prefigures (in an even deeper way) the whole recent Michael Pollan/conscious eating trend, and Michael McGriff's Dismantling the Hills, a stunning book of poems that pulls a lot of its imagery and narrative from blue-collar life in coastal Oregon.
Professor Hougen
My recommendation, Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2005. Gilead describes the story of an elderly small-town Iowa pastor writing remembrances for his young son about his life. The story is told in an epistle format, beautifully expounding upon themes of grace and forgiveness.
Washington's Crossing by David Hackett Fischer is a well-researched account of General Washington and his troops crossing the Delaware River during the American Revolution. This book brings to life an interesting, little-known piece of history. I would also recommend It's Our Turn to Eat by Michaela Wrong, which depicts government corruption in Kenya.
Professor Johnson The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Wallace Stegner, Angle of Repose, tells the story of an old historian who decides to explore the struggle of his grandparents trying to make a life on the American frontier. The character development is exquisite.
Dr. Aling
If you love The Lord of the Rings, then you will enjoy the classic biography by Humphrey Carpenter entitled simply Tolkien. It is a compelling account of the "man who had been inside language," as Lewis said. If you want to know more about this professor of Anglo-Saxon and his famous circle of literary friends, read Carpenter's The Inklings. The unique world of "clubbable" Oxford comes alive in this work.
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