Grad Writing Samples

As promised, here are a few writing samples of various styles, formalities, and lengths.  More may be added.  If you would like to submit something, please email arianajp@aol.com.  All papers are linked to with permission.  Copyright remains with the original author.

From Ellen - Freewrite – English 442 

From Ellen – Response – English 530 Branch

From Ellen – 520 Final

From Ryan – Two randomly chosen response papers – English 530 Branch

From Ariana – Seminar Paper on Spirals – English 510 Sexson

From Ariana – Response on Surrealist Poetry – English 550 Keeler

From Brita:

“As for writing samples, I thought the best thing I could send along was this link to my first semester Tricksters class blog.  I think it pretty aptly illustrates the adjustments from undergrad to grad writing style, in both casual and more formal venues.  Anyway, it’s here: http://poorboofy.blogspot.com/.”

 From Ariana – blog for 2nd semester 510 class with links to other blogs from that class: http://ariana510.blogspot.com/.

Fall Organizational Meeting & Officer Elections

Come to the fall introductory meeting for the Associated English Graduate Students of MSU to find out what AEGS can do for you.  Thursday 6 September at 1:30 we will meet to discuss plans for the year, including workshops, social events, fundraisers, awards, and goals.  Come let us know how AEGS can best help you in your graduate student life and career plans.  We will meet in the small English Dept. conference room.

Nominations for Fall 2007 officer elections are now open.  Please email your nominations for Secretary and Treasurer to aegsofmsu@gmail.com by noon on Friday 7 September. 

***No self-nominations, please.  Get someone else to do it for you.  Delegation is, after all, the mark of a good leader.***

Keep an eye and/or an ear out for more on how you can be a part of AEGS, whether as an active member or as Treasurer or Secretary.  See the AEGS constitution for general outline of expectations for officers, and remember, duties can be rearranged to suit individual strengths.  We want YOU!!!

Welcome, New Grad Students

Just a quick note to welcome all of the fabulous new graduate students.  The ride has just begun.  

Don’t forget to attend the lovely reception in your honor on Friday 7 September from 3:30-5 at The Habit.   This is (I’m told) a chance to meet the faculty and current students in a casual, mingling, kind of way (not to mention, free food).

Yes! I do believe families are welcome at English Dept social functions. 

CFP: Preparing for the Academic Job Search

This call for papers came through the listserv in July, but that list has been so troublesome all summer that I just got to read it today. It may still be open, for those alumni who are looking for jobs in academia. -Becker

Kristina Mesaros is looking for personal accounts of graduate students preparing to enter into the academic job market for the forward to the second edition of Dawn M. Formo and Cheryl Reed’s book Job Search in Academe (Stylus Press, 2007).

The forward to the second edition will focus on graduate students’ perceptions of the approaching academic job search and the pursuit of the tenure-track faculty position. You can be anonymous or named and titled. You may contribute a good quote or a case study. Your only time commitment is your email correspondence with me.

Topics I’m particularly interested in include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Preparation you received for the job search
• Advice your mentors gave you about an academic career
• Impressions of academic positions (teaching, research, publishing, serving on committees, mentoring students)
• Preparation and advice you received for the teaching and service expectations of your first tenure-track position
• Advice your mentors gave you about teaching and publishing while in a
  tenure-track position

Please make informal queries to mesar001@csusm.edu