An Immersive Approach</h1> <article> <h1>An Immersive Approach</h1> <p>azaleski — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 20:45:12 +0000</p> <span>An Immersive Approach</span> <span><span>azaleski</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-19T15:45:12-05:00" title="Thursday, February 19, 2026 - 15:45">Thu, 02/19/2026 - 15:45</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Learning that scholarly work goes hand-in-hand with having a creative practice was transformational for Leah Flax Barber ’18. </p><p>The <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-literature">comparative literature</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/german">German</a> double major started cultivating this approach as a first-year student at �鶹��Ƶ.</p><p>Encouraged by a professor to discover what it means to establish a lyric practice in the 21st century, she started writing longhand in composition notebooks. </p><p>Years later, she followed this same method when shaping her first volume of poetry, 2025’s <em>The Mirror of Simple Souls</em>, while earning an MFA in poetry at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.</p><p>Throughout the collection, the tension between freedom and constraint is a thematic thread. Barber positions a pair of interests—theatre and mysticism—in conversation with one another. For example, Barber resurrects Columbina, an actress figure of the commedia dell’arte, as a vehicle for understanding her own destiny as a soon-to-be historical subject. </p><p>“The fragmentary return of historical forms in others is woven throughout my work,” Barber says.</p><p>The title, which is taken from an early 14th-century text also called <em>The Mirror of Simple Souls</em> by the French author Marguerite Porete, reveals her affinity for lenses, or breaking down ways of seeing. <br><br>It the titular poem, Barber suggests: </p><blockquote><p><em>That a book is a mirror</em><br><em>It cures the soul of its complication</em><br><em>By manipulating its reflection</em><br><em>Or revealing it</em></p></blockquote><p>A Chicago native, Barber chose �鶹��Ƶ for its emphasis on the arts and remembers being fully immersed in her college experience: reading German plays, attending TIMARA concerts, and studying away in Berlin. <br><br>“I had boundless curiosity and excitement for learning while at �鶹��Ƶ,” says Barber, who credits multiple mentors with helping her cultivate creativity and contemplate the responsibility of the poet in the world.</p><p>Working closely with John “Jed” Erickson Deppman, the late Irvin E. Houck Professor of Comparative Literature and English, further deepened Barber’s understanding of life and the world around her. Professor of Comparative Literature <a href="/stiliana-milkova">Stiliana Milkova</a>, meanwhile, taught her to respond to the intertextuality of literature.</p><p>Barber’s passion for working with first-year students, and paying forward the very guidance she received as an undergrad, endures in her post-�鶹��Ƶ work. She received the inaugural Peggy Woods Award for Innovative Teaching from the UMass-Amherst Writing Program in 2023 and was later selected for the university’s 2023-24 Instructional Innovation Fellowship.</p><p>“I have always enjoyed the freedom to focus on the work,” she says. “I never felt like teaching took away from my art.” </p><p>Last year, a lifelong love of learning landed her back in the classroom at the University of Chicago Law School, where she is a Rubenstein Scholar and focuses on child advocacy. </p><p>“I work for the Juvenile and Criminal Justice Clinic, which provides pro bono representation to young people who are accused of delinquency or crime, as well as to individuals who were convicted as youth and are now serving extreme sentences,” Barber says. “I also have scholarly interests in Roman law and early Christianity which I am exploring in classes in the law school and also the university’s divinity school.”</p><p>Meanwhile, <em>The Mirror of Souls</em> has received praise from the <em>Harvard Review</em> and <em>Bomb</em> magazine. With loose structural parameters, the poet’s daily practice continues—although she no longer numbers her notebooks. <br><br>In retrospect, the principle takeaway from Barber’s time at �鶹��Ƶ endures: “Being an artist can be complementary to everything in one’s life.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Leah Flax Barber ’18 established a creative practice at �鶹��Ƶ—resulting in a debut poetry collection, "The Mirror of Simple Souls."</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-02-19T12:00:00Z">Thu, 02/19/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item"> Hannah Van Sickle</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25316">Comparative Literature</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/stiliana-milkova" hreflang="und">Stiliana Milkova</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-literature" hreflang="und">Comparative Literature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/german" hreflang="und">German Language and Literatures</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Leah Flax Barber ’18</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Sheera Talpaz to Study Poets of Israel and Palestine as Fulbright U.S. Scholar</h1> <p>eburnett — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 21:09:10 +0000</p> <span>Sheera Talpaz to Study Poets of Israel and Palestine as Fulbright U.S. Scholar</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-07-06T17:09:10-04:00" title="Thursday, July 6, 2023 - 17:09">Thu, 07/06/2023 - 17:09</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><a href="/node/252571">Sheera Talpaz</a>, an assistant professor of <a href="/node/3356">comparative literature</a> and <a href="/node/3416">Jewish studies</a> at �鶹��Ƶ, will spend the 2023-24 academic year in Israel and Palestine as a <a href="https://fulbrightscholars.org/">Fulbright U.S. Scholar</a>. Her research there will support the completion of a forthcoming book on national poets of the region.</p> <p>Talpaz, who earned a PhD in comparative literature from Princeton University, specializes in modern Hebrew and Arabic literatures with a focus on the intersection of politics, poetry, and literary reception. As part of Fulbright’s Middle East and North Africa Regional Research Program, she will study the phenomenon of the national poet in Jewish/Israeli and Palestinian literature and culture.</p> <p>Through her research, she seeks to define the concept of the national poet and include close looks at the works and reception of poets like Yehuda Amichai, Mahmoud Darwish, and Haim Nahman Bialik, as well as the marginalization of female poets like Fadwa Touqan and Esther Raab.</p> <p>“Although these poets have been discussed and written about extensively, the ideas or phenomena of the ‘national poet’ and ‘national poetry’ have not been adequately defined or comprehensively historicized to account for national poetry in Hebrew/Israeli and Palestinian cultures and literatures,” she says.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">�鶹��Ƶ professor’s research will culminate in a book on national poets of the conflict-riddled region.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-07-10T12:00:00Z">Mon, 07/10/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Kate Kaput</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2414">Faculty</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25316">Comparative Literature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25386">Jewish Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25241">Peace and Conflict Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-literature" hreflang="und">Comparative Literature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/jewish-studies" hreflang="und">Jewish Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of Sheera Talpaz</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-32098" class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-el-bq paragraph--view-mode--default"> <blockquote class="blockquote--quotemark" data-text-color-red data-text-size-giant> <p>It’s important to me to bring major Hebrew- and Arabic-language poets into conversation with each other rather than keeping literatures and cultures siloed.”</p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-27746" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p>Talpaz was raised in a bilingual English- and Hebrew-speaking home and began studying Hebrew poetry as a teenager. Years later, while pursuing her Master of Fine Arts at the University of Michigan, she was introduced to the works of Palestinian poets and began learning Arabic. The experience ultimately compelled her to immerse herself in the study of comparative literature, kicking off a decade of research on the concept of the national poet.</p> <p>“I wanted to understand how poets and poetry came to matter and what kinds of social and political functions they served, since there seemed to be a connection between political crisis and the popularity of poetry,” she says. “It’s important to me to bring major Hebrew- and Arabic-language poets into conversation with each other rather than keeping literatures and cultures siloed.”</p> <p>Talpaz plans to spend two months this fall living in Israel and conducting research at Tel-Aviv University, followed by two months in the Palestinian territories, where she seeks institutional affiliation at Al-Quds University. The time abroad offers critical access to archives and other materials that will fill in gaps in her research, allowing her to complete the final chapter of her manuscript. She hopes to secure a contract for the book, tentatively titled <em>Resistance and Reluctance: On the ‘National Poets’ of Palestine/Israel</em>, by spring 2024.</p> <p>“Ultimately,” she says, “I’m aiming at a comprehensive view of this phenomenon because I couldn’t find what I was looking for when I learned about it and because there are so many elements about it that fascinate me.”</p> <hr> <p><em>The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program provides opportunities for college and university faculty and other professionals to teach, conduct research, and pursue specialized projects in more than 135 countries. A program of the U.S. Department of State, it seeks to strengthen and expand relationships between the U.S. and other nations. The program boasts more than 400,000 distinguished alumni, including 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 62 Nobel Prize Laureates, 78 MacArthur Foundation Fellows, and thousands of leaders spanning the private, public, and nonprofit sectors.</em></p> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Found in Translation</h1> <p>anagy — Thu, 25 May 2023 15:41:27 +0000</p> <span>Found in Translation</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-05-25T11:41:27-04:00" title="Thursday, May 25, 2023 - 11:41">Thu, 05/25/2023 - 11:41</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Theo Canter will enrich his Greek identity while strengthening his language skills with a Fulbright teaching fellowship based in Athens, Greece. </p> <p>On top of his desire to teach and live abroad, Canter was drawn to this particular Fulbright program because of his personal connection to Athens. His grandfather was born and raised in Athens, and in 1956 graduated as valedictorian of his class at Athens College—the same high school where Canter will teach English. </p> <p>“Such a full-circle moment is incredibly meaningful,” says Canter, a May 2023 �鶹��Ƶ graduate with majors in <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/cinema-studies">cinema studies</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-literature">comparative literature</a> and a minor in <a href="/middle-east-and-north-africa-studies">Middle East and North African studies</a>. A native of New York City, Canter feels a great level of familiarity with Greece and its people. “Here in �鶹��Ƶ, I've been proud to connect with other Greek students. There is something strong and unifying in our shared culture, food, and language.” </p> <p>Canter’s fellowship begins in September, and he will remain there through July 2024 to help with a school-run English-language summer camp. In addition to classroom responsibilities, the fellowship includes supplementary work teaching debate, theater, and public speaking in both Greek and English. “This combination of disciplines, as well as the chance to spend extended time in a city I love but have only ever visited for brief intervals, all led me nicely to this Fulbright opportunity.”</p> <p>Last fall at �鶹��Ƶ, Canter taught poetry to Langston Middle School students as part of creative writing professor Lynne Powell’s Writers in the Schools residency program. His final semester, he taught an introductory Hebrew course through �鶹��Ƶ’s Experimental College (<a href="https://exco.oberlincollege.net/">ExCo</a>) program. “I've enjoyed both of these opportunities as a chance to share things I'm passionate about—namely writing, language, and music,” he says. “I find that teaching pairs nicely with my experiences of performance: putting that level of commitment to the 'act' and sharing how much I love what I'm teaching.”</p> <p>Canter has enjoyed several study-away experiences since his gap year between high school and college, when he studied Hebrew, Arabic, and history on Kivunim, a program based in Jerusalem with travels around the Balkans and Middle East. For his first Winter Term, he lived in Warsaw and worked for a magazine called <em>Culture-PL</em>—likened to the '<em>New York Magazine</em>' of Warsaw—where he led a production team for a history podcast and contributed articles to the site's English section. </p> <p>For the months he was home during the pandemic in 2020, Canter participated in an online artist symposium through the Onassis Center, a visual and performing arts center based in Athens, where he produced Nostos, a short performance art piece featuring music, poetry, and family history. </p> <p>This year, he returned to Jerusalem to produce an audio documentary for the podcast Israel Story, which has been compared to This American Life. For his capstone in comparative literature, he translated the novel <em>Kastoria</em> by Benjamin Shvili from Hebrew. “This book is of particular relevance to me as it is a poetic reflection on the author's journey to Greece. Both the author and I come from the small Jewish community of Greece, and so I relished this challenge to translate a work that draws on multiple cultural maps I've been raised in.”</p> <p>Canter says �鶹��Ƶ has provided many opportunities to learn and grow. A variety of rigorous courses have “challenged me and pushed me to produce some of my best work.” </p> <p>“I wrote some of my best songs in the class Song and Book with [English professor] <a href="/desales-harrison">DeSales Harrison</a> and wrote my first short story in <a href="/claire-solomon">Claire Solomon</a>'s comparative literature course Love and Death. And the classroom is just part of it,” Canter says. “For me, what makes �鶹��Ƶ special is the chance to be around so many creative and kind people just looking to collaborate. I'm quite excited for my adventures in Athens to come, carrying with me the memories and bonds with friends and teachers.”</p> <p>Outside of the classroom, Canter spent four years on the leadership board of Chabad, the Jewish student group; was a resident of Keep Cottage co-op as a head cook, granola maker, bread maker, and historian; and hosted several radio shows on <a href="https://wobc-fm.org/">WOBC</a>. He also played bouzouki and accordion in the klezmer band Shtick & Poke with friends from the college and the conservatory. </p> <p>Canter plans to pursue a career in creative storytelling and media production, which may include documentary filmmaking, screenwriting, and radio journalism.</p> <p>“As a musician, I am also interested in the way music tells stories,” he says. Building on the music shows I’ve hosted on �鶹��Ƶ radio and independently, and the articles I’ve written, I’d like to eventually have my own dedicated presence on the radio or film, to be something like NPR’s Rough Translation, conveying simple stories from faraway places. In a similar vein, I’d hope to be able to both perform and educate. It is my goal that I can pursue a career combining my talent for languages and passion for music.</p> <p>“Whenever I look around in Greece, I laugh to myself how everyone looks like they could be my cousins—and many in fact are! It's one thing to be Greek in the diaspora, something else to be in the center of it all.” </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Theo Canter’s deep ties to Greece get a boost through a Fulbright teaching assistantship in Athens.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-05-25T12:00:00Z">Thu, 05/25/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2377">Arts & Humanities</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25446">Middle East and North Africa Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25316">Comparative Literature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25256">Cinema and Media</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-literature" hreflang="und">Comparative Literature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/cinema-studies" hreflang="und">Cinema and Media</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Theo Canter '23</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Richard Powers to Deliver Commencement Address to Class of 2023</h1> <p>eburnett — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 16:49:25 +0000</p> <span>Richard Powers to Deliver Commencement Address to Class of 2023</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-04-17T12:49:25-04:00" title="Monday, April 17, 2023 - 12:49">Mon, 04/17/2023 - 12:49</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Richard Powers, author of 13 novels, polymath, and celebrated tree whisperer, will deliver the keynote address for �鶹��Ƶ’s Commencement ceremony honoring the Class of 2023 on Monday, May 22.</p> <p>Powers’ compelling, genre-busting writings on environmentalism, music, diversity, and the implications of technological innovation have received praise and recognition from readers and reviewers alike.</p> <p>His novel <em>The Echo Maker</em> won the National Book Award in 2006. Powers is the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius Grant” and the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for <em>The Overstory</em>—“the best novel ever written about trees, and really, just one of the best novels, period,” in the words of author Ann Patchett.</p> <p>“Trees used to talk to people all the time,” Powers wrote in <em>The Overstory</em>. “Sane people used to hear them.”</p> <p>Fans of the cerebral bestseller, an epic spanning generations that challenges the primacy of humans in life and literature, include Barack Obama. “It changed how I thought about the earth and our place in it,” the former President told the <em>New York Times</em>.</p> <p><a href="https://www.richardpowers.net/category/novel/">Powers’ work</a> makes him an especially apt choice to address �鶹��Ƶ’s 2023 graduating class, says <a href="/node/365211">Valerie Hotchkiss</a>, the Azariah S. Root Director of Libraries and professor of English and book studies at �鶹��Ƶ. “The themes he deals with are so central to values that �鶹��Ƶ holds—namely, the conundrum of living responsibly in the modern world and the importance of the humanities and humanity in our struggle to do so.”</p> <p>Like so many �鶹��Ƶ alumni, Powers has many talents. An accomplished student of vocal music, he trained in the cello and also plays guitar, clarinet, and saxophone.</p> <p>Powers was born in Evanston, Illinois. A voracious reader—he devoured Darwin’s <em>The Voyage of the Beagle</em> in fourth grade—he believed he was “destined to become a scientist.”</p> <p>He enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to study physics, but a charismatic teacher convinced him that literature was “the perfect place for someone who wanted the aerial view,” Powers has said. He switched his major to English and earned two degrees in the subject.</p> <p>He quit his day job as a computer programmer to write his first novel, <em>Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance</em>. “I thought, <em>I’m going to put everything that I know in this book, because I’m never going to get another shot at this,</em>” Powers has said. “Afterwards, I figured I’d have to go back and do jobs that people are willing to pay for.” The critical reception persuaded him he could make a living as a writer.</p> <p>Powers joins a list of notable authors to visit campus as �鶹��Ƶ Commencement speakers, among them Robert Frost (1937), Alex Haley (1976), Maya Angelou (1983), and David Sedaris (2018). He will also be awarded an honorary doctor of humanities degree.</p> <p>The address will be <a href="/commencement">livestreamed</a> as part of Commencement weekend festivities.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Prolific, Pulitzer Prize-winning author celebrated for his thoughtful explorations of humanity’s place in the world.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-04-17T12:00:00Z">Mon, 04/17/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3152">Commencement</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2366">Guest Artists & Speakers</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25316">Comparative Literature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25326">Creative Writing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25346">English</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/valerie-hotchkiss" hreflang="und">Valerie Hotchkiss</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-literature" hreflang="und">Comparative Literature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/creative-writing" hreflang="und">Creative Writing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/english" hreflang="und">English</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of Richard Powers</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Visiting Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature and French Anna Levett Receives Prestigious ACLS Fellowship</h1> <p>anagy — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 19:13:12 +0000</p> <span>Visiting Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature and French Anna Levett Receives Prestigious ACLS Fellowship</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-06-01T15:13:12-04:00" title="Wednesday, June 1, 2022 - 15:13">Wed, 06/01/2022 - 15:13</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><a href="/anna-levett">Anna Levett</a>, visiting assistant professor of <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-literature">comparative literature</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/french-and-italian">French</a>, has been named the 2022 American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Pauline Yu Fellow. This year, the ACLS Fellowship was awarded to 60 scholars out of nearly 1,000 applicants, following a rigorous, multi-stage peer review process. The Pauline Yu fellowship provides a $65,000 stipend and will support Levett's work on her first monograph, "Become Other: Sufism, Surrealism, and the Arab Mediterranean." </p> <p>The <a href="https://acls.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=308a35b2c3e34e9b41bea422d&id=925ba0a50c&e=0a94b4e76c">ACLS Fellowship program</a> supports exceptional scholarship in the humanities and interpretive social sciences that has the potential to make significant contributions within and beyond their fields. As with the 2021 competition, this year the ACLS Fellowship program focuses its support on early-career, untenured scholars, many of whom are facing significant disruption to their research and career ambitions due to the widespread social and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Half of this year’s fellows are working outside the tenure track.</p> <p>Levett says the idea for her book project began many years ago when she read the essay “Maghrebi Surrealism” by the Algerian poet Habib Tengour. </p> <p>“The piece is a kind of playful manifesto where Tengour describes the essential surreality of life in the Maghreb, otherwise known as North Africa. He quotes the 12th-century Sufi mystic Ibn ‘Arabi, who wrote, ‘If my works show any kind of formal composition, this form is not intentional. I have written some of my works on the behest of Allah, sent to me during my sleep or through a revelation,’” Levett explains. </p> <p>“Tengour says, Ibn ‘Arabi was a surrealist—because he was writing poetry in a kind of semi-conscious, dream state, just as the original French surrealists prescribed. Tengour is not being completely serious, but I found the connection that he draws fascinating. Once I started looking into it, I realized that other Arab writers had also identified parallels between Sufism and surrealism. What are the implications of calling a 1,000-year-old religious practice “surreal,” a term that refers to an early 20th-century aesthetic movement? This is the question that I explored in my PhD dissertation, and that I am pursuing further in the book.”</p> <p>Levett says her research builds on the work of other scholars in thinking about surrealism and its manifestations in Arab literature. Her project also highlights the ethical and political dimensions of surrealism. </p> <p>“The thing that fascinates me about both Sufism and surrealism is that they both entail this mode of what I call ‘becoming other,’ where the idea is that your own ego or sense of self is destabilized and you become imprinted or even possessed by another force or subjectivity—whether that force is Allah, or the ‘surrealist voice.’</p> <p>“My argument is that Tengour and a handful of other Arab authors writing in the late 20th century see something liberating in this mode of ‘becoming other’––in particular, they see it as a means of liberation from the concept of ‘identity’ itself. In the late-20th-century Arab world, everyone was talking about identity, but these authors were more interested in poetry that destabilizes the self, rather than work that affirms or announces who that self is. Our current moment is also consumed with questions of identity, and so I like to think that my project draws on the work of these writers to help us conceive of other ways to think about art, politics, and community today.”</p> <p>In recent years, the ACLS has oriented more of its resources toward non-tenure-track faculty, who have less access to funds and less time to devote to research. At �鶹��Ƶ, Levett teaches Introduction to Comparative Literature, Introduction to Literary Translation, and Art of Revolution, which examines the relationship between art and politics in the context of the Arab Uprisings that began in 2011. When the ACLS grant begins in January 2023, Levett plans to travel to Paris for a month to do archival research.</p> <p>“So much of my research is concerned with dreams—surrealist dreams, Sufi dreams, dreams of revolution. At the risk of sounding cliché, when I saw the news that I had won this fellowship, I felt like I was dreaming.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The fellowship awards scholarship in the humanities and interpretive social sciences.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-06-03T12:00:00Z">Fri, 06/03/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2414">Faculty</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2377">Arts & Humanities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2583">College of Arts and Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2391">Languages & Literatures</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25316">Comparative Literature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25356">French</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/anna-levett" hreflang="und">Anna Levett</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-literature" hreflang="und">Comparative Literature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/french-and-italian" hreflang="und">French and Italian</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Anna Levett's current book project explores surrealism in Arab literature.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Fulbright ETA in Mexico Recipient to Provide Support to Asylum Seekers and Refugees</h1> <p>ygay — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 15:54:21 +0000</p> <span>Fulbright ETA in Mexico Recipient to Provide Support to Asylum Seekers and Refugees</span> <span><span>ygay</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-07-13T11:54:21-04:00" title="Tuesday, July 13, 2021 - 11:54">Tue, 07/13/2021 - 11:54</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>While serving as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Mexico this fall, Johan Cavert ’20 also plans to provide support to asylum seekers and refugees.</p> <p>The <a href="https://us.fulbrightonline.org" target="_blank">Fulbright U.S. Student Program </a>provides grants for individually designed study and research projects or for English Teaching Assistant (ETA) programs. </p> <p>Participants in the program work, live with, and learn from the people of their host country, while sharing daily experiences. The program facilitates cultural exchange through direct interaction on an individual basis in the classroom, field, home, and in routine tasks. </p> <p>Placements vary in Mexico from elementary schools to universities in many regions of the country. And as is the case in most countries offering ETA positions, grantees are encouraged to develop a 20-hour per week project related to their personal, professional, and/or educational interests. </p> <p>Cavert’s Mexico ETA will begin in September and go through May 2022, during which time he plans to continue the work he has been involved with at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) by providing support to asylum seekers and refugees across the border.</p> <p>After graduating from �鶹��Ƶ, Cavert began work at the ILCM, which is considered the state’s leading provider of free and high-quality legal, policy, and education services for immigrants, immigrant families, and immigration-reform efforts. As a legal assistant at ILCM, Cavert assists attorneys as they defend U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees facing deportation. He also works with pro bono lawyers representing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applicants and residents applying for naturalization.</p> <p>“In recent years, Mexico has become the indefinite residence for increasing numbers of immigrants from countries in the Northern Triangle and around the world,” says Cavert. “COVID-19, migrant protection protocols, and other policies have limited U.S. border crossings while at the same time, the number of asylees fleeing violence remains high. Seeking to provide support, trauma-informed care, and knowledge of legal resources to refugees in Mexico will allow me to continue this work at the ground level while learning about the everyday impact of bilateral immigration policy. </p> <p>“I am also curious to learn more about the impact and causes of climate migration and the ways in which environmental justice is interrelated with international immigraiton policy.”</p> <p>While working in U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office during the Trump Administration’s family separation policies, Cavert says he talked with scores of constituents who were upset by events at the U.S.-Mexico border. “That inspired me to get directly involved in changing the inhumane policies levied against individuals seeking asylum and humanitarian relief within our county,” he says.</p> <p>As a volunteer committee member and traveler with Servas International, he met and befriended many people around the world who are also committed to fostering peace and cross-cultural diplomacy through cultural exchange. </p> <p>Through the Humanity In Action program in Amsterdam, he learned about human rights and social justice with a transatlantic cohort that brought many diverse perspectives to discussions on pressing contemporary issues. </p> <p>“I have been challenged and have grown during these and other experiences, including my time at �鶹��Ƶ,” he says. “I hope my Fulbright grant will allow me to continue to build on that foundation while I prioritize language education and diplomatic exchange as tools for furthering empowerment and equity, forming authentic connections, and creating international commitment to common goals of peace and social justice.”</p> <p>While majoring in <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/economics" target="_blank">economics</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/hispanic-studies" target="_blank">Hispanic studies</a> with an <a href="/international-affairs" target="_blank">international studies concentration</a>, as well as minoring in <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-literature" target="_blank">comparative literature</a> at �鶹��Ƶ, Cavert taught Spanish through the <a href="https://www.oberlinsites.org/" target="_blank">Spanish in the Elementary Schools</a> program. SITES, he says, solidified his devotion to education as a tool to facilitate community building and empowerment.</p> <p>“Teaching through SITES and taking [Instructor and SITES Program Director] <a href="/kim-faber" target="_blank">Kim Faber</a>’s practicum piqued my interest in pedagogy and language education, and led me to apply to Fulbright,” says Cavert.</p> <p>Living and working abroad has always been an integral aspect of his identity, says Cavert. And he is incredibly grateful to all the teachers, friends, family, and community members who continue to support him and provide inspiration.</p> <p>Cavert is also the recipient of the 2019 <a href="/news/johan-cavert-selected-humanity-action-fellowship" target="_blank">Humanity in Action Fellowship</a> to the Netherlands and is a 2019 Truman Scholarship State Finalist.</p> <p>At �鶹��Ƶ, Cavert served as a sustainability liaison for Student Senate; member of the <a href="https://www.greenedgefund.com/" target="_blank">Green Edge Fund</a> Board; student representative on the <a href="/environmental-sustainability/governance/committee" target="_blank">Committee on Environmental Sustainability</a>; and the <a href="/environmental-sustainability/carbon-neutrality" target="_blank">Carbon Neutrality Student Advisory Board</a>; reported for the <a href="https://oberlinreview.org/" target="_blank"><em>�鶹��Ƶ Review</em></a>, and hosted a <a href="https://www.wobc.org/" target="_blank">WOBC</a> radio show about news and current events.</p> <p>Cavert plans to pursue a graduate degree and career in public policy, law, or environmental economics.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2021-07-13T12:00:00Z">Tue, 07/13/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yvonne Gay</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2369">Environment & Sustainability</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3319">Community Engagement</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3846">Engaged Liberal Arts</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=245971">International Affairs</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25316">Comparative Literature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25341">Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4796">�鶹��Ƶ</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/kim-faber" hreflang="und">Kim Faber</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/economics" hreflang="und">Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/hispanic-studies" hreflang="und">�鶹��Ƶ</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-literature" hreflang="und">Comparative Literature</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Johan Cavert ’20</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Cavert</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Patrick Powers '21 Receives Fulbright to Uzbekistan</h1> <p>anagy — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 16:43:49 +0000</p> <span>Patrick Powers '21 Receives Fulbright to Uzbekistan</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-06-10T12:43:49-04:00" title="Thursday, June 10, 2021 - 12:43">Thu, 06/10/2021 - 12:43</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Patrick Powers ’21 will spend the summer improving his knowledge of Uzbek language before heading to Uzbekistan with a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship. </p> <p>Powers majored in Russian/East European studies and comparative literature. He says he first became interested in Uzbekistan through Nikita Makarenko, an Uzbek journalist and musician who visited �鶹��Ƶ in 2018 as a visiting professor.</p> <p>“His course on news and mass media in the former Soviet Union shone a spotlight on post-Soviet Central Asia, a whole region of the world which I knew absolutely nothing about,” says Powers, who is from La Grande, Oregon. “I was totally engrossed by the opportunity to learn about this entirely different element of the former USSR which differed so immensely from the regions I was used to thinking about. I think Central Asia is an incredibly rich and important area to understand, since it is connected to and influenced by so many cultures and economic centers of power.” </p> <p>Powers says he is excited to learn more about contemporary Uzbek literature, the rapidly evolving role of religion (especially for the younger generation), and the Uzbek language. Although many Uzbeks speak Russian fluently, he says his goal is to become an advanced speaker of Uzbek rather than relying on his Russian language skills. This summer he will be working more intensely on his Uzbek with Professor Dilnoza Khalisova of the University of Wyoming. </p> <p>“I'm especially interested in how Uzbekistan's political and cultural identity, shaped by so many outside forces throughout history, is evolving yet again in the 21st century.”</p> <p>Powers particularly enjoyed his experience as a Russian teaching assistant at �鶹��Ƶ, and he hopes that through teaching English he can facilitate cross-cultural communication and mutual understanding. “Ultimately I want to help open up the world for my students in the same way that studying foreign languages has opened up the world for me. I'm also looking forward to bringing my knowledge of Uzbekistan back to the United States, because I feel like most Americans know just as little about Uzbekistan and Central Asia as I did before a couple years ago.”</p> <p>Powers was enrolled in a study abroad program in St. Petersburg, Russia, in Spring 2020, but his time was cut short due to the pandemic. He wrote his honors thesis on Russian literature. In addition to language studies, Powers was a research assistant in the politics department. He also served on �鶹��Ƶ Student Senate for four years and worked as a resident assistant. </p> <p>Following his Fulbright year, Powers plans to apply for additional funding through the �鶹��Ƶ <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/russian/ocreecas">OCREECAS</a> grant to stay in Central Asia or Russia in summer 2022 to do independent research. He is considering a master’s in Russian/Eurasian studies, law school, or potentially pursuing a PhD in Slavic studies. “In any case, I definitely plan to continue studying Russia and the former Soviet Union.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2021-06-10T12:00:00Z">Thu, 06/10/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2391">Languages & Literatures</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25426">Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25316">Comparative Literature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25456">Russian</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-literature" hreflang="und">Comparative Literature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/russian" hreflang="und">Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Patrick Powers '21</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Patrick Powers</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Megan Grabill '21 Receives Fulbright Fellowship in Benin</h1> <p>anagy — Thu, 20 May 2021 16:12:08 +0000</p> <span>Megan Grabill '21 Receives Fulbright Fellowship in Benin</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-05-20T12:12:08-04:00" title="Thursday, May 20, 2021 - 12:12">Thu, 05/20/2021 - 12:12</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Megan Grabill ’21 hopes to deepen her knowledge of the culture and indigenous languages of Benin with a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship.</p> <p>Grabill, who majored in anthropology, comparative literature, and French, says the Fulbright in Benin appealed to her competency in French language and her previous research experience on the cultural heritage of Benin.</p> <p>During a summer internship with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Grabill assisted with research for a festival program on traditional knowledge and the environment in Benin. “My own research focused on Vodun and the role of organic materials in divination practices, as well as a bit of work on cultural heritage management and sacred groves.”</p> <p>Grabill says the Fulbright in Benin will provide an opportunity to deepen her knowledge of Beninois culture and facilitate moments of cultural exchange and understanding both in and out of the classroom. </p> <p>“I am hoping to learn some of the many indigenous languages in Benin (there are over 50, and it will depend on my site placement in the country). I also want to learn more about local art and music, as well as Vodun and related religious practices.”</p> <p>During her time at �鶹��Ƶ, Grabill gained study abroad experience in France. In fall 2019, she took classes at the Sorbonne, Sorbonne Nouvelle, and Paris 8/Saint-Denis. She also participated in a winter term study abroad with the French department focusing on "Colonization and its Aftermath in Martinique."</p> <p>“Both of my study abroad experiences have placed me directly in a host family, which has both aided my language development and given me hands-on experience with cultural exchange,” says Grabill, who is from East Lansing, Michigan. </p> <p>Following the Fulbright fellowship, she plans to pursue a PhD in anthropology. She worked as a research assistant in the anthropology department and took cello lessons in the Conservatory of Music. </p> <p>“I hope that the skills I will develop in the next year will make me a more flexible, perceptive, and conscientious researcher,” she says.</p> <p>Outside of academics, Grabill says her experience working with �鶹��Ƶ College Folk Festival was influential for building relationships and learning about community engagement. She also served as treasurer for WOBC-FM, was a Peer Advising Leader, and was an attendant for the Allen Memorial Art Museum. </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2021-05-20T12:00:00Z">Thu, 05/20/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=24656">Anthropology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25316">Comparative Literature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25356">French</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/anthropology" hreflang="und">Anthropology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/french-and-italian" hreflang="und">French and Italian</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-literature" hreflang="und">Comparative Literature</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Megan Grabill will teach English and become immersed in the culture of Benin.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Jonathan Clark '25</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Composer, Instrumentalist, and Educator Katherine Young '03 Earns Guggenheim Fellowship</h1> <p>eburnett — Tue, 18 May 2021 16:34:03 +0000</p> <span>Composer, Instrumentalist, and Educator Katherine Young '03 Earns Guggenheim Fellowship</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-05-18T12:34:03-04:00" title="Tuesday, May 18, 2021 - 12:34">Tue, 05/18/2021 - 12:34</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Collaboration lies at the heart of Katherine Young’s creative existence. A bassoonist and composer as well as an educator, she writes for and plays with chamber ensembles and rock bands, classical performers and improvisers. So the isolation that accompanies life in a pandemic left her to focus on solo works and ponder the sense of community she and so many others had suddenly lost.</p><p>Now Young’s COVID detour has earned the support of the Guggenheim Foundation, which honored her in April with a 2021 fellowship for composition. The award, presented to established scholars across the artistic spectrum, supports the completion of a series of electroacoustic solo works that explore community, sustainability, and accountability—themes percolating in Young’s brain throughout 2020.</p><p>The working title of her project, <em>Mycorrhizae</em>, refers to fungal networks that develop on the roots of plants and assist in absorption of nutrients and repelling environmental stressors. It’s a concept she began to liken to the interconnectedness of human existence, so starkly foregrounded by the pandemic.</p><p>“I’ve been thinking a lot about intentional community and the significance of collaboration as an artist and as a person,” says Young, who is completing her <a href="http://music.emory.edu/home/people/biography/young-katherine.html">first year on the faculty</a> at Emory University, where she teaches composition, improvisation, and electronic music.</p><p>The project was initially conceived as four distinct solo works—solo largely out of necessity, as Young initially had no idea what opportunities for collaboration with larger groups might exist. She has since expanded her scope to six pieces composed for six different instruments and electronics. “Each one will be very much its own thing, with its own musical language and sound world that’s very specific to the person I’m making it with,” she says.</p><p>More recently, and as pandemic restrictions have begun to ease up, Young seized upon the idea of developing the six completed solo compositions into a single chamber work.</p><p>“Once I started thinking about it as an ensemble piece, I started thinking <em>Oh, I want a cello! I want a harp!</em>” So far, saxophone, violin, percussion, and piano also figure into the mix. The final ensemble piece may also include choreography, video, or other components.</p><p>“At the time of the proposal, I didn’t even know what would be possible,” she says. “I’ve been working on them simultaneously—and all remotely—over the last year. They began to inform each other, and so now I understand them to be related—part of a network work, if you will.</p><p>“What’s exciting to me is that with the fellowship, I have started to allow myself to once again think further into the future, and to imagine bigger projects again.”</p><p>At �鶹��Ƶ, Young completed degrees in bassoon performance and comparative literature. In those days, she recalls, she was more self-assured in the classroom than onstage. “In some ways, I found my creative voice as a reader. I was more confident in that sphere, so my college courses were really important for me.”</p><p>Young counts among her fondest �鶹��Ƶ memories playing chamber music—especially student compositions—and performing with the Contemporary Music Ensemble and other new music groups. “I remember not only playing in CME, but going to CME concerts and hearing some incredible pieces I have not heard live since.”</p><p>After �鶹��Ƶ, she relocated with �鶹��Ƶ friends to Chicago, where her passions for composition and improvisation took hold. She went on to study under legendary experimental composer Anthony Braxton at Wesleyan University, then completed a DMA at Northwestern University.</p><p>Today, she performs routinely with improvisational groups and longtime projects including the duos Beautifulish (with Sam Scranton) and Architeuthis Walks on Land (with violist, musicologist, and �鶹��Ƶ alumna Amy Cimini ’03). She’s working on an outdoor sound installation and performance projects with the New York-based new music quartet Yarn/Wire and the Chicago collective Mocrep, and her debut solo album, <em>Further Secret Origins</em>, earned praised from <em>The Wire</em>—which invoked the phrase “bassoon colossus”—and <em>Downbeat</em>. Young’s music has been commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s MusicNOW series, Ensemble Dal Niente, and numerous other groups.</p><p>In the near future, she plans to join forces on a project with two more �鶹��Ƶ bassoonists: Ben Roidl-Ward ’15 and Dana Jessen, director of Conservatory Professional Development.</p><p>“We bassoonists have a way of finding each other!” she says.</p><p>The Guggenheim Foundation was established in 1925 by U.S. Senator Simon Guggenheim and wife Olga in honor of their late son. Young is one of 184 recipients of a Guggenheim Fellowship for 2021 and one of 13 composers to be honored, including �鶹��Ƶ alumna Nkeiru Okoye ’92.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Award supports completion of suite of electroacoustic pieces developed during the pandemic.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2021-05-18T12:00:00Z">Tue, 05/18/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2974">Conservatory Alumni</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35881">Bassoon</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33331">Composition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25316">Comparative Literature</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/contemporary-music" hreflang="und">Contemporary Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/winds-brass-and-percussion" hreflang="und">Winds, Brass, and Percussion</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-literature" hreflang="und">Comparative Literature</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Deidre Huckabay</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Visiting Assistant Professor Sevinç Türkkan selected to judge 2021 PEN Translation Prize</h1> <p>anagy — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 01:30:47 +0000</p> <span>Visiting Assistant Professor Sevinç Türkkan selected to judge 2021 PEN Translation Prize</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-11-29T20:30:47-05:00" title="Sunday, November 29, 2020 - 20:30">Sun, 11/29/2020 - 20:30</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Sevinç Türkkan, visiting assistant professor of comparative literature, has been nominated to judge the PEN Translation Prize. </p> <p><a href="https://pen.org/meet-the-2021-literary-awards-judges/">The PEN Translation Prize</a> was founded in 1963 through the efforts of the PEN Translation Committee and was the first American Award to honor the art of literary translation. This year there are 205 submissions. The winner will be announced in March 2021 at the virtual Literary Awards Ceremony.<br> <br> Previously, Türkkan was honored at PEN America’s 2019 “Women in Translation Month.” Her translation of <em>The Stone Building and Other Places</em> by Aslı Erdoğan, the writer, journalist, and human rights activist from Turkey, was a finalist for the 2019 PEN Translation Prize. She served as a judge for the Vaclav Havel Library Foundation, Courageous Writer at Risk Award.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2020-11-29T12:00:00Z">Sun, 11/29/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2414">Faculty</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25316">Comparative Literature</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-literature" hreflang="und">Comparative Literature</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Sevinç Türkkan, visiting assistant professor of comparative literature.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>