"Intersections" Conference CFP

“I, like other queer people, am two in one body, both male and female. I am the embodiment of the hieros gamos: the coming together of opposite qualities within” - Gloria Anzaldúa

The Associated Graduate Students of English (AGSE) at California State University, Northridge is now accepting proposals for our annual Spring Conference. We are interested in critical papers/panels and creative pieces that investigate intersections.

Both similar to but also quite distinct from the border and the crossroad, the intersection is a powerful and provocative space for theoretical queries and figurative imaginings. The body is a locus where varying identities or ideologies intersect. Texts may serve as intersections for seemingly disparate genres. Geographical intersections are paradoxical spaces that embody the characteristics of different cultures that are both distinct yet united. What can we gain from a greater understanding of these locus points? What are the implications of these meetings? What might we discover about power relations, identities, and ideologies? Explorations may include but are not limited to: bodies as sites of intersection, geographical intersections, liminality, interstitial texts/genres, cultural/racial/ethnic intersections, intersections of social injustice, historical periods/events that mark times of intersection, intersections of political policies and ideologies, transitions and hybridity, intersections of classes.

We welcome graduate and undergraduate papers/panel proposals and creative works from a range of disciplines including but not limited to:

• Literature 
• Rhetoric and Composition
• Creative Writing
• Pedagogy
• History
• Philosophy
• Linguistics
• Comparative Literature
• Queer Studies
• Gender and Women’s Studies
• Chicano Studies
• Pan-African Studies
• Asian American Studies
• Ethnic Studies
• Art History
• Film and Screen Studies
• Animal Studies
• Disability Studies
• Popular Culture

Our conference is proud to feature keynote speaker, Dr. Joseph Allen Boone, Professor of English, Gender Studies, and Comparative Literature at the University of Southern California and author of The Homoerotics of Orientalism (2014) and Libidinal Currents: Sexuality and the Shaping of Modernism (1998).

Abstract Submission Deadline: December 23, 2013

Proposals for individual papers and creative works should be a maximum of 250 words. Panel proposals should be no more than 500 words. Please email submissions as Word (.doc, or .docx) attachments to agse.csunorthridge@gmail.com

Conference date and place: March 8, 2014 at California State University, Northridge.

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October Meeting Highlights

Thank you to everyone who could make it to our second meeting of the semester! It was nice to see our lovely members again!

Our fundraisers did delightfully well. During the book sale, we sold 425 books, meaning we made $425! So thank you all you bibliophiles out there! Our bowling night was also a blast! It was nice to see so many friendly faces, bowling the night away! In the 2 hours we were there, we managed to make $332! Yes, you read that correctly! It was such a success, that we’re considering having another bowling night, this time a little later. Who doesn't love Cosmic Bowling, eh?

Thanks for everyone who came to the Personal Statements Workshop! We had a full crowd and we hoped everyone left with a better understanding of their own personal statements!

We also have our Call For Papers finally finalized! We hope to see everyone’s submission!

Things to look forward to: How to Write an Abstract.
Don’t know quite how to apply to our CFP? Never fear, come to our How to Write an Abstract workshop. The time/date/professor are yet to be decided, but when we find out, you all will be the first to know!

That’s it for now! But we hope to see you all at the next meeting!

Warm, special thanks to Kristin Kaz for providing us these scrumptious, pumpkin vegan muffins! <3

Categories: AGSE, CSUN, Meetings

Getting Personal: How to Write a Personal Statement Workshop Highlights

We just wanted to thank everyone who was able to attend; we hope you all learned some valuable tips for writing your personal statements! A special thank you goes out to Dr. Byler and Dr. Haake for sharing their experiences and invaluable wisdom!

For those of you who could not make it to the workshop, here are some of the highlights!

• If the application maps out guidelines, follow them to the letter!
• Generally, personal statements are around 1-2 pages long. 
• Usually, it is a committee of professors looking at the statements. The committees have many packets to read, so make sure you make your story original and have it stand-out. Make sure to have flawless grammar, be pithy, and coherent. 
• Never put any information about yourself that makes you feel extremely embarrassed or makes you feel like you’re exploiting yourself! 
• Usually what goes in a personal statement is your academic and personal identity, how you developed this identity, and how you expect to continue refining it.
         -Select the most important aspect of your accomplishments
         -Use well selected evidence set in context (how you won award, how you came to succeed, etc.)
         -Have a theme/thesis that runs through the statement, keep things tight and coherent.
• Tone: Confident, not cocky. Discuss your skills and accomplishments, own them! You did it! But don’t pretend to having skills and knowledge that you do not. 
• Really discuss what you want to study, how your past studies have prepared you for this future endeavor, and where you would ultimately like to see yourself (in terms of your studies, the award). 
• Be concrete when telling your story! Put relevant details about your life/information. 
• Don’t forget to proofread! Have trusted friends and professors look over your statement for feedback! 

Although personal statements do not make up the whole application, they are extremely important in making good or bad impressions. They are the written version of a face-to-face interview, which is important, especailyl if there is no interview. If a written sample is not required in the packet, your personal statement serves as a sample, so aim to impress! No matter what you’re applying to, we hope that these tips help! Good luck!

Click here to download the full handout provided at the workshop, by Professors Bylar and Haake.

Categories: AGSE, CSUN, How to Write a Personal Statement, Workshop