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TEACHING
Syllabi
and Course Policy Statements
Fall 2009 Courses
Spring 2010 Courses
Summer 2010 Courses
Fall 2010 Courses
Spring 2011 Courses
Teaching Observations
Student Course Evaluations
Fall 2009 (Midterm Evaluations)
- ENWR 200: Introduction to Creative Writing | Evaluations
- ENWR 312: Writing: Poetry | Evaluations
- ENWR 412: Advanced Writing: Poetry | Evaluations
Spring 2010
Summer 2010
- ENWR 200: Introduction to Creative Writing | Evaluations
Fall 2010
- ENWR 212: Introduction to Writing Poetry | Evaluations
- ENGL 250: Special Topic: Poetry and Performance | Evaluations
- ENWR 312: Writing: Poetry | Evaluations
Spring 2011 Courses
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SCHOLARSHIP
Publications
Books
2009 | The
Cultural Politics of Slam Poetry: Race, Identity, and the Performance
of Popular Verse in America(scholarly criticism),
University of Michigan Press.
2009 | Quiver (poetry). Virginia Quarterly Review Poetry Series, University
of Georgia Press.
2006 | Roam (poetry). Crab Orchard Series Open Competition Award, Southern
Illinois University Press.
Selected Poems
2011 | “Cry Baby,” Columbia Poetry Review (Spring).
2011 | “Sugar: A Blues,” The Pinch (Spring).
2009 | “Women of Troy,” Suite of six poems aired on PRI’s Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen and published in Virginia Quarterly Review (Fall).
2009 | “Insomnia
Chiaroscuro,” Borderlands: Texas Poetry
Review (summer issue).
2008 | “The Golden Lesson,” The
Iowa Review (April).
2008 | “Half-Life,” Gulf Coast (Summer/Fall).
2007 | “Object
Lesson: Horses” and “Petites Curie,” Indiana Review 29.2 (Winter).
2007 | “Campanology”
and “Oppenheimer’s Lament,” West
Branch (Fall/Winter).
2007 | “Girl,
7, Seeking U.S. Flight Record, Dies in Crash” and “The
Birds,” Connecticut Review (Spring).
2007 | “The
Order of a House” and “Cotyledon,” Pebble Lake Review (Spring).
2007 | “Ophelia’s
Technicolor G-String,” Spoken
Word Revolution Redux. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.
2006 | “What the Doctors Forget to Tell You About Morphine,” Poets & Writers Online (October).
2006 | “Thaw
and the Beginning of Everything,” Painted
Bride Quarterly Issue 75.
2006 | “Darwin
Strikes a Match,” “First Sex,” “My Natural
History,” Virginia Quarterly Review (Spring).
2006 | “Decorum,”
“The Boy Who Would Be Achilles,” “Cow Song,” Crab Orchard Review (Winter/Spring).
2006 | “Polaris,” Ann Stanford Poetry Prize, First Place winner selected by Al Young, Southern California Anthology, Volume XXI.
2005 | “Virginia Dare (i-vi),” Borderlands:
Texas Poetry Review (Spring/Summer).
2005 | “Ring One,” “Ring Three,” “The Naming of Eve.” The Cream City Review 29.1 (Spring).
2005 | “Celestial Music.” GSU Review (Spring).
2003 | “Cowboys and Indians.” The Saint Ann’s Review 4.2 (Summer/Fall).
2002 | “A Note on the Type.” Spoon River Poetry Review, Finalist, Editor’s Prize (Fall).
2000 | “Circe with Her Hair Down,” “Where He Lives Rhymes with Rome,” “Self-Portrait as Interstate 10.” The Madison Review (Spring). Winner of the Phillis Smart Young Prize in Poetry.
1999 | “A Pain, A Fencepost, A Black-and-White Film.” Hayden’s Ferry Review 23 (Fall/Winter).
1999 | “The Ohio Season.” Midwest Poetry Review 20.3 (July).
1998 | “The Blood Club.” Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review (Spring/Summer).
1996 | “The Balloonist.” The Denny Poems 1995-1996.
1996 | “What the Doctors Forget to Tell You about Morphine,” “My Father’s Absence in Africa,” “In Memory of a Girl,” “The Gift.” Spoon River Poetry Review 21.2 (Summer/Fall).
Essays
2009 | “The City Ablaze.” Virginia Quarterly Review, Fall 2009.
2009 | “Through
the Invisible Cloak: Some Problems and Possibilities of Being
a White Reader of African American Poetry.” RATTLE 15.1, (Summer).
2007 | “Can
Slam Poetry Matter?” Introduction, Tribute
Issue Celebrating Poetry Slam’s 21st Anniversary, RATTLE 13.1 (Summer).
Scholarly Articles
Forthcoming | “From Slam to Def Poetry Jam: Spoken Word Poetry and its Counterpublics.” Poetry Worlds, eds. Bill Marsh and Jenifer Vernon. Editors are currently seeking a publisher for a 2012 or 2013 publication date.
- Acceptance letter from editors, 8/18/11
- Poetry Worlds preface by Bill Marsh and Jenifer Vernon, eds.
- “From Slam to Def Poetry Jam” abstract and submitted article
2006 | “Def Poetry’s Public: Spoken Word Poetry and the Racial
Politics of Going Mainstream.” Iowa Journal
of Cultural Studies 8/9: 72-89.
2005 | “Slam
Poetry and the Cultural Politics of Performing Identity.” Journal of the Midwestern Modern Language Association 38.1:
51-73.
2003 | “Authenticating Voices: Slam Poetry, Politics, and Performances
of Black Identity.” Mantis Journal of Poetry
and Poetics 3, Stanford University: 33-55.
2002 | “Representing” Slam Poetry: Ambivalence, Gender, and
Black Authenticity in Slam.” Text,
Practice, Performance Journal of Cultural Studies 3.1: 37-63.
Interviews and Reviews
2002 | “A ‘Sacred Condition’: A Review of Li-Young
Lee’s Book of My Nights.” E3W Review
of Books (Spring).
1998 | “Music
in the Language: A Conversation with Lucille Clifton.” The
American Voice (Summer).
Broadcasts and Podcasts
2009 | Word of Mouth, New Hampshire Public Radio, December 9 (9 min).
2009 | “Just a Girl,” BBC Radio 4 Americana, November 22 (6 min).
2009 | Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen, Public Radio International/WNYC, “Women of Troy” broadcast, November 5 (18 min).
2007 | Poetry
Foundation Podcast (June 11, 14 min).
2007 | “Slam’s Past, Present, and Future,” The Eclectic Word with Victor Infante, BlogTalk Radio, (August
17, 1 hr).
Multimedia
2010 | “Wild Animals I Have Known,” Landmarks commission, University of Texas at Austin. Seven-part poem and erasure text written in response to artist David Ellis’ motion painting Animal.
2009 | “Women of Troy,” Poem and multimedia slideshow produced by In Verse and funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
2008 | “The Last Known Confederate
Civil War Widow Writes from the Dead Letter Office of Heaven”
and “Insomnia Chiaroscuro,” If These Walls Could Speak installation, Blanton Museum of Art.
These poems continue to be displayed alongside their referent
artworks in the Blanton Museum’s permanent collection.
Selected Conference Papers and
Talks
2011 | “Poetry as Multimedia Documentary.” Reading and discussion, Associated Writing Programs Conference, Washington D.C. (February 2-5).
2011 | “Does School Kill Poetry? Can It Be Poetry’s BFF?” Panelist, Associated Writing Programs Conference, Washington D.C. (February 2-5).
2010 | “From Slam to Def Poetry Jam: The Racial Encoding of Poetry's Publics.” Paper delivered at the Performance Studies International Conference, Toronto, Canada (June 10-14).
2010 | “The Cultural Politics of Slam Poetry.” Moderator and Panelist, Associated Writing Programs Conference, Denver, CO (April 7-10).
2010 | “Women of Troy” master class, screening, and discussion, Union Docs, Brooklyn, NY (February 28).
2010 | “Women of Troy” discussion with MFA students, Sarah Lawrence University (February 25).
2009 | “Performing the Scripts of Lyrical Citizenship: Saul Williams and Other Poemcees.” Paper delivered at the American Studies Association Conference, Washington DC (November 5-8).
2009 | Keynote Panelist, Poetry,
Voice, and Performance Symposium, The University of Texas at Austin. Full-day roundtable discussion,
performance, and Q&A session featuring Meta DuEwa Jones, Susan
B. A. Somers-Willett, and Leslie Wheeler (March 31).
2007 | “Is There Such a Thing as Slam Poetry?” National Poetry Slam panel discussion, Austin, TX
(August 7-11).
2006 | “Slam Poetry and the Academy.” Moderator and
Panelist, Association
of Writers and Writing Programs Conference,Austin,
TX (March 8-11).
2005 | “Def Poetry’s Public: Spoken Word and the Racial
Politics of Going Mainstream.” Delivered at Attention/Inattention:
Writers, Scholars, Theorists Conference, University of Denver
(October 7-9).
2005| “Poetry in Public Culture.” Chair and Moderator, Attention/Inattention: Writers, Scholars, Theorists Conference, University of Denver (October 7-9).
2004 | “Black
Art: A Discussion of Adam Pendelton’s Exhibit Being Here.” Panelist, Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities, University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (October 12).
2003 | “Authenticating Voices: Performances of Black Identity
in Slam Poetry.” Solo lecture, Américo Paredes
Colloquium on Cultural Studies (March 19, 2003).
2001 | “‘lucy and her girls’: The Generational
Tradition of Lucille Clifton’s Poetry.” Delivered
at the College Literature Association Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA (April 18-21).
2000 | “‘Representing’ Slam Poetry: Realism,
Authenticity, and Images of the Black Poet in Slam.” Delivered
at the George Horton Moses Society Annual Conference on African
American Poetry, American Literature Association, University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (March 31-April 2).
Public Activities and Press
Press—As
Subject or Cited Authority
2011 | Interview: “On Representing ‘The City and Its Women’: An Interview with Susan B.A. Somers-Willett” Part I & Part II by Elizabeth Frye, Viz. (June 20, 29).
2010 | Interview: “Painting with Words” by Gabrielle David, Phati’tude Literary Magazine 2.3 (Fall) 38-44.
2010 | Cited Authority: “In the Realms of the Unreal: Searching for Authentic Slam Poetry in Chicago” by Alizah Salario, Poetry Foundation Website (December 9).
2010 | Interview: “Women of Troy: A Documentary Poem” by Danielle Blau, The New Yorker Book Bench ( June 10).
2010 | Interview: “CHSS Professor Wins Gracie Award,” Montclair State University Alumni Magazine (Summer) 21.
2010 | Interview: “Poetic Professor Professes Passion” by Katherine Milsop, The Montclarion, (April 22).
2010 | Interview: “Interview with Dr. Somers-Willett” by Katherine Milsop, The Normal Review, Spring issue.
2010 | Cited Authority: “Performance Poetry Hits the Mainstream” by Dave McGinn, Globe and Mail (February 28).
2010 | Interview: “Author Interview: Women of Troy” by Andrea Pitzer, Narrative Digest, Neiman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University (January 22).
2009 | Interview: “The Women of Troy: Upstate Girls” by Wayne Trujillo, The Huffington Post (December 18).
2009 | Interview: “Women of Troy,” Transom.org, a Peabody Award-winning website discussing innovation in public radio (November feature).
2009 | Interview: “Six Questions for Susan Somers-Willett.” VQR Blog (November 21).
2009 | Cited Authority: “Is
Slam in Danger of Going Soft?” by Larry Rohter, New York Times, June 3: Page C1.
2009 | Interview: “Book/Talk:
A Conversation with Slam Poetry Scholar Susan B.A. Somers-Willett,” The Arts Politic Inaugural Issue (Summer).
2009 | Interview: “An
Interview with Susan B.A. Somers-Willett,” by
Chris Opiela and Scott Van Pelt, West Branch Contributor
Interview (February).
2007 | Interview: “Performing
the Academy,” Cover Story and Interview by
Jeremy Richards, Poetry Foundation Website (June 7).
2006 | Featured author: “Finishing
the First: 12 Debut Poets,” Poets
& Writers (November/December).
2006 | Interview: Carbondale Nightlife (April 5).
2005 | Interview: Robert Frost Foundation Website (Winter).
Reviews by Others of Authored Works
2010 | Review of The Cultural Politics of Slam Poetry by Matthew Oware, The Western Journal of Black Studies 34.4(Fall), 473-474.
2010 | Review of The Cultural Politics of Slam Poetry by Fernando Orejuela, Journal of Folklore Research (26 January).
2010 | Review of Quiver by Gabrielle David, Phati’tude Literary Magazine 2.3 (Fall) 17, 20-21.
2010 | Review of The Cultural Politics of Slam Poetry by Jerome Sala, Pleiades Book Review. 30.2 (Summer) 203-209.
2010 | Review of The Cultural Politics of Slam Poetry by Marie Fleischmann Timbreza, MELUS: Multi-Ethnic Literature of the U.S. 35.2 (Summer) 205-7.
2010 | Review of Quiver, “Fine Invention, Women on Science and Ecology” by Shara Lessley, West Branch 66 (Spring/Summer).
2010 | Review of The Cultural Politics of Slam Poetry by Karen Jaime, e-misférica: The Journal of the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics at New York University 6.2 (Spring/Summer).
2010 | Review of The Cultural Politics of Slam Poetry: “Slam, Spoken Word, and the Democratization of Poetry” by Melissa Gerard, Poetry & Popular Culture (February 3).
2009 | Review of Quiverby Jenny Burdge, Indiana Review (Winter) 183-4.
2007 | Review of Roam, “April Blooms Poetry” by Mark Eleveld, Chicago Sun-Times (April 1) B8.
2007 | Review of Roam, “Beautiful World Haunted” by Andrew Kosma, American Book Review (March-April) 17.
Readings
2010 | First Fridays Contemporary Writers Series and Find Art workshop, Western Sullivan Public Library, Narrowsburg, NY (December 3 & 4).
2010 | Drew Darrow Memorial Reading, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA (November 16).
2010 | Reading and Q&A with David Ellis, Art Night Austin: E.A.S.T., Austin, TX (November 12).
2010 | louderARTS Raise the Red Tent Reading Series, Bar 13, New York City (May 31).
2010 | Bowery Arts and Sciences Reading Series and WordShop, Bowery Poetry Club, New York City (April 27).
2010 | Page Meets Stage Reading Series, Reading with Regie Gibson, Bowery Poetry Club, New York City (March 24).
2009 | Live Lit Reading Series, Group Reading with Julia Wagner and Anastasia Rubis. Montclair State University (November 18).
2009 | Queztal
Quill Reading Series, The Cornelia Street Café,
New York City. Group reading with Blas Falconer, Tyehimba Jess,
and Helena Mesa, hosted and curated by Rigoberto Gonzalez (October
8).
2009 | Borderlands:
Texas Poetry Review Reading, America/Americas
Gallery, Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, TX. Group reading in celebration
of Borderlands’ summer 2009 issue inspired by the
Blanton Museum’s permanent collections (July 11).
2009 | BookPeople
Reading, Austin, TX. Joint reading and booksigning
with Anna Journey (April 26).
2009 | Michener
Center for Writers Reading Series, The University
of Texas at Austin. Solo reading (April 2).
2009 | Virginia
Festival for the Book, University of Virginia Bookstore,
Charlottesville, VA. Group reading and booksigning with John Casteen,
Ted Genoways, Victoria Chang (March 20).
2009 | Association
of Writers and Writing Programs Conference,Chicago,
IL. Off-site group reading with Patricia Smith and Jeffrey Mc
Daniel, DePaul University Bookstore, (February 14).
Honors
Grants and Fellowships
2011 | Separately Budgeted Research Award, Montclair State University ($1500).
2010 | Global Education Center Grant, Montclair State University ($800).
2009 | City
of Austin Artist Opportunity Grant ($600).
2006-2007 | Center for Arts in Society Visiting Scholar Fellowship ($35,000 plus $3,000 research budget), Carnegie Mellon University.
2004-2006 | Andrew
W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship ($42,000 plus $5,000
research budget), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
2002-2003 | American Dissertation Fellowship ($25,000), American
Association of University Women.
Writing Awards
2010 | Writers’ League of Texas Book Award for best book of poetry published in 2009, Quiver ($1000).
2010 | Distinguished Entry, Campbell Corner Poetry Prize, Sarah Lawrence College.
2010 | Gracie Award for “In Verse: Women of Troy,” Outstanding Soft News Feature, Alliance for Women in Media (formerly American Women in Radio and Television).
2010 | 3rd Place, The Pinch Literary Award in Poetry for “Sugar: A Blues.”
2009 | 2nd Place, The Missouri Review Audio Award for “ Women of Troy.”
2006 | Emily
Clark Balch Prize for best poems published in 2006
($1000), Virginia Quarterly Review.
2006 | Shortlist, Helen C. Smith Award for best book of poetry
(Roam), Texas Institute of Letters.
2005 | Crab
Orchard Series in Poetry Open Competition selection, Roam ($1500 and book publication).
2005 | Robert
Frost Foundation Poetry Award for best poem ($1000
and reading).
2004 | Ann
Stanford Poetry Prize for best poem ($1,000 and publication
in Southern California Anthology).
Residencies
2007 | Hedgebrook
Foundation Fellowship, Whidbey Island, WA (May-June).
2005 | Millay
Colony for the Arts, Martha Martin Fellowship, Austerlitz,
NY (July).
2004 | I-Park
Artist’s Enclave, East Haddam, CT (November).
2004 | Alden
B. Dow Center for Creativity, Northwood University,
Midland, MI (Summer).
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SERVICE
Committees
Contributions to the Curriculum
Editorial and Referee Activities
2011 | Judge, Writers’ League of Texas Book Award in Poetry.
2009-2010 | Advisory Board Member, The Anthology of Rap, eds. Adam Bradley and Andrew DuBois (Yale University Press, 2010).
2009 | Contributing Editor, RATTLE 15.1 (Summer), Tribute
to African American Poets.
2008, 2009 | Screener, Keene Prize in Literature (largest student creative
writing prize in the U.S., currently $50,000).
2007 | Contributing
Editor, RATTLE 13.1 (Summer), Tribute to
Slam Poetry.
1998 | Co-Editor, Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, 1998.
Other
2011 | Organized reading and class visit for National Book Award Finalist Patricia Smith, co-sponsored by the English Department, The Women’s and Gender Studies program, and the African American Studies Program (March 8).
2010 | Organized reading and class visit for National Poetry Series winner Tyehimba Jess, co-sponsored by the English Department and the Marie Frazee-Baldassarre Chair (April 14).
2010-present | Performed semesterly teaching evaluations for the First Year Writing Program.
2010-present | Judge, Montclair State University annual creative writing award in poetry.
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