The YAWP: Villanova's Graduate English Program Blog

At 6pm on Tuesday, November 30th, the Villanova University Irish Studies Program will be sponsoring readings from three of Ireland's most notable novelists. Establishing their international reputations, Kevin Barry, Claire Kilroy, and Paul Murray (longlisted for the 2010 Booker Prize) will read from recent works, There Are Little Kingdoms , All Names Have Been Changed , and Skippy Dies. This event will take place at the Villanova University Falvey Library Lounge, located on the first floor. We hope to see you there!

On Monday, November 15th, Dr. Jean Lutes will host a thesis and field exam seminar. Dr. Lutes will detail the necessary requirements, deadlines, and format for each option, as well as answer frequently asked questions. The department is also pleased to welcome back two returning alumni, Mr. Ted Howell and Ms. Tiffany DeRewal, who will speak about their own thesis writing experiences and offer their unique insights into the process. We welcome both first and second year graduate students! The seminar will take place at 7pm in SAC 300 and food will be provided. Please RSVP to Ashley Bentivoglio (ashley.bentivoglio@villanova.edu) by November 11th. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you there!

The Irish Studies Program's screening of "Three Irish Short Films" will take place this Friday, October 29 at 6:00 PM in the Connelly Center Cinema. Three Oscar-nominated short films from Irish writers and directors will be shown: - "Everything in This Country Must" (Directed by Gary McKendry, written by Colum McCann) - "The Secret of Kells" (Directed by Tomm Moore; produced by Cartoon Saloon) - "Six Shooter" (Martin MacDonagh) There will be brief introductions by three English Department Professors, Dr. John Buckley, Dr. Joseph Lennon, and Dr. Hugh Ormsby-Lennon. We hope to see you there!

For those students who are interested in attending our November 1st seminar, please RSVP to Ashley Bentivoglio (ashley.bentivoglio@villanova.edu) by October 25th. Pizza will be provided, so we need an accurate head count. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you there!

At 7pm on Monday, November 1st, the Graduate English Program will be hosting a Ph.D. seminar in SAC 300. There will be a question and answer period mediated by Dr. Lutes, Dr. Lennon, Dr. Quigley, and returning alumnus Don James McLaughlin, aimed towards helping graduate students decide whether or not to pursue a Ph.D. All are welcome to attend, please RSVP to either Dr. Jean Lutes (jean.lutes@villanova.edu) or Ashley Bentivoglio (ashley.bentivoglio@villanova.edu) by October 25th. We hope to see you there!

On Saturday, October 16th, Cynthia Estremera will be performing her original poetry, a letter entitled "And you say Beauty is skin deep..." as a part of the 2010 Hispanic Heritage Celebration. The event, called "Latinas Out Loud: Epistles," will include poet Sandra Maria Estevez as a special featured guest. Cindy is one of 20 participants who will be reading their own short, funny, dramatic, evocative, and often poetic letters to their addressee of choice. This is a family friendly event. The Newark Public Library, as well as hundreds of libraries across the country, have suffered major budget cuts recently, which means many of these wonderful cultural programs are in danger of being discontinued. Please consider supporting your classmate--and the essential work of public libraries--by attending the performance! This event will take place at the Newark Public Library, Main Library, Centennial Hall, Second Floor, we hope to see you there!

At 5:00 on September 10th there will be a reception in the English Department to mark the beginning of the new academic year and to welcome the incoming graduate students. The reception will feature a lot of great food and provide you with the opportunity to speak with the new students and catch up with the graduate faculty members. Prior to the reception there will be a library orientation at 3:30. While many of you probably attended the orientation last year, you are free to go again if you want to refresh your memory or learn about new databases that have been added to Falvey's holdings.