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Year of Design celebration central to ��'s spring 2026 event schedule

goersab — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 17:20:00 +0000

Year of Design celebration central to ��'s spring 2026 event schedulegoersab February 11, 2026

Community invited to exhibitions, civic and literary conversations, film screenings and performances

As �� steps into spring semester and continues its Year of Design, community members are invited to myriad civic talks, film screenings and literary conversations, art and design exhibitions, and performing arts events for everyone on campus and throughout the community. Events are open to the public; some events require tickets.

�� . Year of Design celebrates the innovation, leadership and impact central to Wisconsin ��. ��. Upcoming signature events include:

Saturday, April 11, 7 p.m.: Fashion Without Fabric, the Midwest ��. premier unconventional fashion runway shows.
Saturday, May 2, 4 p.m.: WEAR Fashion Show, showcasing innovative capstone collections from fashion design and development seniors.
Tuesday, May 5: Research Day, celebrating the research and creative work of students, faculty, and staff from all fields.
Thursday, May 7, 6 p.m.: Stout Game Expo (SGX), western Wisconsin ��. largest game developer exhibition.
Friday, May 8, 6 p.m.: SOAD Senior Show, graduating seniors take over Micheels Hall and the Applied Arts building.
Saturday, May 9, and Sunday, May 10: 4th Annual Unspooled Film & Animation Festival, dedicated to showcasing the very best in independent filmmaking.
Wednesday, June 24, to Sunday, June 28: Murals in Menomonie, featuring the Walldogs, is a collaborative group of community organizations bringing in some of the world ��. best mural artists.

Fashion Without Fabric

�� and the School of Art & Design invite you one of the Midwest's premier unconventional fashion runway shows, Fashion Without Fabric.

Art & Design Exhibitions

Furlong Gallery opens its spring 2026 schedule with the School of Art and Design Faculty Exhibit, on view through Saturday, March 6. This exhibit brings together a wide range of interdisciplinary work by more than 25 SOAD faculty artists and designers.

'Vini Van Go' by Eli Koltanowski, and 'A pregnant pause followed by an audible sigh' by Matthew Wilichowski

Friday, March 13, to Thursday, April 23

North Gallery: "Support Structures," a group show by the Studio Art Program Advisory Committee.
South Gallery: "Simon Ungless: A Life in Print in the South Gallery." Ungless is the founder and designer of When Simon met Ralph, and former textile designer at Alexander McQueen

A reception will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 10, during Destination Weekend. A Meet the Artist event for Ungless will be on Monday, April 13.

Monday, May 4, through September

North Gallery: End of the Year Juried Exhibition
South Gallery: Bud and Betty Student Artist in Residence Exhibition, featuring SAIR recipients Ainsely Violet and Eli Koltanowski

Gallery 209 rotates exhibits on a weekly basis. Located in the Applied Arts building on the second floor, exhibits are reserved for Senior Thesis Exhibitions, as well as master ��. in design students, design and fine art classes and student organizations. An Advanced Printmaking exhibition will be held in Gallery 209, April. 10-12, Destination Weekend.

The Library Art Lab, on the first floor of the Robert S. Swanson Library & Learning Center, showcases student artists, faculty and campus collaborations. Exhibitions include applied research, capstones, clubs and classwork. There are two exhibitions each semester.

Student Artist-in-Residence recipients Ainsley Violet and Eli Koltanowski

Civic dialogue

�� . Center for Applied Ethics will host guest speaker J.P. Messina, professor of philosophy at Purdue University. Messina will present on “Workplace Censorship” from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, in the Memorial Student Center Ballroom A. He will discuss the legal environment that protects employers’ rights to fire employees, even while exercising freedoms guaranteed under the First Amendment. And if employer censorship becomes widespread, how discourse can suffer as people withhold their views from the public sphere.

Center for Applied Ethics

Our mission is to increase and enhance ethical conversations across the campus community.

The center also hosts Philosophers’ Cafés, informal, friendly conversations on contemporary issues. Meetings are open to all and are led by �� and UW-Eau Claire faculty. Upcoming conversations will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays, at Brewery Nønic in Menomonie:

Feb. 11: What Responsibility Does Society Have Toward Children?
March 11: Perceptions of Law and Its Discontents
April 8: Can Wartime Dehumanization Be Avoided?

The Center for Applied Ethics, Office of Student Opportunity & Excellence, and the Freedom of Expression Committee are hosting a series of events, “Enhancing Campus Culture: Free Expression and Civil Discourse,” funded by the Wisconsin Institute for Citizenship and Civil Dialogue and the Menard Center.

The non-partisan, non-ideological Menard Center is dedicated to the study and discussion of civil liberties and related institutions and innovations through scholarly inquiry, educational activities and community outreach.

Film screening and literary discussions

Continuing with Reading Across Campus’ focus on Jane Austen ��. “Pride and Prejudice,” the Literature Committee will host a film screening and discussion from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., on Wednesday, Feb. 18, in Harvey Hall Theatre. A short discussion led by professors Joan Navarre and Kristin Risley will follow the film.

Featured author Dasha Kelly, a former Wisconsin Poet Laureate, will present on her most recent anthology, “A Line Meant: A Collaborative Poetry Collection,” from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, April 20, in Harvey Hall Theatre. Hamilton has worked with incarcerated populations, helping groups write and publish poetry. Her talk is co-sponsored by the College of Arts & Human Sciences and will connect to the theme of “Helping Humanity Flourish.”

University Theatre

University Theatre will present “Something Rotten,” directed by Audric Buhr, at Harvey Hall Theatre. Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as “The Bard.” When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theater involves singing, dancing, and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world ��. very first musical. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self, and all that jazz.

Performance dates and times are:

Friday, April 10, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 11, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 12, 2 p.m.
Thursday, April, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 17, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 18, 7:30 p.m.

“Something Rotten” has received several Best Musical nominations and was hailed by Time Out New York as “the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years.”

Tickets will be available at uwstout.universitytickets.com.

Musical performances

Stout Choirs, directed by Jean Enyeart and Jonathan Campbell, while Jerry Hui is on sabbatical: Saturday, April 25, 7 p.m., at Our Savior ��. Lutheran Church, 910 9th Street E., Menomonie. The spring choral program, “Questions,” will be a musical exploration of “why?” As graduates move on to build a better world, they will be faced with many uncertainties. Questions come in many forms: rhetorical, spiritual and intellectual. Fear, awe and wonder lead to different kinds of questions.
The Symphonic Band, directed by Erika Svanoe: Sunday, April 26, 2 p.m., in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall. “Echoes of Eco” will feature music about our national parks, the wilderness and the great outdoors, including “Diamond Tide” by Viet Cuong, “Wilderness” by Cait Nishimura, and a music and video presentation of “National Park Suite” by Ryan Fraley. The concert will also feature a new piece by Svanoe titled “Winds Across the Water.”
Blue Devil Jazz Orchestra, directed by James Anderson: Saturday, May 2, 7 p.m., at Harvey Hall Theatre. Come hear, groove and tap your toes to jazz classics, such as Benny Goodman ��. “Sing, Sing, Sing!,” Charles Mingus’ “Fables of Faubus,” Glenn Miller ��. “Moonlight Serenade,” as well as some new favorites, too.

Tickets will be available at uwstout.universitytickets.com.

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Year of Design celebration central to ��'s spring 2026 event schedule

Community invited to exhibitions, civic and literary conversations, film screenings and performances

February 11, 2026

Community invited to exhibitions, civic and literary conversations, film screenings and performances Artwork by Eli Koltanowski and Matthew Wilichowski

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Design focus anchors ��'s fall 2025 event schedule

goersab — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 15:20:27 +0000

Design focus anchors ��'s fall 2025 event schedulegoersab September 25, 2025

Community invited to exhibitions, lectures and discussions, readings and performances

Abbey Goers

As �� launches its Year of Design, community members are invited to myriad talks, performances and exhibitions scheduled on campus this fall.

From exhibitions featuring graphic design, photography, light play and ceramics to philosophical and literary conversations, to performing arts, there are events for everyone on campus and throughout the community.

In 2025-2026, �� is celebrating a Year of Design to highlight the innovation, leadership and impact central to Wisconsin ��. ��. Upcoming signature events include:

Thursday, Oct. 9, 1 p.m.: Cabot Executive-in-Residence keynote address, “Designed to Influence,” with Andrew Murphy, head of Corporate Engagement Strategy at Apple.
Friday, Oct. 10, and Saturday, Oct. 11: School of Art & Design 60th Anniversary. Registration is required for the free event.
Wednesday, Dec. 10, 6 p.m.: Stout Game Expo, western Wisconsin ��. largest game developer exhibition.
Friday, Dec. 12, 6 p.m.: School of Art & Design Senior Show, featuring the works of more than 200 graduating seniors.

Celebrating 60 years: School of Art & Design hosts anniversary events Oct. 10-11

Year of Design highlights AI innovations, alumni leadership, student success

Art & Design Exhibitions

Furlong Gallery opens the 2025 fall exhibition schedule with two side-by-side solo exhibitions:

Saturday, Sept. 18, to Saturday, Oct. 25

�� Professor Charles Matson Lume ��. Sabbatical Exhibition, “becoming I, I say You (for Martin Buber),” is in the North Gallery. An artist talk with Matson Lume will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
School of Art & Design Visiting Artist, ceramist Hannah Niswonger, is in the South Gallery. Her exhibit “Didn’t I Used to Have a Sense of Humor?” brings together four installations: “Octopus ��. Garden,” “Cloud—Bird—Place,” “Poisonous & Carnivorous Dinnerware,” and “Conversations with My Father ��. Paintings.” Niswonger is a ceramicist from Massachusetts.
A closing reception for both artists will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23, followed by an artist talk with Niswonger.

Monday, Nov. 10, to Saturday, Dec. 13

Dunn County-born artist and photographer Erinn Springer will be featured in the North Gallery. Springer now resides in Duluth, Minnesota.
Catalogtree, a multidisciplinary design collective based in the Netherlands, will be featured in the South Gallery.

A ceramic octopus by Hannah Niswonger, featured in “Didn’t I Used to Have a Sense of Humor?” / Hannah Niswonger

Join game designer Erika Svanoe and illustrator Erik Evenson for a talk on their creation and collaboration of the popular Jane Austen card game “Marrying Mr. Darcy” from 5:45 to 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the Robert S. Swanson Library & Learning Center. A Q&A and game play will follow. See if you can win the game and the heart of Mr. Darcy.

Gallery 209 rotates exhibits on a weekly basis. Located in the Applied Arts building on the second floor, exhibits are reserved for Senior Thesis Exhibitions, as well as master ��. in design students, design and fine art classes and student organizations. An Alumni Art Exhibition will be held in Gallery 209, Oct. 10-12, Stout Proud Family and Supporter Weekend.

Civic dialogue

A special event, “Banned Books Week: A Conversation with Dr. Samuel Cohen,” will be held from 4:15 to 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at Harvey Hall Theatre. Cohen is the associate chair of the department of English at University of Missouri. He will discuss his forthcoming book “Banning Books in America: Not a How-to.”

Comments will be offered by Menomonie Public Library Director Joleen Sterk. An audience Q&A will follow, moderated by Menard Center for the Study of Institutions & Innovation Director Afton Greco. The event will conclude with a Kahoot contest with prizes for students. The event is sponsored by the Menard Center with co-sponsors, the University Library; Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies; Honors College; the Literature Committee; the Center for Applied Ethics; and the Menomonie Public Library. Cohen ��. book will be published in February 2026.

Center for Applied Ethics

Our mission is to increase and enhance ethical conversations across the campus community.

�� . Center for Applied Ethics hosts Philosophers’ Cafés, informal, friendly conversations on contemporary issues. Meetings are open to all and are led by �� and UW-Eau Claire faculty. Upcoming conversations will be held at 7 p.m., at Brewery Nønic in Menomonie:

Wednesday, Oct. 8: AI and Our Humanity
Wednesday, Nov. 12: The Wisconsin Idea: What Does It Mean to You?
Wednesday, Dec. 10: Are Gender Disparities in the Workplace a Problem?

The Center for Applied Ethics, Office of Student Opportunity & Excellence, and the Freedom of Expression Committee are hosting a series of events, “Enhancing Campus Culture: Free Expression and Civil Discourse,” funded by the Wisconsin Institute for Citizenship and Civil Dialogue and the Menard Center.

Forty to 60 students will participate in four discussion dinners over the course of the year. Each dinner will center around a controversial moral or political issue, with tables facilitated by faculty members Mitch Ogden, Cynthia Bland, Daniel Sinkovits, Lopa Basu, Alison Lukowski and Tina Lee.

Literary discussions

The Literature Committee will host its annual Faculty and Staff Creative Writing Reading from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20, at the Raw Deal. The committee invites faculty and staff from all areas of the university to share their poetry or prose.

‘Sing, Slivered Tongue’: �� professor ��. book of poetry is a statement of courage, hope

Basu ��. anthology gathers 68 international voices to reflect on trauma, resolution

English Professor Lopamudra Basu will present on her book of poetry “Sing, Slivered Tongue” as part of the Chippewa Valley Book Festival at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24, at the Riverview Room at L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire and virtually. The hybrid event will include several contributing poets joining via Zoom. Books will be available for purchase at local bookstores this fall.

“Sing, Slivered Tongue” sheds light on the subject of trauma and gathers the voices of 68 women from various South Asian communities. “It is not just a litany of trauma. It is a statement of courage. It offers hope and is an attempt to find resolution,” Basu said. “Although the poets are from South Asia, their experiences are global experiences, and our intention is to create bridges.”

In addition to his sabbatical exhibit mentioned earlier, Matson Lume collaborated with three alumni and artists over his 2025-25 sabbatical to publish “at the fountain, at the fountain,” a free artists’ book that features their art and texts. Two book launches will be held this fall: one on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2 to 5 p.m., at FOGSTAND Gallery & Studio, in St. Paul, Minnesota; and another on Thursday, Nov. 6, 4 to 5:30 p.m., at North Shore Readers and Writers Festival at the Grand Marais Art Colony, Grand Marais, Minnesota.

Sabbatical recap: Charles Matson Lume, Studio Art, 2024-25

Celebrating a shared commitment and love of making art within community

University Theatre

University Theatre will present “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again],” led by Director Audric Buhr, at Harvey Hall Theatre.

Performance dates and times are:

Thursday, Nov. 6, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 9, 2 p.m.

Fast-paced, witty, physical and full of laughter, this is one of the world ��. most frequently produced plays and features all 37 of Shakespeare ��. plays, performed in under 100 minutes.

Tickets will be available at uwstout.universitytickets.com.

Musical performances

Blue Devil Jazz Orchestra directed by James Anderson: Saturday, Nov. 15, 7 p.m., in the Memorial Student Center ballrooms. Come swing in the Big Apple, as the orchestra takes you from 42nd and Harlem to Times Square, and beyond, featuring music by Charles Mingus, George Gershwin, Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and more.
Stout Choirs, directed by Jerry Hui: Sunday, Nov. 16, 2 p.m., in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall. “Colorful Voices” will be a celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the School of Art & Design. Music will focus on the metaphor and power of color, featuring a variety of musical styles from romantic Renaissance madrigals to empowering spirituals.
The Symphonic Band, under Director Erika Svanoe, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2 p.m., in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall. “Music in Motion” will feature music about various kinds of transportation, including songs from “The Polar Express” and Rossano Galante ��. “Sailing with Whales.”

Tickets will be available at uwstout.universitytickets.com.

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Year of Design celebration central to ��'s spring 2026 event schedule

Community invited to exhibitions, civic and literary conversations, film screenings and performances

February 11, 2026

Community invited to exhibitions, lectures and discussions, readings and performances Hannah Niswonger, SOAD Visiting Artist at Furlong Gallery

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Year of Design

A year of events highlighting the innovation, leadership, and impact at the heart of everything we do as Wisconsin's ��.

School of Art & Design 60th Anniversary

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Hero Caption: Professor Charles Matson Lume ��. Sabbatical Exhibition, “becoming I, I say You (for Martin Buber),” is in the Furlong's North Gallery.

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‘Sing, Slivered Tongue’: �� professor ��. book of poetry is a statement of courage, hope

goersab — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 17:29:47 +0000

‘Sing, Slivered Tongue’: �� professor ��. book of poetry is a statement of courage, hopegoersab August 19, 2025

Basu ��. anthology gathers 68 international voices to reflect on trauma, resolution

Abbey Goers

Trauma, particularly that of women, has typically been relegated to silence and oblivion. A new book of poetry, “Sing, Slivered Tongue,” sheds light on the subject of trauma and gathers the voices of 68 women from various South Asian communities.

Co-edited by �� English Professor Lopamudra Basu and Professor Emerita Feroza Jussawalla, University of New Mexico, the anthology explores trauma through a gendered lens.

“‘Sing, Slivered Tongue’ is not just a litany of trauma. It is a statement of courage. It offers hope and is an attempt to find resolution,” Basu said. “Although the poets are from South Asia, their experiences are global experiences, and our intention is to create bridges.”

Trauma is broadly defined, she noted. The poets’ identities and experiences within the anthology, although focusing on gender-based trauma, also cover themes ranging from personal, political, and historical trauma to religious, ethnic and class-based violence.

Basu wanted to create the anthology because she feels there is a dearth of poetry in the contemporary literary world, particularly for women and international poets.

“Narratives, novels and short stories get more attention. Poetry is thought to be more difficult or hard to access and gravitate to,” she said.

She hopes that readers will be able to see the possibilities created through the short, accessible poems – and that small moments, losses, and triumphs can be preserved and call people back to their own experiences.

Basu will present on her book as part of the Chippewa Valley Book Festival at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24, at the Riverview Room at L.E. Phillips Library in Eau Claire and virtually. The hybrid event will include several contributing poets joining via Zoom. Books will be available for purchase at local bookstores this fall.

Read four excerpts from “Sing, Slivered Tongue” in the webzine Scroll.in.

“Sing, Slivered Tongue” was published by Yoda Press in May 2025. Basu is the author of “Ayad Akhtar, the American Nation and its Others After 9/11: Homeland Insecurity,” Lexington Books, 2018; and the co-editor of “Passage to Manhattan: Critical Essays on Meena Alexander,” Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009.

‘Sing, Slivered Tongue’

The anthology ��. title refers to Khona, a legendary astrologer and poet who composed in the medieval Bengali language between the ninth and 12th centuries AD. Hers is among the earliest literature in Bengali, and her prophecies, which largely focused on agriculture, had a huge following. Khona ��. popularity provoked the jealousy of her father-in-law, who cut out her tongue so she could no longer speak her prophecies. Her story has lived on, however, passed down through generations.

As opposed to a golden voice or a silver tongue, a slivered tongue evokes a sense of vulnerability and suggests a voice that might be damaged or broken, yet still capable of expressing itself, often in a powerful or moving way.

Lopamudra Basu, sixth from the left, and poets of 'Sing, Slivered Tongue.' / Lopamudra Basu

Basu has researched the subject of trauma in her writing and understands that the typical response to trauma is to bury it.

“This is what happened after the Partition, when British rule ended in 1947, and there was a forceful political separation of India and Pakistan,” Basu said. “And in the separation of Bangladesh in 1971, and the nearly three-decades-long civil war in Sri Lanka, beginning in the 1980s.

“Anger, physical and sexual violence were played out on the bodies of women and their stories were never told, or only very marginally. The overwhelming response was to censor these women ��. stories. And even then, it was the victims who were made to feel ashamed,” she added.

Only after decades have passed have historians begun to collect and recapture South Asian women ��. stories before an entire generation is gone. And movements and protests in support of women ��. rights are demanding justice and action, Basu said.

Personal trauma can stem from power struggles in relationships, difficulties in marriage or divorce. It can center around grief and the loss of a family member. Basu ��. own poem, “White Roses,” speaks of the loss of her father and how COVID impacted her life. During the pandemic, she was here in Wisconsin, while her family was in India.

“The COVID lockdowns in India were draconian. My dad was a very sociable person, but he died alone in the hospital away from us all. We had no closure and no possibility of a ceremonial funeral,” Basu said. “As firstborn, according to Hindu ritual, I should have been allowed to light his funeral pyre. Instead, he was cremated by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, with only my sister being able to witness the cremation from a distance. It was very inhumanely handled. I cared for my mother from a long distance.”

Basu started her career as a scholarly writer, but in her middle age, has become a poet, she said. “I believe that poetry is something that everyone can have in their life. Poetry is fun, and unlike a novel, you can pick and choose to read what you like within a book.

“A poem is like a flower that opens to reveal its meaning to you. Maybe you miss its meaning the first time, but gradually it will become known to you if you have the patience to come back to it,” she said.

Basu participated in in-person book launches in India this summer. At the University of Engineering and Management ��. Center for Excellence in Literature, Language and Communication Skills in Kolkata, she took part in a panel discussion on “The Role of Poetry in Bearing Witness to Trauma.” Several eminent Kolkata poets read their poetry at the event. And in Delhi, Yoda Press hosted a poet's reading. Basu and Jussawalla also virtually joined a panel discussion at the Hyderabad Literature Festival on Aug. 8.

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Basu ��. anthology gathers 68 international voices to reflect on trauma, resolution Lopamudra Basu, 'Sing, Slivered Tongue'

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Search Keywords: Lopamudra BasuSing, Slivered Tongue

Hero Caption: Professor Lopamudra Basu is co-editor of and contributor to “Sing, Slivered Tongue,” a book of poetry which sheds light on the subject of trauma as told through the voices of 68 writers. Cover art by Hafiza Nilofar Khan.

Lopa Basu

Lopamudra (Lopa) Basu is Professor of English at University of Wisconsin-Stout. She earned her BA (Honors English) and MA degrees from the University of Delhi in India and a Ph.D. from the Graduate Center, City University of New York. Her doctoral work was on Postcolonial Literatures, particularly the novel in South Asia. Since then, her research interests have focussed on transnational women ��. literature, trauma studies, post 9/11 literature, and Postcolonial poetry.

She is the author of Ayad Akhtar, the American Nation and its Others After 9/11: Homeland Insecurity (Lexington Books, December, 2018) and the co-editor of Passage to Manhattan: Critical Essays on Meena Alexander, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, UK, 2009. Her articles have been published in journals like Humanities, Women ��. Studies, Studies in the Novel, South Asian Review, Nebula, Social Text, Journal of Commonwealth and Postcolonial Studies, and in various scholarly anthologies.

She teaches courses in Composition, Honors Composition, and Multicultural American Literature. She created the course “After 9/11: American Literature of Public Crisis and Trauma” and has offered it almost every year since 2014. Other courses she has created and offered include “Multicultural Shakespeare” and “Graphic Narratives.”

Lopa served as Director of �� . Honors College from 2011-2016 before returning to full time teaching. She was elected to the Board of the National Collegiate Honors Council and served from 2013-2016. Lopa was honored with the �� Dahlgren Professorship in 2016-2017. She was awarded the Senior Outstanding Research award in 2019 and the Outstanding Teacher Award in 2020 from the CAHS College.

Since 2016, she has been writing and publishing creative work, particularly poetry in journals like in Postcolonial Text, Barstow and Grand, the Poetry Calendars of the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets and in anthologies like Modern English Poetry by Younger Indians (Sahitya Akademi) and Best Asian Poetry 2021-2022 (Kitaab). She reviews literary works for World Literature Today, India Currents, Wasafari and Volume One. As chair of the Literature Committee, at �� and the Humanities representative in the Stout Core Committee, she is an ardent advocate for literature in Wisconsin ��. ��.

Lopa ��. life outside of the university is spent with her family in Eau Claire, and family in India. She enjoys cooking and volunteers to cook meals at the Community Table. She plays the New York Times Spelling Bee and Connections every day. The newest member of her family is her Shihtzu Bichon dog Mochi.

Full Name: Lopamudra Basu

Job Title: Professor

Include in Directory: Yes

Area of Expertise: Postcolonial Literature Transnational Women's Literature 9/11 Literature Trauma Studies Poetry

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: English, Philosophy & Communication Studies Department

Curriculum Vitae: Lopa Basu CV (381.8 KB)

Website: Author Website

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. English

University: City University of New York

Degree: M.A. English

University: University of Delhi

Degree: B.A. English

University: Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi

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�� arts and humanities events scheduled for spring 2025

goersab — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 16:03:12 +0000

�� arts and humanities events scheduled for spring 2025goersab January 28, 2025

Community programs include exhibits, ‘Alice by Heart’ musical, concerts, film screenings; coincide with Destination Weekend, Spring Showcase

Abbey Goers

From exhibits celebrating a lifetime of photography, illustrations to “Marvel” at and historical moments, to a musical inviting the audience to step into Wonderland in “Alice by Heart, concerts that transport listeners to outer space, film screenings of “February” and “The League,” and literary and civic conversations, there are arts events for everyone at �� this spring.

Many events are free and open to the public, and several will be held in conjunction with �� . Destination Weekend, Friday, April 11, to Sunday, April 13; and Spring Showcase in April and May.

Visual Arts

Furlong Gallery ��. spring season will open with an anticipated exhibit – Bill Wikrent: Capturing the Moment in the North Gallery; and artist and illustrator Matt Talbot in the South Gallery, on view through Saturday, March 1.

A reception for the exhibit Bill Wikrent: Capturing the Moment will be on Feb. 20, with a plaque unveiling ceremony at 5 p.m.

For 27 years, Wikrent worked with �� . Instructional Technology Services, contributing significantly to the university and surrounding area ��. visual history. This exhibition includes highlights of his campus work, as well as his personal photographs, highlighting his expertise and artistic voice. Wikrent passed away in April 2023. A reception will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20, with a plaque unveiling ceremony at 5 p.m., in Micheels Hall Atrium.

Talbot is an illustrator and graphic designer from the seacoast area of New Hampshire. His clients include Marvel Studios, Sony, Mondo, Entertainment Weekly, Archie Comics, Fangoria and more. The exhibit includes both personal projects and client work. A meet and greet will begin at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at Furlong, with an artist talk following at 6 p.m., in Applied Arts room 321.

Matt Talbot's illustrations and designs include both personal projects and client work

Other exhibits across campus include:

Sunday, Feb. 2, to Sunday, March 30: The Library Art Lab, on the first floor of the University Library, will host Patient No More: People with Disabilities Securing Civil Rights. This traveling exhibit tells the stories behind a moment in history when protests across the country were held to have Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 signed into law, which ultimately made it illegal for any federally funded facilities or programs to discriminate against people with disabilities. It is a collaborative project with the university ��. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office, Disability Services and Involvement Center. A reception will be from 2 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Monday, March 10, to Wednesday, April 19: Associate Professor Daniel Atyim will showcase his sabbatical work at Furlong.
Monday, May 5, through September: The Student Artist-in-Residence Exhibition at Furlong will feature studio art majors Lily Smith and Ellie Eklof. A reception will be held during the School of Art and Design Show from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, May 9.
Rotating exhibits of student works will be in Gallery 209, the Student Gallery in the Applied Arts building on the second floor.

'Alice by Heart' will be performed at Harvey Hall Theatre April 4-12.

University Theatre

Students will perform “Alice by Heart,” led by Director Audric Buhr, at Harvey Hall Theatre. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on April 4, 5, 10*, 11 and 12; and 2 p.m. on April 6.

“Alice by Heart” is a musical that encourages everyone to celebrate the transformational power of the imagination, even in the harshest of times, and explores the poignancy of first love, loss and finding the courage to move forward.

Set during World War II, in the rubble of the London Blitz, Alice Spencer ��. teenage life is turned upside down, when she and her friend Alfred are forced to take shelter in an underground tube station. When Alfred is quarantined, Alice encourages him to escape with her into their cherished book and journey down the rabbit hole to Wonderland.

* An accessible performance will be held on April 10, with a more informal atmosphere aimed to welcome those with sensory difficulties or autism. The performance will remain the same but with small adjustments. House lights will remain on, loud noises will be softened, and audience members are free to leave and re-enter.

Tickets will be available soon at uwstout.universitytickets.com.

'Please' by SAIR artists Ellie Eklof, and 'worth it' by SAIR artists Lily Smith

Concert Performances

Stout Choirs, under Director Jerry Hui, will present Life on the World Scale at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, at Our Savior ��. Lutheran Church, 910 E. 9th St., in Menomonie. Join in a musical journey from the microcosmos to the cosmos and back. Whether it is in the microbes, the places we live in, in nature, or the universe, we see faces looking back as we reflect our life experiences, big or small.
The Symphonic Band, under Director Erika Svanoe, will perform Around the World at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall. The concert will feature music celebrating different places, cultures and composers from around the world, including Minneapolis-based composer Samantha Hogan ��. new piece “A Tour of Minnesota,” which commemorates the state flag.
The Blue Devil Jazz Orchestra, under Director James Anderson, will perform at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 3, Harvey Hall Theater. Blast off into infinity and beyond with selections of Gustav Holst ��. “The Planets,” and hear classics like Frank Sinatra ��. “Come Fly with Me,” Hoagy Carmichael ��. “Stardust” and Dizzy Gilespie ��. “Manteca!”

Tickets will be available soon at uwstout.universitytickets.com.

Patient No More will be on exhibit at the Library Art Lab Feb. 2 to March 30.

Film and Literary Events

Two film screenings and Q&As with the directors will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 4:

“February,” with director Nathan Deming and lead actor David Duran, 5 to 6:30 p.m., Harvey Hall Theater. “February,” filmed in Eau Claire, recently won multiple awards at the Wisconsin Film Festival. The event is hosted by the video production program and Video Production Club.
“The League,” with filmmaker Byron Motley, 7 to 9 p.m., Memorial Student Center Terrace. Directed by Sam Pollard, “The League” celebrates the dynamic journey of Negro League baseball's triumphs and challenges through the first half of the twentieth century. The event is hosted by �� Athletics and the Office of Student Opportunity & Excellence.

The Literature Committee will host a virtual talk and reading with Andrew Krivak, author of “The Bear,” from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5.

Author Peter Geye will present and read from his new novel, “A Lesser Light,” from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, at Harvey Hall Theater. The novel will be released on Monday, April 15.

�� Athletics and the EDI Office will host a screening of 'The League,' directed by Sam Pollard, on Feb. 4.

Civic Events

�� . Center for Applied Ethics will host several national and international speakers:

Wednesday, March 26: Is Abortion Morally Permissible if the Embryo is a Person?, with Kate Greasley, associate professor and Tutorial Fellow in Law at Oxford University.
Thursday, April 3: Assisted Dying: A Slippery Slope?, with Bonnie Steinbock, professor emerita at the University at Albany/State University of New York.
Wednesday, April 30: “Valuing the Diversity of Languages in a Multicultural World,” with Réamonn Ó Ciaráin, CEO of Gael Linn.

The Center also hosts Philosophers’ Cafés, informal, friendly conversations on contemporary issues. Meetings are open to all and are led by �� and UW-Eau Claire faculty. Upcoming conversations will be held at 7 p.m., at Brewery Nonic in Menomonie:

Monday, Feb. 10: Where the Wild Things Are. Moderator: Professor Julie Beston, biology
Monday, March 24: Is Free Speech Too Free? Moderator: Professor Tim Shiell, philosophy
Monday, April 7: Free: Priceless vs. Worthless. Moderator: Professor Chris Ferguson, economics

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Engineering, technical, design competitions prepare young people for future careers

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Community programs include exhibits, ‘Alice by Heart’ musical, concerts, film screenings; coincide with Destination Weekend, Spring Showcase Bill Wikrent, photo collage

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Visit us to browse world-class exhibitions on display throughout the year.

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Hero Caption: Furlong Gallery ��. spring season will open with an anticipated exhibit – Bill Wikrent: Capturing the Moment. It is on view through Saturday, March 1.

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Novelist Ganeshananthan to present ‘Brotherless Night’ at Chippewa Valley Book Festival event co-hosted by ��

goersab — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 13:46:33 +0000

Novelist Ganeshananthan to present ‘Brotherless Night’ at Chippewa Valley Book Festival event co-hosted by ��goersab October 3, 2023

Historical fiction talk on Oct. 16 will address war, feminism, ethnicity

Abbey Goers

The earliest years of Sri Lanka ��. three-decade-long civil war are the earliest years of American fiction writer V.V. Ganeshananthan's life. Stories of the war are imprinted on her memory. They are the stories she grew up hearing and reading about.

Ganeshananthan shares one such story in her historical novel “Brotherless Night,” a New York Times Editors’ Choice. Set in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, during the 1980s, it is the story of Sashi, a 16-year-old girl who wants to become a doctor, as well as her brothers and their friend K, who are swept up in the violence of war.

Novelist V.V. Ganeshananthan, author of 'Brotherless Night' / Portrait by Sophia Mayrhofer

Sashi works as a medic at a field hospital for the militant Tamil Tigers, who, following years of state discrimination and violence, are fighting for a separate homeland for Sri Lanka ��. Tamil minority. But events lead Sashi to question where she stands, and when she ��. invited to join a secret project documenting human rights violations, she embarks on a dangerous path that will change her forever.

“Brotherless Night” is part of this year ��. Chippewa Valley Book Festival readings. Ganeshananthan will present “Brotherless Night: Political Fiction of the Recent Past” from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 16, in �� . Harvey Hall Theatre. It will also be live-streamed.

The event is free and open to the public; no registration is needed. It is co-hosted by the festival and �� . Literature Committee.

Ganeshananthan will discuss how she researched 1980s Sri Lanka to create a historically accurate setting for her novel. She'll also delve into themes and style, emphasizing their places in the larger tradition of literature addressing war, feminism and ethnicity.

“I hope my audience and readers can hear me tell the beginning of a good story, particularly a story that looks to restore to common knowledge of an erased narrative,” Ganeshananthan said. “‘Brotherless Night’ is a book that approaches several marginalized vantage points of the civil war – women and minorities – and places them at the center.”

Ganeshananthan ��. work has appeared in Granta, The New York Times, “Best American Nonrequired Reading” and other publications. She is a former vice president of the South Asian Journalists Association, has served on the board of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop and is a member of the boards of the American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies and the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop.

She teaches in the MFA program at the University of Minnesota and co-hosts the podcast Fiction/Non/Fiction on Literary Hub, which is about the intersection of literature and the news.

“Brotherless Night” will be available for sale by Dragon Tale Books at the event for $28, plus tax. Ganeshananthan will autograph books. It is also from the University Library in electronic book and audiobook formats.

‘The role of literature in remembering’

�� professors Lopa Basu, Literature Committee co-chair, and Kevin Drzakowski are members of the festival ��. Authors and Events Committee, which chooses the authors each year.

'Brotherless Night' is a New York Times Editors’ Choice / V.V. Ganeshananthan

“I recommended ‘Brotherless Night’ because it is a really important document of the Sri Lankan civil war. I wanted V.V. Ganeshananthan to come to campus to share her perspective with our community and students to increase their global awareness of terrorism, conflict and the role of literature in remembering,” said Basu, who is looking forward to learning how to write about and teach complex and painful histories.

Literature can play a role in teaching us about our histories, Ganeshananthan thinks. “We live in a world where official storytellers, whether they are governments and non-state actors like the Tamil Tigers, are insistent on telling their versions. And a lot of stories are left out,” she said.

“Fiction uniquely fills that imaginative space of covering history at its margins or where stories are flat-out missing.”

A lot of Ganeshananthan ��. favorite writers work to fill those gaps. For example, Edward P. Jones, Dolen Perkins-Valdez, and Shyam Selvadurai, author of “Funny Boy,” a queer coming-of-age novel set right before Sri Lanka ��. civil war.

“Some think these sorts of narratives are too complicated for most people to comprehend in fiction writing. I don’t believe this,” she added. “It ��. important to write about things that other people try to intentionally erase. And as a reader, to find stories that exist outside of the official bounds. These are unknown narratives, but unknown to who?”

“Brotherless Night” and other historical fiction ask, “What does the reader assume?,” and can show the reader they might be wrong in their assumptions, she said.

Ganeshananthan will also visit with Basu ��. Honors Composition students, who will be reading “Brotherless Night” and will have an informal Q&A with the author.

The students will write about the novel or use it as a source for a research paper on conflict and resolution. Basu would like her students to learn about how othering (the act of treating someone as though they are not part of a group or are different in some way) by race and ethnicity can create unbelievable tragedies and violence, she said.

Ganeshananthan will talk with them about how she became a writer, what it ��. like to write a book and the difficulties of approaching historical material in writing. She has the same discussions with her own creative writing classes.

Inclusive excellence is a part of �� . FOCUS2030 goals. It aims to invest in and ensure access to equitable, diverse and inclusive learning, student living and work environments that reflect regional and global connections.

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September 25, 2025

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Historical fiction talk on Oct. 16 will address war, feminism, ethnicity Brotherless Night novel

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About the Literature Committee

Reading and discussing literature are vital activities that expand our ideas and provide insights into a dynamic and diverse world.

Our Mission

The Literature Committee serves as a source of information on current literary pedagogies, practices, and theories and to actively promote, on campus and throughout the community, the value of creative writing, literature, literary studies, and literary culture via course offerings, outreach programs, involvement in curriculum and assessment, and the English minor.

Our Vision

The Literature Committee supports an appreciation of reading, engaged discussion, reflective considerations of literature, and creative writing as activities that have valuable effects for society. Reading and the many forms of literacy—information, literary, textual, and visual—are applications of active learning and critical thinking skills and have transformative potential in their demonstrated ability to improve communication, rhetorical acumen, and intercultural understanding in a complex, diverse, and ever-changing society.

Statement of Purpose

The Literature Committee, functioning under the aegis of the Department of English & Philosophy, seeks to actively promote the value of literature, literary studies, and literary culture across campus and throughout the community.

We recognize the importance of the literary arts—creativity, film, language, literature, publishing, and reading—within the broad spectrum of the humanities and liberal education. We believe that in order to cultivate a more engaged and informed society we need to recognize and encourage a commitment to reading and literacy as fundamental modes of active reflection and cultural transformation.

We view reading and the knowledge of various forms of literacy—information, literary, textual, and visual—as primary applications of active learning and critical thinking. Literacy transforms individuals by preparing them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change.

Moreover, as fundamental to the humanities and the liberal arts, literature and literacy supports analysis, synthesis, and problem-solving skill development. Reading has a demonstrated and positive effect on an increased ability to apply knowledge and skills in new real-world settings. Reading promotes effective communication, rhetorical skill, and the understanding of intercultural dialogue.

Literature Committee Programming

As part of its vision, the Literature Committee hosts two important campus programs that demonstrate the importance of literature and literary culture across the campus community.

The Reading Series

Each semester the Literature Committee invites recognized writers, poets, and literary specialists to lecture, discuss literary issues, and read from their works. We strive to collaborate with campus and community organizations such as the Robert S. Swanson Library & Learning Center, the Honors College, Multicultural Student Services, and the Menomonie Public Library.

Reading Across Campus

Each year the Literature Committee promotes a campus-wide reading program featuring a significant book reflecting cultural ideas relevant to all students and faculty, and an associated film that encapsulates the grounds the reading event. We present the film with a reception featuring a campus leader, and tap into faculty expertise in three related lecture events.

Function of the Literature Committee

The Literature Committee encourages engaged discussion and reflective consideration of literature and creative writing course offerings in the Department of English and Philosophy. As such we act as a source of information on current literary pedagogies, practices, and theories. Moreover, we are concerned with literary opportunities for students in classes, programs, the English minor, and curriculum and assessment. The Literature Committee guides the university in continuing improvement of literary activities, literature and creative writing courses, and literary outreach programs.

We believe that reading and discussing literature are vital activities that expand our ideas and provide insights into a dynamic and diverse world. Each year, the Literature Committee—part of the Department of English & Philosophy—promotes the value of literary studies through events that emphasize literary culture across the campus community.

The Literature Committee is charged by the Department of English and Philosophy (CAHSS) accordingly:

The Committee on Literature, which has three fundamental purposes:

to develop strategies for increasing enrollment in literature and creative writing courses;
to inform �� administrators, faculty, and students of the values of literary studies;
to establish guidelines for revising, expanding and improving literature and creative writing courses and the literature program in general.

CACHSS

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American humorists bring levity to ��'s Reading Across Campus events

goersab — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 14:08:33 +0000

American humorists bring levity to ��'s Reading Across Campus eventsgoersab February 24, 2023

Public invited for readings by Professor Julie Schumacher on March 1, area author Elise Gregory on April 5

Abbey Goers

This year, �� . annual Reading Across Campus is not centered around one book but rather on a theme – humor – with selections featuring a variety of authors and readings.

“Coming out of the pandemic, we felt we needed something to make us laugh and regain our joy of reading,” said Literature Committee co-chair Professor Lopa Basu.

Thurber Prize recipient Julie Schumacher / Julie Schumacher

As part of the event, the committee will welcome award-winning author Julie Schumacher, the first woman to receive the Thurber Prize for American Humor, to present “How to Enjoy the Writing Process Even If You're on a Deadline and Your Dog Needs to Go to the Vet.”

Her presentation is free and open to the public and will be held from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1, in the University Library ��. Educational Materials Center, second floor. Books will be available for purchase and signing after the event.

“I hope people will think about ways to infuse joy into the writing process and to see it as a terrific experiment,” said Schumacher, a Regents professor of creative writing and English at the University of Minnesota.

Schumacher ��. first novel, “The Body Is Water,” was an ALA Notable Book of the Year and a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award. She is the author of national best seller “Dear Committee Members;” as well as “The Shakespeare Requirement;” “Doodling for Academics,” a satirical coloring book; and five novels for younger readers.

Ellsworth-based author Elise Gregory will be reading from her debut novel “The Clayfields” from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5, in the library ��. EMC. Her reading is also open to the public. “The Clayfields,” set locally, is the story of three modern women who must decide whether or not to leave their farming community behind. Gregory will also be visiting a creative writing class on campus.

Elise Gregory will read from her novel “The Clayfields” from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29. / Elise Gregory

Reading Across Campus encourages instructors to incorporate readings in their courses or as extra credit opportunities. Humor-themed readings this year include:

“Furiously Happy” by Jenny Lawson
“A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian” by Marina Lewycka
“Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah
“The Innocents Abroad” by Mark Twain

There will also be a faculty and staff reading from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 27, at Dragon Tale Books, Menomonie's new downtown bookstore. This reading will continue the annual tradition of featuring instructors and staff members from units across campus. In keeping with the Reading Across Campus theme, readers will be encouraged to share pieces with a touch of humor.

Humor is crucial to our daily lives

Schumacher believes humor is “crucial, crucial, crucial” to our daily lives. She thinks of humor as a lens through which she looks at the world and her experiences.

Julie Schumacher will present from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1. / Julie Schumacher

“There are things that we don't – and will never – laugh about, but these things are few and far between,” she said. “In 97% of life, there is something to be found that can make us laugh. Laughter is a release; it allows us to breathe and go on with our lives.

“Things that, to me, might seem embarrassing or strange or infuriating when they occur, often start to seem funny in retrospect. That's the way my mind works. I like to look back on things and see the wacky appeal in them.”

Schumacher has always written, and writing is something she feels she needs to do. “Some people need to play the piano or cook or play basketball. I need to put words onto the page. That's the way I process my thoughts. As the saying goes, ‘How do I know what I think until I see what I say?’” she said.

Some of her favorite humorous reads are Jane Austen, although she said most people wouldn't think of Austen as a humorist. “But I find her dialogue to be hilarious. On the other side of the spectrum, I'm a devoted reader of the comics in the daily paper. I don't start my day without first reading ‘Dilbert’ and ‘Pearls Before Swine.’”

Reading Across Campus is a collaboration between the English and philosophy department, the University Library and the Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation. It is made possible by a grant from the Provost ��. Office.

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Year of Design celebration central to ��'s spring 2026 event schedule

Community invited to exhibitions, civic and literary conversations, film screenings and performances

February 11, 2026

Design focus anchors ��'s fall 2025 event schedule

Community invited to exhibitions, lectures and discussions, readings and performances

September 25, 2025

‘Sing, Slivered Tongue’: �� professor ��. book of poetry is a statement of courage, hope

Basu ��. anthology gathers 68 international voices to reflect on trauma, resolution

August 19, 2025

Public invited for readings by Professor Julie Schumacher on March 1, area author Elise Gregory on April 5 Julie Schumacher's publications

University Marketing

About the Literature Committee

Reading and discussing literature are vital activities that expand our ideas and provide insights into a dynamic and diverse world.

Our Mission

Our Vision

Statement of Purpose

Literature Committee Programming

As part of its vision, the Literature Committee hosts two important campus programs that demonstrate the importance of literature and literary culture across the campus community.

The Reading Series

Reading Across Campus

Function of the Literature Committee

The Literature Committee is charged by the Department of English and Philosophy (CAHSS) accordingly:

The Committee on Literature, which has three fundamental purposes:

to develop strategies for increasing enrollment in literature and creative writing courses;
to inform �� administrators, faculty, and students of the values of literary studies;
to establish guidelines for revising, expanding and improving literature and creative writing courses and the literature program in general.

CACHSS

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Award-winning author Owusu presents at Chippewa Valley Book Festival event co-hosted by ��

goersab — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 15:45:52 +0000

Award-winning author Owusu presents at Chippewa Valley Book Festival event co-hosted by ��goersab October 13, 2022

Virtual talk Oct. 27 based on memoir ‘Aftershocks,’ which touches on identity, trauma and resilience

Abbey Goers

Award-winning Ghanaian and Armenian American writer Nadia Owusu has always turned to reading and writing as ways to process the world and the events of her life.

Nadia Owusu / Nadia Owusu

“Writing rigorously requires us to complicate the often too-easy stories we subconsciously create for ourselves. I believe that every person has work to do in interrogating the stories we’ve been given, particularly the ones that cause harm. We can revise those stories so that they’re more truthful and full of possibility,” Owusu said.

Owusu, the 2019 Whiting Award winner, confronts her stories in her acclaimed debut memoir, “Aftershocks,” which is part of the 2022 Chippewa Valley Book Festival.

“Aftershocks” was listed as a best book of 2021 by Time, Vogue, Esquire, the Guardian, NPR, BBC and others. Former President Barack Obama named it one his favorite books of the year, and it was selected by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai for her Literati book club.

University of Wisconsin-Stout ��. Literature Committee and the book festival are co-hosting Owusu ��. virtual presentation, “Reclaiming Our Stories,” from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27. Registration is required.

"Aftershocks" / A memoir by Nadia Owusu

In her presentation, Owusu will discuss how people are often fed stories about themselves and how writing can help people reclaim themselves by processing trauma, grief, isolation, dislocation and disconnection, and remake their stories toward healing, self-love and a radically reimagined world.

A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation, moderated by Lopamudra Basu, Literature Committee co-chair and professor in the English, philosophy and communication studies department.

Basu thinks “Aftershocks” will resonate with participants, as Owusu ��. memoir “touches on her biracial identity, her in-between status in American and African culture, the childhood traumas of losing her parents and her ultimate resilience,” she said.

“‘Aftershocks’ was a timely choice for �� to focus on, given our emphasis on equity, diversity and inclusion. Nadia is truly a world citizen writer. Having lived in many countries and having a unique heritage, she brings a truly cosmopolitan sensibility into her writing and presentation,” Basu added.

“Reclaiming Our Stories” is made possible with technology assistance from L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library. “Aftershocks” is available at Bookends on Main in downtown Menomonie and may be ordered via email at info@bookendsonmain.com or phone, at 715-233-6252. It is also available electronically from the University Library.

Writing allows us to ‘move differently in the world’

Owusu began “Aftershocks” as a private project to help make important changes in her life and to better understand the histories that have shaped her and to reckon with her past, she said.

“I didn’t think about it as a book for a long time. I was working on a novel. But eventually, I realized that this was a story I needed to tell,” Owusu said.

Margo Jefferson, author of “Negroland: A Memoir” and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, said in a review that Owusu ��. “task and burden are threefold: to chronicle the historical wounds and legacies of each country; to chart her own descent into grief, mania and madness; to begin the work of emotional reconstruction. She does so with unerring honesty and in prose that is both rigorous and luminous.”

Owusu was grateful for Jefferson ��. words as she is an inspiration to her. “It wasn’t about coping, exactly. It was more about facing my grief and trauma, which I’d avoided doing for so long. If we are not honest about the past, we have little chance of shaping a better future. Doing the work of reckoning on the page allowed me to move differently in the world.”

Owusu teaches creative writing at Columbia University in New York City and in Southern New Hampshire University ��. Mountainview MFA program. She loves doing events at colleges and universities.

“I remember that time in my life as so rich with discovery and passion. Writing during that time can help students figure out what they’re passionate about, what moves them and what they think. Creating processes for self-knowledge can be an important part of a healing journey,” she said.

Youth Make-and-Take workshops

A one-page wonder by Brianna Capra / Mary Climes

The festival is also offering two Make-and-Take workshops for children interested in writing and bookmaking, led by comic artist and �� School of Art and Design Assistant Professor Mary Climes and illustrator, artist and alum Brianna Capra.

The workshops will be on Saturday, Oct. 22, at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library ��. Dabble Box Room, 400 Eau Claire St., Eau Claire.

9:30 to 11:30 a.m.: Book Making Workshop for Young Writers. Children third to eighth grade are invited to a unique and creative book-making workshop. Students will learn how to turn their writing into a physical bound book. Registration is required.
1:30 to 3:30 p.m.: Children of all ages will create a simple “one-page wonder” book that can be filled with anything they can imagine. Instructions will be provided. Caregiver supervision and assistance is required. Preregistration is not required.

Inclusive excellence is a part of �� . FOCUS2030 goals. It aims to invest in, and ensure access to, equitable, diverse and inclusive learning, student living and work environments that reflect regional and global connections.

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Year of Design celebration central to ��'s spring 2026 event schedule

Community invited to exhibitions, civic and literary conversations, film screenings and performances

February 11, 2026

Design focus anchors ��'s fall 2025 event schedule

Community invited to exhibitions, lectures and discussions, readings and performances

September 25, 2025

‘Sing, Slivered Tongue’: �� professor ��. book of poetry is a statement of courage, hope

Basu ��. anthology gathers 68 international voices to reflect on trauma, resolution

August 19, 2025

Virtual talk Oct. 27 based on memoir ‘Aftershocks,’ which touches on identity, trauma and resilience Aftershocks bu Nadia Owusu

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Literature Committee

Reading and discussing literature are vital activities that expand our ideas and provide insights into a dynamic and diverse world. Each year, the Literature Co

Lopa Basu

Full Name: Lopamudra Basu

Job Title: Professor

Include in Directory: Yes

Area of Expertise: Postcolonial Literature Transnational Women's Literature 9/11 Literature Trauma Studies Poetry

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: English, Philosophy & Communication Studies Department

Curriculum Vitae: Lopa Basu CV (381.8 KB)

Website: Author Website

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. English

University: City University of New York

Degree: M.A. English

University: University of Delhi

Degree: B.A. English

University: Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi

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Comic exhibit, film screening and local author part of community events this spring

goersab — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 19:25:23 +0000

Comic exhibit, film screening and local author part of community events this springgoersab February 8, 2022

Reading Across Campus features virtual talks on LGBTQIA+ themes and character relations

Abbey Goers

University of Wisconsin-Stout ��. Literature Committee is hosting free community events this spring, centered around this year ��. Reading Across Campus selection, “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic” by American cartoonist Alison Bechdel.

Bechdel ��. graphic memoir explores LGBTQIA+ issues, identity and family trauma, as she revisits her relationship with her father.

Events flowing out of “Fun Home” include two virtual talks by university staff members:

“‘Fun Home’: Character Analysis Using LGBTQIA+ Development Theories,” with the Qube Program Coordinator Nicole Eastman: 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10, on Zoom.
“The Power of Personal and Community Connections: Exploring �� LGBTQIA+ Oral Histories in Connection to Themes from Alison Bechdel's ‘Fun Home’,” with University Archivist Rebecca Kuske: 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 6, on Zoom.

The Qube Program Coordinator Nicole Eastman / ��

“‘Fun Home’ is an important representation of the LGBTQIA+ community and the different challenges each generation faces,” Eastman said. “What stood out to me was Alison ��. relationship with her father growing up and their attempts to connect with each other.”

Eastman ��. talk will examine the characters’ identities using LGBTQIA+ development models and how they come to accept or reject their sexualities. Attendees will also learn several identity development models and how to support those in the coming out process.

The Qube connects LGBTQIA+ students and allies in the community through social, cultural and academic programs and events.

University Archivist Rebecca Kuske / ��

Kuske ��. talk will connect the themes of “Fun Home” directly to the �� community as she shares pieces of oral histories, experiences and involvement in the LGBTQIA+ community.

The oral histories were conducted by students in the Introduction to Queer Studies course, part of the women, gender and sexuality studies curriculum.

“My hope is that this talk creates an opportunity for attendees to recognize any of their own personal connections to this book as well as show how prevalent the topics discussed are on our own campus,” Kuske said.

Comic exhibit, movie and writing memoirs

Other upcoming Reading Across Campus community events are a student comic exhibit, a film screening and a presentation on writing memoirs by local author and UW-Eau Claire Associate Professor of English BJ Hollars. All events are free and open to the public.

“Inside the Box: Memoir Comics by Stout Students” student exhibit: Friday, March 11, to Friday, May 6, second floor of the University Library.
“Persepolis” film screening: 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30, Harvey Hall Theatre.
“The Story of Your Life: Writing Your Forgotten Past,” with Hollars: 5 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13, Harvey Hall Theatre.

“Inside the Box: Memoir Comics by Stout Students” will feature comic art in all styles and mediums that incorporate the theme of personal memoir and identity.

The call for artists is open to �� students. Organized by comics Lecturer Mary Climes, the exhibition is juried by various university representees: Cory Mitchell, collection development librarian; Literature Committee member Kevin Drzakowski, interim associate dean of the College of Arts, Communication, Humanities and Social Sciences; Brianna Copra, graduate student and children ��. book illustrator; Erik Evensen, comic artist and associate professor of digital narrative; and Nicole Eastman, LGBTQIA+ program coordinator. A closing reception will be on Friday, April 29.

The screening of “Persepolis” was chosen by the Literature Committee and the University Library to coincide with the reading of “Fun Home” because “it touches on issues of women's identities in a transnational context which seemed appropriate to women's history month,” said Lopa Basu, co-chair of the Literature Committee.

The adult animated film, produced in 2007, is based on Marjane Satrapi ��. graphic novel of the same name. Published in 2000, it is Satrapi ��. autobiographical account of her childhood and teenage years in Iran and Austria during and after the Islamic Revolution.

UW-Eau Claire Associate Professor of English BJ Hollars / BJ Hollars

Hollars’ presentation, “The Story of Your Life: Writing Your Forgotten Past,” will share techniques and writing prompts to help writers conjure long-forgotten stories and recall vanished details to bring their past to the present and write their life story.

Hollars is the author of several books, including “Go West Young Man: A Father and Son Rediscover America on the Oregon Trail.” His work has been featured in the Washington Post and National Public Radio. He is the recipient of the Truman Capote Prize for Literary Nonfiction.

Diversity Week community event

Diversity Week at �� is Monday, Feb. 21, to Friday, Feb. 25. The community is invited to listen to their neighbors at the International Mother Language Day event.

The hybrid event will feature 14 presenters speaking 13 languages and will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 21 in the Memorial Student Center, Great Hall and virtually on Zoom.

University Librarian Ann Vogl / ��

“Language is a big part of culture. And around the world, languages are being lost. This is a small way to share and appreciate the languages and cultures present in Menomonie,” said University Librarian Ann Vogl, who helped coordinate the event in collaboration with Menomonie Public Library.

“I think the event is a way to bring us all together and create some positive proximity. We are all part of the same community, and it is a wonderful way to meet each other,” Vogl added. “It ��. nice to listen to the sound of different languages even though you don’t know what is said.”

Other upcoming community literary events include Roosevelt Montas’ presentation on his book “Rescuing Socrates: How the Great Books Changed My Life and Why They Matter for a New Generation.” Co-sponsored by the Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation, the event is at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22, in the Memorial Student Center, Northwoods Room.

Reading Across Campus is a collaboration between the English and philosophy department, the University Library and Menard Center. It is made possible from a grant by the Chancellor ��. Office and Provost ��. Office.

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Reading Across Campus features virtual talks on LGBTQIA+ themes and character relations nicole_eastmanweb.jpg

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Graphic memoir inspires talks on LGBTQIA+ representation, censorship, comics

Reading Across Campus features ‘Fun Home’ by Alison Bechdel

About the Literature Committee

Reading and discussing literature are vital activities that expand our ideas and provide insights into a dynamic and diverse world.

Our Mission

Our Vision

Statement of Purpose

Literature Committee Programming

As part of its vision, the Literature Committee hosts two important campus programs that demonstrate the importance of literature and literary culture across the campus community.

The Reading Series

Reading Across Campus

Function of the Literature Committee

The Literature Committee is charged by the Department of English and Philosophy (CAHSS) accordingly:

The Committee on Literature, which has three fundamental purposes:

to develop strategies for increasing enrollment in literature and creative writing courses;
to inform �� administrators, faculty, and students of the values of literary studies;
to establish guidelines for revising, expanding and improving literature and creative writing courses and the literature program in general.

CACHSS

Include in Directory: Off

Exclude from Internal Site Search: No

Graphic memoirist to present on immigrant ��. view of civil rights movement

goersab — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 13:15:00 +0000

Graphic memoirist to present on immigrant ��. view of civil rights movementgoersab October 14, 2021

��, Chippewa Valley Book Festival partner in free virtual event

Abbey Goers

The civil rights era was rife with discord. As part of the nation ��. population fought for social and political equality, another strove for maintaining the status quo of segregation and denying the liberties of their neighbors.

Graphic novelist Lila Quintero Weaver was 5 years old in 1961 when her family moved from their home in Argentina to central Alabama, just 27 miles from Selma.

As a young immigrant in the Jim Crow South, Quintero Weaver remembers school desegregation. The marches from Selma in support of African-Americans' right to vote and the violence surrounding it were the “hallmark events of the region,” she said.

Graphic memoirist Lila Quintero Weaver / Lila Quintero Weaver

Quintero Weaver will reflect on these pivotal moments in her presentation, “South American Eyes in the American South,” a free virtual event at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 25.

Her presentation is hosted in partnership through University of Wisconsin-Stout and the Chippewa Valley Book Festival, which runs Sunday, Oct. 24, to Friday, Oct. 29. It is made possible with the technology assistance of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire. Advance registration is required.

Quintero Weaver is one of six national authors participating in the festival. She is the author of the graphic novel “Darkroom: A Memoir in Black & White,” listed on Book Riot ��. 100 Must-Read Graphic Memoirs.

“Darkroom” gives an alternate interpretation of the Jim Crow era and expresses Quintero Weaver ��. discomfort when segregationist views grew as the civil rights movement gained momentum and eventually led to an urgent need to take a stand.

“Darkroom” may be purchased at Bookends on Main in downtown Menomonie.

‘A good book should make us feel less alone’

Quintero Weaver ��. primary inspiration in becoming a graphic novelist was “Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood” by Marjane Satrapi. It was the first graphic memoir she read. She also finds artistic inspiration in street photography, black and white film, collage art and the Dutch masters.

Cover art of "Darkroom" / Lila Quintero Weaver

The meaning behind her memoir ��. title has two parts. “In the literal sense it refers to my father ��. photo-processing darkroom,” she said. “But it also serves as a metaphor for revelation and emerging knowledge.”

Her revelations about the civil rights movement and events in her hometown came in adulthood. “Everything was hush-hush back then,” she said. “I had to dig out the facts on my own – trace this event to that result. But this wasn’t possible until many years had passed and people started speaking their truth.”

Readers have shared their stories with Quintero Weaver, from memories of the Jim Crow era to immigrants who have experienced the sense of isolation she describes in “Darkroom.”

“On college campuses, students have taken me aside to explain why my story clicked with them,” she said. “These are the reactions I treasure, because a good book should make us feel less alone and more connected.”

Quintero Weaver has suggestions for people as they seek to support each other ��. differences and move toward more empathy and understanding:

Read and listen to the stories of people who come from different worlds. Spend time with them, hear them out and afford them the respect we all want for ourselves.
Step into the shoes of an outsider by traveling or studying a foreign language.

“Since these remedies are nothing new, we should ask ourselves why we don’t do them,” she said. “Is it because we crave belonging and the comfort of the familiar? I think we have to accept that offering empathy often puts us into some level of discomfort. Even so, somebody has to make the first move.”

Artwork depicting Quintero Weaver's memories of segregation in her hometown. / Lila Quintero Weaver

Expanding horizons

The partnership between �� and the Chippewa Valley Book Festival started in 2018, when the university hosted a reading by Nickolas Butler of his novel “Little Faith.” Before that, Basu took Honors College students to Eau Claire to attend festival readings.

Isa Small, programming and communications services manager at the Eau Claire library, and �� Professor Lopa Basu serve on the festival ��. Authors and Events Committee. Basu is co-chair of �� . Literature Committee.

English and philosophy professor Lopa Basu / ��

“The Chippewa Valley Book Festival has a long history of partnering with organizations in the valley to host events,” Small said. “Dr. Lopamudra Basu has been instrumental in the partnership with ��.”

Basu believes the partnership is mutually beneficial. “Stout students are exposed to a wide range of authors and programming. The festival benefits from new audiences and co-sponsorship,” she said. “We hope the partnership can continue in the future.”

“It's always wonderful to expand your horizons and experience reading a different voice, or in the case of Lila Quintero Weaver's work, a different genre of storytelling,” Small said. “I, like many others, tend to stick with what I know I like when it comes to books. But that's why I so appreciate the festival. It provides an opportunity to read outside of my comfort zone and discover some new favorites.”

Reading Across Campus

Quintero Weaver ��. presentation is in keeping with �� . Reading Across Campus program, which is focusing on another graphic memoir this year. “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic” by Alison Bechdel explores LGBTQIA+ issues of identity and family trauma and is centered around Bechdel ��. relationship with her tyrannical father.

Artwork depicting Quintero Weaver's passport as a child. / Lila Quintero Weaver

“Many instructors in the English and philosophy department incorporate graphic novels in our composition and literature courses, and we have a comics concentration in the School of Art and Design,” said Basu.

“‘Fun Home’ and ‘Darkroom’ are hybrid artifacts, combining words and images. They speak to issues of equity, diversity and inclusiveness, a university priority for the next strategic plan,” she added.

Basu plans to teach “Darkroom” in her Multicultural American Literature course, this spring. Reading Across Campus is a collaboration between the English and philosophy department, the University Library and Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation. It is made possible by a grant from the Office of the Chancellor.

Literature Committee

All Literature Committee News

Year of Design celebration central to ��'s spring 2026 event schedule

Community invited to exhibitions, civic and literary conversations, film screenings and performances

February 11, 2026

Design focus anchors ��'s fall 2025 event schedule

Community invited to exhibitions, lectures and discussions, readings and performances

September 25, 2025

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��, Chippewa Valley Book Festival partner in free virtual event darkroom_2.jpg

University Marketing

Join Lila Quintero Weaver: 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 25.

The Literature Committee is also hosting a fourth annual poetry and prose Faculty and Staff Creative Writing Reading. The free virtual reading will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov.18.

Graphic memoir inspires talks on LGBTQIA+ representation, censorship, comics

Reading Across Campus features ‘Fun Home’ by Alison Bechdel

About the Literature Committee

Reading and discussing literature are vital activities that expand our ideas and provide insights into a dynamic and diverse world.

Our Mission

Our Vision

Statement of Purpose

Literature Committee Programming

As part of its vision, the Literature Committee hosts two important campus programs that demonstrate the importance of literature and literary culture across the campus community.

The Reading Series

Reading Across Campus

Function of the Literature Committee

The Literature Committee is charged by the Department of English and Philosophy (CAHSS) accordingly:

The Committee on Literature, which has three fundamental purposes:

to develop strategies for increasing enrollment in literature and creative writing courses;
to inform �� administrators, faculty, and students of the values of literary studies;
to establish guidelines for revising, expanding and improving literature and creative writing courses and the literature program in general.

CACHSS

Include in Directory: Off

Exclude from Internal Site Search: No

Graphic memoir inspires talks on LGBTQIA+ representation, censorship, comics

goersab — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 16:20:31 +0000

Graphic memoir inspires talks on LGBTQIA+ representation, censorship, comicsgoersab September 24, 2021

Reading Across Campus features ‘Fun Home’ by Alison Bechdel

Abbey Goers

Even more than the foods people eat, books help to shape their identities, believes Lopa Basu, English and philosophy professor at ��.

“The books we read constitute who we are,” she said.

As �� strives for equity, diversity and inclusion, and in recognizing the necessity of representation in literature, the Literature Committee and campus community named “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic” by American cartoonist Alison Bechdel as this year ��. Reading Across Campus selection.

Literature Committee co-chair Lopa Basu / ��

“Fun Home,” Bechdel ��. graphic memoir published in 2006, has been called a contemporary classic for its exploration of LGBTQIA+ issues of identity. Centered around her relationship with her father, it also touches on family trauma.

“The work resonates with me because Alison Bechdel comes to grapple with her identity through reading various authors like Proust, Rita Mae Brown and Kate Millet. It is a celebration of reading,” said Basu, committee co-chair.

The committee is co-sponsoring the Sharing Community with the university ��. Nakatani Teaching and Learning Center to present two virtual talks as part of Reading Across Campus this fall. The talks are free and open to the public.

“Banned Books and LGBTQIA+ Themes: Exploring Intergenerational Queer Lived Experience in Alison Bechdel's ‘Fun Home,’” by Rickie-Ann Legleitner: 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30. Join Legleitner ��. talk in Microsoft Teams.
“Composition of Memory and Memoir: Dissecting Visual Storytelling and Comix through Alison Bechdel's ‘Fun Home,’” by Mary Climes: 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 4. Join Climes’ talk via Zoom.

The universitywide program aims to foster student engagement and community involvement through literary studies. “Fun Home" will be incorporated into 10 to 15 sections of English composition and literature classes, with close to 300 students reading the book this year.

Electronic copies are available through University Textbook Services to students, faculty and staff. Readers may contact IRS Director Bob Butterfield: butterfieldr@uwstout.edu. It may be purchased at Bookends on Main in downtown Menomonie.

Representation and censorship

Associate professor Rickie-Ann Legleitner with a copy of "Fun Home" / ��

Legleitner, an associate professor of English, frequently teaches “Fun Home” in her composition classes as an example of a memoir and a banned book. As adviser for the women, gender and sexuality studies minor, she also plans to incorporate it in additional courses this year.

“This coming-of-age story frankly explores identity and family dynamics and offers students many points of personal connection and social exploration,” she said.

“Due to challenges that the text has faced on some college campuses, it also elicits important conversations about censorship, the First Amendment and the significance of representation in literature,” she added.

Legleitner appreciates Reading Across Campus because it enables students to share conversations and perspectives, while “gaining exposure to a book that they may not have encountered otherwise.”

From a ‘comix’ perspective

Climes, a lecturer in the School of Art and Design, will present on the elements of visual sequential storytelling and how the drawn page can evoke pacing and tone. As a comics maker, scholar and instructor, Climes is excited to share her perspective.

“Comics at its core is a prime example of the democratization of both art and literature,” she said. “‘Fun Home’ is a contribution to the legitimacy of comics as a serious art form and is an excellent choice for Reading Across Campus.

Mary Climes, lecturer and comics instructor / ��

“Not only does the narrative content connect with so many students and faculty – queerness, cyclical family trauma, loss of a parent, growing up – but the medium opens up the conversation to include ‘what is literature’ and ‘how can storytelling be achieved through sequential images.’”

Climes called Bechdel an “important figure in underground and indie-comix,” who brings light to queer representation and birthed the Bechdel Test, which calls attention to gender inequality in fiction.

In the spring, Reading Across Campus will feature talks by Nicole Eastman, the Qube coordinator, and Heather Stecklein, university archivist. The Qube connects LGBTQIA+ students and allies in the community through social, cultural and academic programs and events.

Reading Across Campus is a collaboration between the English and philosophy department, the University Library and Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation. It is made possible from a grant by the Chancellor ��. Office and Provost ��. Office.

The Nakatani Teaching and Learning Center provides resources and professional development events for educators and encourages the exploration of in-depth research and learning.

Chippewa Valley Book Festival event

�� is also partnering with the Chippewa Valley Book Festival to host a free virtual talk by graphic novelist Lila Quintero Weaver, author of “Darkroom: A Memoir in Black & White.” Quintero Weaver will present “South American Eyes in the American South,” a reflection on her childhood as an immigrant growing up in the Deep South during the Civil Rights era.

The event will be at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 25 and is made possible with the technology assistance of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library. Advance registration is required.

“‘Fun Home’ and ‘Darkroom’ are hybrid artifacts, combining words and images,” Basu said. “They speak to issues of equity, diversity and inclusiveness, a university priority for the next strategic plan.”

Literature Committee

All Literature Committee News

Year of Design celebration central to ��'s spring 2026 event schedule

Community invited to exhibitions, civic and literary conversations, film screenings and performances

February 11, 2026

Design focus anchors ��'s fall 2025 event schedule

Community invited to exhibitions, lectures and discussions, readings and performances

September 25, 2025

‘Sing, Slivered Tongue’: �� professor ��. book of poetry is a statement of courage, hope

Basu ��. anthology gathers 68 international voices to reflect on trauma, resolution

August 19, 2025

Reading Across Campus features ‘Fun Home’ by Alison Bechdel fun_home_alison_bechdel.jpg

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Reserve Your E-copy

"Fun Home" is available to students, faculty and staff through University Textbook Services.

Textbook Services

Join Rickie-Ann Legleitner: 2:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 30

The Literature Committee is also hosting a fourth annual poetry and prose Faculty and Staff Creative Writing Reading. The free virtual reading will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18.

Graphic memoirist to present on immigrant ��. view of civil rights movement

��, Chippewa Valley Book Festival partner in free virtual event

About the Literature Committee

Reading and discussing literature are vital activities that expand our ideas and provide insights into a dynamic and diverse world.

Our Mission

Our Vision

Statement of Purpose

Literature Committee Programming

As part of its vision, the Literature Committee hosts two important campus programs that demonstrate the importance of literature and literary culture across the campus community.

The Reading Series

Reading Across Campus

Function of the Literature Committee

The Literature Committee is charged by the Department of English and Philosophy (CAHSS) accordingly:

The Committee on Literature, which has three fundamental purposes:

to develop strategies for increasing enrollment in literature and creative writing courses;
to inform �� administrators, faculty, and students of the values of literary studies;
to establish guidelines for revising, expanding and improving literature and creative writing courses and the literature program in general.

CACHSS

Include in Directory: Off

Exclude from Internal Site Search: No

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‘Sing, Slivered Tongue’: �������� professor ��������. book of poetry is a statement of courage, hope

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‘Sing, Slivered Tongue’: �������� professor ��������. book of poetry is a statement of courage, hope

‘Sing, Slivered Tongue’

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Novelist Ganeshananthan to present ‘Brotherless Night’ at Chippewa Valley Book Festival event co-hosted by ��������

‘The role of literature in remembering’

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American humorists bring levity to ��������'s Reading Across Campus events

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Award-winning author Owusu presents at Chippewa Valley Book Festival event co-hosted by ��������

Writing allows us to ‘move differently in the world’

Youth Make-and-Take workshops

Literature Committee

Comic exhibit, film screening and local author part of community events this spring

Comic exhibit, movie and writing memoirs

Diversity Week community event

Graphic memoir inspires talks on LGBTQIA+ representation, censorship, comics

Our Mission

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Statement of Purpose

Literature Committee Programming

The Reading Series

Reading Across Campus

Function of the Literature Committee

Graphic memoirist to present on immigrant ��������. view of civil rights movement

‘A good book should make us feel less alone’

Expanding horizons

Reading Across Campus

Graphic memoir inspires talks on LGBTQIA+ representation, censorship, comics

Our Mission

Our Vision

Statement of Purpose

Literature Committee Programming

The Reading Series

Reading Across Campus

Function of the Literature Committee

Graphic memoir inspires talks on LGBTQIA+ representation, censorship, comics

Representation and censorship

Year of Design celebration central to ��'s spring 2026 event schedule

Design focus anchors ��'s fall 2025 event schedule

‘Sing, Slivered Tongue’: �� professor ��. book of poetry is a statement of courage, hope

‘Sing, Slivered Tongue’: �� professor ��. book of poetry is a statement of courage, hope

�� arts and humanities events scheduled for spring 2025

Novelist Ganeshananthan to present ‘Brotherless Night’ at Chippewa Valley Book Festival event co-hosted by ��

American humorists bring levity to ��'s Reading Across Campus events

Award-winning author Owusu presents at Chippewa Valley Book Festival event co-hosted by ��

Graphic memoirist to present on immigrant ��. view of civil rights movement

Graphic memoirist to present on immigrant ��. view of civil rights movement