Thank you to English faculty, Brian Baumgart for sending out an email bursting with accomplishments from the English department! We are highlighting the list again, below!
Student & Alumni Celebrations
Awards & Positions:
- Jamie Randall (AFA in Creative Writing alum) was offered and began a tenure-track (UFT) faculty position in the English Department at Anoka-Ramsey Community College in Fall 2024
Faculty Celebrations
Publications:
- Eugene Gazelka’s poetry chapbook, Tender One, was published in June 2024 by
Finishing Line Press - Eugene Gazelka’s collection of poetry, Bodies in Transition, was released in August 2024
- Eugene Gazelka had a series of poems published in swifts & slows
- Katie Rauk has had some poems published and forthcoming in:
“The Strangest Thing” in Colorado Review,
"Taking Apart the Radio," "The Cloud of Unknowing," & "Breaking Ground" in
Tupelo Quarterly, & in North American Review - Brian Baumgart has had some poems published and forthcoming:
"After the Winter" in Amethyst Review
"My Songs [Sonnets] for Terrorists #47" in The Meadow in Thimble Literary Magazine
Grants, Positions, Awards, & Programs:
- Katie Rauk earned Honorable Mention for the 2024 McKnight Fellowships in Poetry/Spoken Word
- Kelly Lundquist’s poem “For Great Aunt Ernie Who Always Knew Wrestling Was Real” was nominated for a 2024 Best of the Net Award by Whale Road Review
- Kara Olson was awarded a literary scholarship to attend the Truth and Beauty Workshop with poetry greats Ellen Bass and Marie Howe in August 2024
- Cindy Johanek was re-elected to another 3-year term as At-Large Representative to the Executive Board of the Midwest Writing Centers Association
- In October 2024, Cindy Johanek will facilitate a Special Interest Group for 2-year colleges at the International Writing Centers Association Conference (virtual this year)
- Haley Lasché continues to serve as designer and editor for Concision Poetry Journal and
co-owner and co-editor of Beauty School Editions, LLC
Concision Poetry Journal continues to publish new issues (Issue 4.2 was released in June)
In February 2024, Beauty School Editions released Ceremonies for No Repair by
Paula Cisewski (with the official launch in April)
Performances, Presentations, Interviews, & Readings:
- Haley Lasché hosted a reading for Concision Poetry Journal poets in August 2024, and she also read in the Blank Verse Reading series at the Northtown branch of the Anoka County Library in August.
- Eugene Gazelka gave poetry readings at Coco Moon Coffee Bar in Brainerd; Caydence Records & Coffee in St. Paul; Strive Bookstore in Minneapolis; for the Nexus Interdisciplinary Conference: Home Bodies; and as part of the League of Minnesota’s Twin Cities chapter for Cracked Walnut’s Blank Verse at Anoka County Library. They read last month, at one of the few remaining queer libraries in the US, Quatrefoil Library. The Minnesota Library Association has also invited them to be on an author panel Friday, October 25th at 2:20pm for their 2024 conference. Eugene’s website is now live.
Thank you again to Brian Baumgart for sending out an email detailing these recent accomplishments from the English department!