November 2009

Professor Lynn DeVore says he’s not a fan of readings, and so he knew he had to do something different when Tributaries asked him to read from Feast of Light, his lyrical novel about the Vietnam War, based on his experiences. And so he adapted his novel for performance and enlisted the aid of four colleagues and two students to help him present a reader’s theater this past Thursday, Nov. 19, complete with a ’70s background soundtrack.

A nice crowd filled the Hansen Student Center and was clearly taken with the performance, which featured DeVore, students Mike Whitfield and Shanna Cardea, and professors Bob Bray, Alison Sainsbury, Spencer Sauter (from Art), and Mike Theune.

Tributaries, Illinois Wesleyan’s student-run creative arts journal, is looking for submissions of art, sound, poetry, or prose—up to six pieces, in any combination—before their next deadline, NOVEMBER 30. To submit, email your work to iwutributaries {at} gmail(.)com. Check out the Tributaries website for more info and deadline dates.

This Thursday, Nov. 19, at Professor Dan Terkla’s house, Sigma Tau Delta will host a colloquium featuring two English majors . . . and free pizza. It’s a great way to “warm up” for Professor DeVore’s presentation at the Hansen Student Center later in the evening (see Nov. 9 post).

Nathaniel Strauss (’10) will present his paper on Richard Brautigan’s Trout Fishing in America, and Linda Martin (’09) will present her senior research honors project on consciousness in Virginia Woolf’s novels. STD colloquia are a great way to meet other majors and interact with professors in an informal setting.

Professor Terkla’s house is only a five-minute walk from campus. From Ames Library head east on Empire, cross Clinton, and turn left on White Place. The address is 18 White Place.

Sigma Tau Delta is the English honor society, but all English majors and minors are invited to attend.

Brown University’s Ivy Film Festival is calling for student screenplays for its latest competition. The Festival was created by students for students, exhibiting the works of young filmmakers from around the globe as well as guest speakers, panels, and workshops by industry professionals. Past guests include Oliver Stone, Tim Robbins, Adrian Brody, Martin Scorsese, and Jack Nicholson. Attracting crowds of thousands to Brown University’s campus, the Festival has emerged as the largest student-run film festival in the country.

IWU students are invited to enter the screenplay competition. While films are the focus of the Ivy Film Festival, they recognize screenwriting as an integral part of the filmmaking process. They have a myriad of events for screenwriters this year that will hopefully encourage many young writers, even those who have never submitted their work to a judged competition, to participate.

Students can electronically submit their screenplays for consideration in the 2010 screenplay competition until the final deadline of February 22, 2010, through Withoutabox.com.  A link to our Withoutabox.com account can be found on the Ivy Film Festival website. The screenplay competition is currently accepting both short-form (under 30 pages) and feature-length screenplays from undergraduate and graduate students. Submissions may be in any genre, and the winners will receive a cash prize. Additionally, outstanding work in Comedy, Drama, and other genres will be recognized.

During the festival (April 13-18) there will be a reading of the winning screenplays and we will be hosting forums with screenwriters currently working in the industry. All finalists will be notified and invited as VIP guests to the festival. They will provide housing, meals, tickets to film screenings, and passes to special networking events, panels and parties.

Robert Bray, R. Forrest Colwell Professor of American Literature, will deliver a lecture on “Lincoln and the Classics” on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 4:00 p.m. in Beckman Auditorium (Ames Library basement). He is this year’s speaker for The Ides Lecture & Performance Series presented by Greek and Roman Studies.

Professor Lynn DeVore will read from his Vietnam war-era novel, Feast of Light, at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 19 in the Hansen Student Center, followed by a Q&A on the creative process. This is the third event sponsored by Tributaries focusing on faculty and their writing. Thus far Professors Mike Theune and Alison Sainsbury have shared their creative work.

Both events are free and open to the public.

College students are eligible to enter the National Society of Arts and Letters Short Story Competition, which offers a top prize of $10,000 plus additional cash awards. Plus, all expenses for the local chapter winner to attend the national competition in Clearwater, Fla. on May 21, 2010, will be paid for by the chapter. The Central Illinois Chapter contact is Joy Thornton-Walter, 820 Dodds Dr., Champaign, IL 61820-6808, joytw {at} comcast(.)net. Postmark deadline for chapter applications is Friday, February 26, 2010. For additional guidelines, see the National Society of Arts and Letters Web site.