The Poetry Club Website

Dear Poets & Writers,

The gallery for the Open Mic is finally up: http://students.brooklyn.cuny.edu/poetry/

And remember that our next meeting is on Tuesday, December 13, during club hours (1:30-3:30pm). The room is to be announced. Also, if anyone attended the celebration of "The Collected Poems of Ted Berrigan" at the Poetry Project or the poetry slam at the Bowery Poetry Club, send me your reactions and any other interesting feedback.

Best,
Christine
Poetry Club President

P.S. Remember: The Poetry Club is open to ALL writers, not just poets.

The Boylan Brief #32

Hot Air Balloon Ride Takes Indian Pride to New Heights

On Saturday, November 26, textile tycoon Vijaypat Singhania broke the world record for hot air ballooning when he reached an altitude of 69,852 feet above sea level. The 67-year-old aviator launched his flight from downtown Bombay and landed 241 kilometers south on barren terrain near Panchale.

Singhania's English-designed balloon, named Envelope, was designed with a lightweight nylon material specialized to reach great height with little difficulty. One hundred and sixty feet tall, the patch-work, multi-colored balloon was brought to the Mahalaxmi Race Course the night before the launch, was readied for take-off shortly after 4 a.m., fully inflated by 6 a.m., and by 8:50 a.m., reached its 69,000 foot mark. Five minutes later, Singahnia was rejoicing at his new world record at 69,852 feet.

"I screamed and shouted, I have done it. I have broken the world record. However, the radio signals had broken down and no one could hear me," he said. Hours after Singhania broke the world record, he "touched down to the screams of jubilant villagers in Panchale," who were celebrating his victory and popping champagne bottles.

"This is a momentous day in my life," said Singhania. "This goes to show to the world that we are not bullock cart drivers, but we can compete against the best of the world." Swedish aviator Per Lindstrand set the previous record for hot air ballooning in 1988 when he navigated his hot air balloon to 64,997 feet over Texas.

-Randi Vegh
Link 1
Link 2


“Hating the Korean Wave”

In the Japanese comic “Hating the Korean Wave,” a woman exclaims, “It’s not an exaggeration to say that Japan built the South Korea of today!” She continues, “There is nothing at all in Korean culture to be proud of.” In a similar comic, called “Introduction to China,” the Chinese are portrayed as immoral people obsessed with cannibalism and prostitution. Moreover, it claims there is nothing at all attractive about Chinese art, philosophy, or science. Over the past four months, such anti- Chinese and Korean comics have surprisingly become bestsellers in Japan. Even the editors of the comics have expressed shock at the immense popularity, considering the anti-Asian sentiments their comics’ express. The interest has only been growing, which means that the ‘Hate Korea’ movement has also grown, while Japanese relations with the rest of Asia have worsened.

One of Japan’s main goals has been to become more like the West and to leave behind its backward Asian neighbors. The rise of China and South Korea, however, has threatened Japan’s lead in becoming westernized and, as a result, has renewed its xenophobia of the two rising nations. One can trace the renewed animosity toward South Korea to 2002 when the country advanced further than Japan in soccer’s World Cup. There has also been a so-called “Korean Wave” in the entertainment industry—television dramas, music, and pop culture have displaced Japanese pop cultural exports throughout Asia.

To aggrandize Japanese beauty, the drawings of Korean and Chinese characters in the comic books have exaggerated Asian features, such as black hair and slanted eyes, while the Japanese have the large eyes and blond hair characteristic of Caucasians. This aspect of the comics inadvertently betrays Japan’s conflicted identity, with its feelings of superiority to the rest of Asia and inferiority to the West.

-Esther Hwang
Link

Ink-Flavored Milk: Storm in a Milk bottle

Nestle, the world's largest food company, has recalled hundreds of thousands of gallons of baby milk from France, Portugal, Spain, and Italy. Prior to the recall, Italian police seized 30 million liters of Nestle baby milk after tests found traces of a chemical compound—IsopropilThioXantone (ITX)—used for printing the company’s logo on the milk cartons.

Italy's Agriculture Minister Gianni Alemanni said, “It's unbelievable that defenseless babies should be subjected to such risks,” and called for urgent research to pinpoint the health hazards ITX may cause. “We are sad that the packaging material that we bought from a reliable source did not live up to the standards we expect[ed],” announced Nestle spokesman Francois-Xavier Perroud, in an attempt to show the company was not directly responsible for the contamination.

Italy had already alerted the European Union (EU) of the milk contamination problem back in September when the first traces of ITS were discovered in milk gallons. Later that month, an agreement was reached between Nestle, EU, and Italy’s Health Ministry that the possibly-tainted products should be allowed to expire while Nestle changed its production process for future products. Consumer groups demanded to know why the recall did not come more than two months earlier. In response, European Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said that on the basis of the limited available data, the presence of ITS “is not likely to present an immediate health risk at the levels reported.”

Nestle officials claimed the recalled products were not a health risk and that Italy has caused a “storm in a teacup.” Whether this claim is valid or not, it is certain that babies have drunk ink-flavored milk for months. The long-term health-effects of such an exposure still remains unknown.

-Elina Bloch
Link

Boy Buddha

Thousands daily are flocking to southern Nepal to worship a 15-year-old boy who many believe is the Buddha reincarnate. Ram Bahadur Banjan has been meditating silently beneath a tree for six months, according to followers. They also claim the boy has not had food or water since he sat down beneath the tree last May.

The historical figure known as Buddha lived in southwestern Nepal around 500 B.C. and achieved enlightenment when he meditated beneath a papal tree (a species of banyan fig native to India, southwest China and Indochina east to Vietnam) for 49 days. If this new story is to be believed, Banjan has already beaten that record.

Nepalese police have been investigating the claim on how anyone can survive for so long without food and water, but have not been able to directly question the boy. Banjan is kept in a roped-off area about 80 feet away from spectators between dawn and dusk. Followers then place a screen in front of him, blocking the view and making it impossible to know what he is doing at night, according to Sujit Mahat, a reporter for the Kantipur newspaper.

“We could not say what happens after dark,” Mahat said. “People only saw what went on in the day, and many believed he was some kind of god.”

-Christine Choi
Link

Protesters Violently Silenced in Azerbaijan

Scores of protesters were beaten and many badly injured on Saturday by police and military officers in Azerbaijan, the capital of Baku. Fifteen thousand activists were demonstrating in opposition to the November 6th parliamentary elections they claimed were rigged. The police, clad in riot gear, wielded truncheons and water cannons against protesters when they attempted to stage a sit-in at a downtown square, yelling “Freedom!” Several of the participants in the sit-in hurled stones at the police, who hid behind shields.

While demonstrations have been going on for the past several weeks, this is the first time law enforcement officials have used force against protestors. The U.S. Embassy in Baku moved quickly to condemn the violent response by police and said, “We deplore the unjustified and unprovoked use of force against citizens peacefully exercising their right to freedom of assembly.”

A police spokesman said that 18 officers were injured in the conflict and 29 protesters were detained. According to international observers, the November 6th elections fell below democratic standards. Western countries have failed to endorse repeat elections because of their concern for stability in the region.

-Keith Zackowitz
Link


Friends of the Earth Wage War on G.M.O.'s

On Sunday, Swiss voters approved a five-year-ban on genetically modified crops in an effort to overcome consumer doubts about safety. The advocacy group Friends of the Earth boasted that the move reflects the demands not only made by Switzerland, but by the entire European
Union (EU). Proponents of genetically modified crops said "the technology, which involves using genetic alterations to help plants combat insects and herbicides, could help increase yields and reduce prices over the long term."

Syngenta, a leading producer of genetically modified crops (G.M.O.'s) based in Switzerland criticized the outcome of the vote and said the ban would have a negative impact on G.M.O. research. Although the ban is not directly linked to research, Swiss business groups, such as
Economiesuissse, fear that the ban may impede research by deterring investors. During a campaign before the vote, the group said, "The ban would deprive our farmers, companies and researchers of finding out what these genetically modified foods can do."

Switzerland currently does not involve its farmers in growing G.M.O.'s, as it is not a member of the E.U. The U.S. has led the production of G.M.O.'s, but the European Commission has been largely opposed, banning the import of the crops from 1998 up until 2004. Many European nations have contended that further testing is necessary before allowing the widespread production of G.M.O.'s.

-Alyssa Gargiulo
Link

FUN FACTS:
-Our nose and ears never stop growing.
-Peanuts are one of the ingredients in dynamite.
-One in every 4 Americans has appeared on television.

SOURCE: http://funny2.com/facts.htm

This Week in OurStory

Elina Bloch, take it away!

Nov. 23
1608—Francisco M de Melo, Portuguese writer, is born
1883—Herman Baccaert, Flemish writer, is born
1976—Andre Malraux, French novelist/art historian, dies at 75


Nov. 24
1713—Laurence Sterne, Irish novelist/satirist, is born
1849—Frances Hodgson Burnett, the author of The Secret Garden, is born
1912—Garson Kanin, American playwright/producer, is born
1947—John Steinbeck’s novel The Pearl, is published

Nov. 25
1562—Lope Felix de Vega, dramatist/poet, is born in Spain
1840—Hugo Verriest, Flemish author/poet, is born
1845—Jos, Maria de Eca de Querioz, Portuguese author, is born
1880—Leonard S. Woolf, English author, husband of Virginia Woolf, is born
1952—Agatha Christie’s “Mousetrap” premiers in London
1970—Yukio Mishima, Japanese author, dies at 45

Nov. 26
1663—Pedro de Peralta S Barnuevo, Peruvian poet, is born
1731—William Cooper, English poet, is born
1865—Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland is published

Nov. 27
8 BC—Horace, Latin poet/satirist, dies
1895—Alfred Nobel established Nobel Prize
1953—Eugene O’Neill, playwright, dies in Boston at 65

Nov. 28
1628—John Bunyan, English cleric/author, is born
1757—William Blake, English poet/painter, author of “Songs of Innocence and Experience”, is born
1821—Nikolai Nekrasov, Russian poet, is born
1907—Alberto Moravia, Italian writer, is born

Nov. 29
1781—Andres Bello, Venezuelan poet/diplomat/scholar, is born
1832—Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women, is born
1848—C.S. Lewis, English writer/scholar, is born
1902—Carlo Levi, Italian novelist/painter, is born

Poem of the Week

Esther Hwang read this poem as we sat in Dr. Natov's office and we were immediately struck by its eloquence and profundity. Thank goodness she decided to share it. For your reading pleasure, Esther presents "Holy Sonnets." by John Donne.

John Donne (1572-1631) was one among the metaphysical poets, who were learned writers interested in science and religion. Donne argued that honest doubting search was better than facile acceptance of religious values, evident in the struggle portrayaed in his ninth holy sonnet. There are a total of nineteen Holy Sonnets, which Donne probably began writing around 1609, a decade or so after leaving the Catholic church.




HOLY SONNETS.

IX.

If poisonous minerals, and if that tree,
Whose fruit threw death on else immortal us,
If lecherous goats, if serpents envious
Cannot be damn'd, alas! why should I be?
Why should intent or reason, born in me,
Make sins, else equal, in me more heinous?
And, mercy being easy and glorious
To God, in His stern wrath why threatens he
But who am I that dare dispute with thee
O God? Oh, of Thine only worthy blood
And my tears, make a heavenly Lethean flood,
And drown in it my sin's black memory.
That Thou remember them some claim as debt;
I think it mercy if Thou wilt forget.

This Week in OurStory

Elina Bloch, take it away....

Nov.16
1684—Abraham Alewijh, Dutch poet/playwright, is born
1895—Michael Arlen, English writer, is born

Nov. 17
1704—Salomeja Nerus, Latvian poet, is born
1899—Roger Vitrae, French poet/dramatist, is born

Nov. 18
1874—Clarence Shepard Day, a writer, is born in NYC
1882—Wyndhan Lewis, English writer/playwright, is born

Nov.19
1887—Emma Lazarus, US poet, dies in NY at 38
1887--Start of Sherlock Holmes "Adventure of the Dying Detective" 1896--Start of Sherlock Holmes "Adventure of the Sussex Vampire"

Nov.20
1752—Thomas Chatteron, an English poet, is born
1858—Selma Lagerlof, a Swedish novelist, winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, is born

Nov.21
1895--Start of Sherlock Holmes "Adventure of Bruce Partington Plans"

Nov.22
1819—George Eliot, English novelist, is born
1857—George Gidding, an English writer, is born
1869—Andre Gide, French novelist, winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, is born
1963—Aldous Huxley, English novelist, dies
1963—C.S. Lewis, English novelist, dies

The Brooklyn College English Department Awards!

BROOKLYN COLLEGE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Each spring, the English Department awards 36 (at present count) undergraduate and graduate Awards and Scholarships, funded through gifts to the Brooklyn College Foundation and the Brooklyn College Office of Scholarships and Awards, in recognition of your significant achievement in all areas of English studies. Additional special merit and annual Chair's List honors also recognize both achievement and student service to the department. The awards process culminates each spring in the English Majors' Tea, where we come together as a department to celebrate our majors, our staff, and our award contestants and winners and to honor the generosity of the many alumnae and faculty donors who have made the awards possible, ensuring continuity and fostering community among generations of students at Brooklyn College.

Our awards are made according to two distinct selection processes: Scholarships are awards granted through a process of faculty nomination and review while Awards are determined by a series of juried contests, for which students either submit work under specific submission guidelines, or sit for proctored, essay-writing contests. In order to help you evaluate which Awards you are eligible or best suited to apply for, we have put together this list of prizes, as well as the submission guidelines and deadlines for each award or contest. We encourage you to read through this booklet (and to encourage your friends and classmates to do the same), and begin to review your own past and current work - essays, poems, stories, plays, news articles - for submission. Your participation in the awards is essential to our scholarships and awards program. You are the whole point, and we couldn't do it without you!

The DEADLINE for submission to all 2005-2006 CONTEST AWARDS, which require student submissions, will be December 20, 2005. The ESSAY -WRITING CONTESTS will be held in the second or third week of February, 2006, with exact dates, times, and rooms to be announced in December; PLEASE NOTE that all students who expect to enter these contests should register for them in the English Department Office by the December 20, 2005, contest deadline.

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT AWARDS (submission deadline December 20, 2005; see guidelines):

The Alice Coleman Memorial Award (to students who have written the best works of literary criticism).

The Beatrice Dubin Rose award (to poets with merit as agreed upon by the department).

The Bernard Grebanier Award (for the best sonnet)

The Corinne Steel Prize for the Outstanding Senior Honor Thesis (a prize for a thesis written in English 89 or English 89.2)

The Dorothy B. Jervis Award for Science Writing (awarded to undergraduate students who have submitted the best essay on a scientific subject written in language accessible to the lay reader).

The Bertha and Philip Goodman Short Story Award (to the three undergraduate students, who write the best short stories in a contest conducted by the English department).

The Goodman Short Story Award (first, second, and third prizes).

The Ottilie Grebanier Award (annual drama award to the undergraduate who writes the best play submitted in a contest conducted by the English Department).

The Sam Castan Memorial Award (awarded to a graduating senior for excellence in journalism as demonstrated by his/her writing for campus publications).

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ESSAY-WRITING CONTESTS (registration deadline: December 20, 2005):

The English Award in Poetry Exegesis (for the best explication of a selected poem).

The Randolph Goodman Shakespeare Essay Award (to an outstanding undergraduate student majoring in English with a concentration in the study of Shakespeare).

The Dean Myrtle Saxe Jacobson Award in Expository Prose (to a student enrolled in English 1 or 2 who writes the best expository prose essay in a contest conducted by the English Department).

OTHER AWARDS:

The Academy of American Poets College and University Poetry Prize (an annual prize offered at 170 colleges and universities nationwide. Winner/honorable mentions selected on the basis of a submitted portfolio of no more than five poems. DEADLINE: April 1, 2006).

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT SCHOLARSHIPS (please note that Scholarships are granted only through a process of FACULTY NOMINATION):

The Dorothy Alexander Memorial Award in English (awarded to a graduating senior with high scholarship and outstanding personal qualities).

Avery Award of Excellence in Comparative Literature (to a student who has excelled in the study of Comparative Literature).

Dr. Helen S. Brell Award for Excellence in English (to a junior or senior English major for high academic achievement (GPA=3.5; Major=3.6).

Comparative Literature Award (to a graduating senior who has done superior work in Comparative Literature).

Max and Edith Eilenberg Award (to a student who has demonstrated excellence in Comparative Literature courses).

Barbara Gerber Award (to an outstanding student majoring in Comparative Literature).
Marie Giuriceo Award in Comparative Literature (to an outstanding undergraduate student majoring in Comparative Literature).

Louis Goodman Creative Writing Scholarship (to an undergraduate or graduate student evidencing creative writing talent; preference given to female and minority students).

Marietta Homayonpour '67 Journalism Award (to an outstanding graduating senior majoring in journalism).

Harry and Lily Karansky Scholarship (to an English major with outstanding academic achievement -- GPA 3.7).

Philip J. and Margaret D. Leddy Memorial Scholarship (to an English major with a demonstrated interest in children's literature and journalism).

Philip J. Leddy Scholarship (awarded to a student majoring in English, for the senior year of study).

Carole Rose Livingston Memorial Scholarship (to female undergraduate poets in good academic standing).

Mark McAuley and Vernon Lattin Scholarship (the recipient shall be a student at Brooklyn College completing his/her junior year, working toward a degree in Creative Writing. The recipient should have a GPA of 3.5 and show exceptional talent in Creative Writing. The award recipient's gender should alternate every other year [female in 2005]).

Bonnie Perlsweig Mintz Award (to a student of high scholastic standing doing graduate work in English at CUNY).

Samuel A. Moore Memorial Fund Award (to an undergraduate student with achievement in creative or expository writing).

Barbara Norville Scholarship in English (awarded to an outstanding freshman majoring in English).

Pearl Olitsky Marcus '38 Prize in English Education (recipients will be undergraduates majoring in education or English who intend to teach English at the junior high school or high school level).

Vivian Stein Rothenberg Memorial Scholarship in English (to an outstanding undergraduate student majoring in English. The recipient should have a GPA of 3.5 and show exceptional talent in English).

Scholarship in Creative Writing (to outstanding MFA students in the Creative Writing program - one award in each genre).

Nettie Wengrover Silver '40 Memorial Scholarship (to an undergraduate English major with an outstanding record).

Irene Taylor Downing Memorial Award (to an undergraduate student majoring in English who has demonstrated promise in Creative Writing, and is in good academic standing at Brooklyn College).

Anne Touger Memorial Scholarship (to an outstanding English major for the senior year of study with an outstanding academic record and a commitment to the pursuit of social justice --GPA 3.0).

Michael Tuch Foundation Scholarship (to outstanding graduate students majoring in English).

Donald G. Whiteside Poetry Award (senior awards selected annually by the English Department).

Adam Wiepert Award (to an undergraduate student who made an outstanding contribution to the Writing Center).

BROOKLYN COLLEGE RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AWARDS

UNDERGRADUATES

THE FOLLOWING CONTESTS ARE OPEN TO ALL ELIGIBLE STUDENTS REGARDLESS OF THEIR MAJOR SUBJECT:

THE BEATRICE DUBIN ROSE POETRY AWARD

Description: An annual award will be distributed to one or more undergraduate students who write the best poem or poems in a contest conducted by the Department of English.

Eligibility

l. Competition is open to all students (except previous winners) currently registered at Brooklyn College.

2. A contestant is not limited in his choice of poetic form or content. He may submit one, two, three, four, or a maximum of five poems.

3. No published poetry may be submitted unless it was published anonymously.

4. All manuscript copy must be typewritten on standard typewriting paper, 8 l/2 X ll.

5. Entries must be submitted under pen names. Pen name and the name of the contest should be written on the manuscripts and also on identification forms which may be secured in the English Department (2308B).

6. Three copies of each poem must be submitted. Entrants must collate their own work.

7. All manuscripts must be deposited with the chairperson of the Department. All manuscripts become the property of the Department. The closing date for the submission of manuscripts is Tuesday December 20, 2005.


BROOKLYN COLLEGE RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AWARDS

UNDERGRADUATES

THE FOLLOWING CONTESTS ARE OPEN TO ALL ELIGIBLE STUDENTS REGARDLESS OF THEIR MAJOR SUBJECT:

THE BERNARD GREBANIER SONNET AWARD

Description: An annual award established by a professor emeritus of Brooklyn College, will be given to the student who has written the best sonnet in the English or Italian form in a contest conducted by the Department of English.

Eligibility

l. Competition is open to all undergraduate and graduate students (except previous winners) currently registered at Brooklyn College.

2. A contestant may submit no more than three sonnets, and they must conform to either the Italian (Petrarchan) or the English (Shakespearean) pattern.

3. No published poem may be submitted.

4. The manuscript shall be typewritten on regulation typewriting paper.

5. Entries must be submitted under pen names. Pen name and the name of the contest should be written on the manuscripts and also on identification forms which may be secured in the English Department (2308B).

6. Three copies of the manuscript must be submitted. Students must collate their own work.

7. All manuscripts must be deposited with the chairperson of the Department. All manuscripts become the property of the Department. The closing date for the submission of manuscripts is Tuesday December 20, 2005.


BROOKLYN COLLEGE RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AWARDS

UNDERGRADUATES

THE FOLLOWING CONTESTS ARE OPEN TO ALL ELIGIBLE STUDENTS REGARDLESS OF THEIR MAJOR SUBJECT:

THE DOROTHY B. JERVIS MEMORIAL AWARD

Description: An annual award for the best undergraduate essay on a scientific subject written in language accessible to the layman.

Eligibility

l. Competition is open to all students registered in the undergraduate divisions of the College during the current academic year.

2. Each competitor may submit no more than one single essay.

3. The manuscript shall be typewritten on regulation typewriting paper.

4. Entries must be submitted under pen names. Pen name and the name of the contest should be written on the manuscript and also on identification forms which may be secured in the English Department (2308B).

5. Three copies of the manuscript must be submitted. Students are to collate their own work.

6. All manuscripts must be deposited with the chairperson of the Department. All manuscripts become the property of the Department. The closing date for submission of manuscripts is Tuesday December 20, 2005.

BROOKLYN COLLEGE RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AWARDS

UNDERGRADUATES

THE FOLLOWING CONTESTS ARE OPEN TO ALL ELIGIBLE STUDENTS REGARDLESS OF THEIR MAJOR SUBJECT:

THE BERTHA AND PHILIP S. GOODMAN SHORT STORY AWARD

Description: An annual award established by Professor Randolph Goodman in honor of his parents, will be given to the undergraduate student who writes the best short story in a contest conducted by the English Department.

Eligibility

l. Competition is open to all students registered in the undergraduate divisions of the College during the current academic year. The best candidate will receive the award, regardless of whether he has won previously.

2. Each competitor may submit no more than a single short story not to exceed 5,000 words.

3. The manuscript shall be typewritten on regulation type-writing paper.

4. Entries must be submitted under pen names. Pen name and the name of the contest should be written on the manuscripts and also on identification forms which may be secured in the English Department (2308B).

5. Three copies of the manuscript must be submitted. Entrants are to collate their own work.

6. All manuscripts must be deposited with the chairman of the Department. All manuscripts become the property of the Department. The closing date for the submission of manuscripts is Tuesday December 20, 2005.


BROOKLYN COLLEGE RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AWARDS

UNDERGRADUATES

THE FOLLOWING CONTESTS ARE OPEN TO ALL ELIGIBLE STUDENTS REGARDLESS OF THEIR MAJOR SUBJECT:

THE OTTILLIE GREBANIER DRAMA AWARD

Description: An annual award established through the efforts of Professor Bernard Grebanier and in honor of his mother, will be given to the undergraduate student who writes the best play in a contest conducted by the Department of English.

Eligibility

l. Competition is open to all students (except previous winners) currently registered at Brooklyn College.

2. Each competitor may submit no more than a single one-act play, requiring only one set.

3. The manuscript shall be typewritten on regulation typewriting paper in the approved style for dramatic works. It shall be accompanied by a typewritten synopsis of the plot of the play.

4. Three copies of the manuscript must be submitted. Entrants must collate their own work.

5. Entries must be submitted under pen names. Pen name and the name of the contest should be written on the manuscripts and also on identification forms which may be secured in the English Department (2308B).

6. All manuscripts must be deposited with the chairperson of the Department. All manuscripts become the property of the Department. The closing date for submission of manuscripts is Tuesday December 20, 2005.

BROOKLYN COLLEGE RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AWARDS

*GRADUATING SENIOR*

THE FOLLOWING CONTESTS ARE OPEN TO ALL ELIGIBLE STUDENTS
REGARDLESS OF THEIR MAJOR SUBJECT:

THE SAM CASTAN MEMORIAL AWARD (for Excellence in Journalism).

Description: An annual award established by the family and friends of Sam Castan, will be given to a graduating senior demonstrating the most talent and ability in writing for campus publications. A medal denoting Sam Castan and the recipient will accompany the award for first prize.

Eligibility

l. Competition is open to all qualified students registered for any part of the current academic year.

2. To qualify a student must have completed his undergraduate work by June of this year.

3. A contestant must submit copies of material that has appeared in Brooklyn College publications.

4. A contestant is not limited in the choice of journalistic form or content but must submit no more than l0 articles as samples of his best work.

5. Three copies of all work must be submitted. Entrants are to collate their own work.
Entries must be submitted under pen names. Pen name and the name of the contest should be written on the manuscripts and also on identification forms which may be secured in the English Department (2308B).

6. All manuscripts must be deposited with the chairperson of Department. All manuscripts become the property of the Department. The closing date for submission of manuscripts is Tuesday December 20, 2005.


BROOKLYN COLLEGE RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AWARDS

UNDERGRADUATES

THE FOLLOWING CONTEST IS OPEN TO ALL ELIGIBLE STUDENTS REGARDLESS OF THEIR MAJOR SUBJECT:

DEAN MYRTLE SAXE JACOBSON WRITING AWARD IN EXPOSITORY PROSE

Description: In memory and honor of Myrtle Saxe Jacobson, for whom teaching was always an experience in loving, an annual award will be given to the student enrolled in English l, or 2 who writes the best original essay in expository prose in a contest conducted by the English Department. The evaluating committee reserves the right to award or to deny the Award on the basis of the quality of the papers submitted.

Eligibility

l. Competition is open to all students enrolled in English l, or 2 at Brooklyn College during the present term or within the past calendar year.

2. Students competing for this award will meet to write an original expository essay not to exceed l,000 words on an assigned topic. Two hours will be allowed for the writing of the essay.

3. Entries must be submitted under pen names. Pen name and the name of the contest should be written on the essays and also on identification forms which may be secured in the English Department (2308B).

4. Competitors must register on or before Tuesday December 20, 2005.

5. Competitors will meet to write their essays (Schedule to be arranged).


BROOKLYN COLLEGE RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AWARDS

UNDERGRADUATES AND GRADUATE STUDENTS

THE FOLLOWING CONTESTS ARE OPEN TO ALL ELIGIBLE STUDENTS REGARDLESS OF THEIR MAJOR SUBJECT:

THE LOUIS B. GOODMAN CREATIVE WRITING SCHOLARSHIP (for "woman-centered work").

Description: An annual award, established by Professor Lucille Goodman in honor of her late husband, will be distributed to an undergraduate or graduate student evidencing creative writing talent and whose work is "woman-centered."

Eligibility

1. Competition is open to all qualified female and male students registered for any part of the current academic year.

2. To qualify, a student must be nominated by a faculty member and submit a brief letter from the faculty member along with his or her manuscripts.

3. A contestant must submit manuscripts that are typewritten and from 10 to 25 pages in length (additional material will not be read). Entrant must collage their own work.

4. Three copies of all work must be submitted. Entries must be submitted under pen names. Pen name and the name of the contest should be written on the manuscripts and also on identification forms which may be secured in the English Department (2308 B)

5. All manuscripts must be deposited with the chairperson of the department. All manuscripts become the property of the Department. The closing date for submission of manuscripts is Tuesday December 20, 2005.

Good luck to all applicants!

The Puerto Rican Alliance's Annual Poetry Slam

Maria Rubio, one of our friends from The Women's Center, has informed us of an event that we hope you can attend:



The Puerto Rican Alliance invites you to join us at our annual Poetry Slam!

Come join us as we honor the memory of Pedro Pietri, one of the most famous and beloved artists of the modern period.

December 1, 2005 @
Jefferson-Williams Lounge, SUBO
5-7pm
Food and drinks will be served

If you are interested in performing please email: Gabe_perez2002@yahoo.com

At this Moment #9

This week, the multitalented Esther Hwang hit the campus pavement to get an understanding of student thoughts...at this moment.

"How can a candidate win with a majority vote when the majority doesn't vote?"

-George Mitra
Brooklyn College Student

Be Not Afraid of Greatness

BROOKLYN COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

UNDERGRADUATE SHAKESPEARE COMPETITION
DATE: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2006
TIME: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
LOCATION: 132 New Ingersoll

DESCRIPTION

Students competing for the Shakespeare Essay Award, established by Randolph Goodman, will write an essay on an assigned topic, in which four plays by Shakespeare will be discussed in detail. The essay must cover at least three of the four Shakespearean genres in the course of its argument (comedy, history, tragedy, and romance); the fourth play can come from any genre (for example, an essay might discuss two comedies, one history, and one tragedy). Students should bring an edition of Shakespeare’s plays and a dictionary to the exam.

ELIGIBILITY

The competition is open to all Brooklyn College undergraduates. Contestants will use pen names to ensure anonymity when essays are judged. The pen names will be written on essay booklets, and on application forms.

Students must sign-up for the Contest at the English Department (2308 Boylan) by December 20, 2005.

PREPARATION

The essay will require that four plays be discussed. One play must be selected from three of the following four categories; the fourth play can be selected from any category:

Comedies: As You Like It; Twelfth Night; The Merchant of Venice; Measure for Measure; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Much Ado About Nothing; Troilus and Cressida

Histories: Richard II; Henry IV, Part I; Henry V; Richard III

Tragedies: Romeo and Juliet; Hamlet; Macbeth; Othello; King Lear; Julius Caesar; Antony and Cleopatra; Coriolanus

Romances: Pericles; Cymbeline; The Winter’s Tale; The Tempest

PRIZES

A single prize, of a substantial amount of money, will be awarded, if the essay is judged worthy of it.

Poetry Club Update

Dear Poets & Writers,

After all the turkey or tofurkey has been eaten and you've finished all your early holiday shopping, consider spending your Saturday evening at the Bowery Poetry Club for a "terrific night of talent and art." Fellow Poetry Club member Ahnmin Lee sent me news of this great upcoming event that will put the cherry on top of your Thanksgiving weekend.

***Bringing Down The House***
Urban Word NYC and New Rap Order present: An evening of poetry, music, and good times at:

THE BOWERY POETRY CLUB
Saturday, November 26th, 2005
Doors Open @ 9:30 p.m./Show Starts @ 10:00 p.m.

Featuring performances by:

Da Gif (www.dagif.com )
Fayola (www.fayola.cjb.net)
Ahnmin Lee (Let's support our fellow Poetry Club member! He's really good. If you need convincing, email keithzackowitz@gmail.com)
E *Nice Candelario
Urban Word NYC 2005 Slam Team (Nat'l Teen Champs!)
Native Son
Hene C
J.O. and Scyril
New Rap Order

Entrance Fee: $6

Address/Directions:

308 Bowery (between Houston and Bleecker)
B/D/F/V Trains to Broadway-Lafayette
6 Train to Bleecker

In other news, our next Poetry Club meeting is set for Tuesday, December 13. I will send out an official notice in the upcoming weeks with more details. In regards to our website
http://students.brooklyn.cuny.edu/poetry/, I am working on updating the "Past Events" section with picture galleries for the Fall '05 Open Mic and also our last Poetry Club meeting. I promise they will be up soon--just bear with me.

That's all the news for now. If you have any comments about the club, a suggestion for an activity we could do at an upcoming meeting, or an event you'd like to publicize, feel free to email me.

Best Wishes & Happy Thanksgiving!

-Christine : )

***REMINDER: The Poetry Club is open to ALL creative writers, not just poets***

Poem of the Week

This week, resident playwright Randi Vegh brings us "The Butterfly" by Pavel Friedman.

Pavel Friedman was born in Prague on January 7, 1921. He wrote "The Butterfly" on April 6, 1942 and was deported to the Terezin Concentration Camp twenty days later. 15,000 children under the age of fifteen passed through the Terezin Concentration Camp between the years 1942-44; less than 100 survived.

At 21 years old, Pavel truned to the only freedom he could recognize, a power he could not be deprived of. He was able to express his misery in writing. His desperate words echo through generations that continue to embrace courage and optimism in a world colored with hope and fear.

Pavel died in Aushchwitz on September 29, 1944.





The Butterfly

The last, the very last,
So richly, brightly, dazzingly yellow.
Perhaps if the sun's tears would sing
against a white stone

Such, such a yellow
Is carried lightly 'way up high.
It went away I'm sure because it wished to
kiss the world goodbye.

For seven weeks I've lived in here,
penned up inside this ghetto
But I have found my people here.
The dandelions call to me
the white chestnut candles in the court.

Only I never saw another butterfly.
That butterfly was the last one.
Butterflies don't live in here,
In the ghetto.

The Boylan Brief #31

Prison Abuse In Iraq: This Time It’s Not Our Fault!

Apparently taking a cue from their American counterparts at Abu Ghraib, guards at an Iraqi-run detainment center were accused of prisoner abuse and torture. The prisoners, malnourished and showing obvious signs of physical abuse, were discovered last Tuesday by American soldiers. Sunni Arabs, the minority group in Iraq, alleged that Shia militias, with ties to the Shia-dominated provisional government and interior ministry, were responsible for the mistreatment.

In an attempt to downplay the abuse, Iraq’s Interior Minister, Bayan Jabr, claimed that only a few of the 170 detainees at the Jadiriya center in Baghdad were maltreated. Despite Jabr’s acknowledgment of abuse, he vehemently swore he was against methods of torture and would punish those responsible.

In an interview with BBC news, however, Jabr varied in statements on the number of prisoners who had been abused—at times saying five, other times seven. Jabr showed he was quickly becoming adept with American-style public relations, when he put a positive spin on the horrific actions and said, “No-one was beheaded, no-one was killed.”

-Keith Zackowitz
Link


Priceless Painitngs Pay the Price for Russian Debt

The Swiss government ordered the seizure of a priceless art collection in transit from Martigny, Switzerland to Moscow, Russia, at the request of Noga, a Swiss trading company. Noga claims that the Russian government owes it more than 800 million dollars. The collection, which includes paintings by Picasso, Renoir, Monet, and Van Gogh, was on a five-month loan from the Pushkin State Art Museum in Moscow.

The Swiss government ordered the release of the paintings, but could not confiscate them from Noga because the collection is not the property of the state. At the request of Noga, the collection was impounded near Martigny, on the border of the Swiss province of Valais. Noga has demanded immediate payment of 63 million US dollars. Noga exhibited similar behavior in 2000 when they impounded a Russian ship for 11 days when it came to France to take part in an international regatta. A year later it froze all the accounts of the Russian Embassy in Paris.

The owner of the paintings, Russia's Federal Agency of Culture and Film, has told all museums "to shelve talks with Swiss organizations about sending exhibitions abroad." The confiscation of the artworks is "a gross violation of international law for the protection of cultural treasures," said the Russian culture agency on its Web site (www.rosculture.ru).

-Randi Vegh
Link


China to Vaccinate Poultry Against Bird Flu

As China grappled with new outbreaks of bird flu, its Agriculture Ministry planned to vaccinate the nation’s vast poultry population—estimated at more than 14 billion. The proposed campaign would be the largest single vaccination effort done on any species. China also developed a version of an antiviral drug called Tamiflu, which it plans to produce in large quantities in the case of a human pandemic.

The latest outbreaks of the avian flu in China have infected more than 6,000 birds in the western province of Xinjiang, according to a spokesperson for the World Health Organization in Beijing. So far the H5N1 bird flu virus has only been transmitted between birds. There have been no cases yet of human-to-human transmission.

-Elina Bloch
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Italy Aims to Even the Political Playing Field

A new bill aimed at increasing the number of women elected to the Italian Parliament was proposed last Friday. If approved, parties taking part in national elections will have to ensure that a third of their candidates are women.

According to the Associated Press, “less than 10 percent of Italy’s lawmakers are female—the second-lowest percentage in the European Union after Greece’s 9 percent. In the United States, 15 percent of Congress is female—14 senators and 67 members of the House of Representatives.”

The measures of the new quota law, if passed, would be implemented gradually, said Equal Opportunity Minister Stefania Prestigiacomo. Parties that do not comply for the spring 2006 elections would be fined. If they continue to avoid measures in successive elections, “they would be banned from running candidates.”

-Christine Choi
Link


Mexican Courts Declare Rape by Husband is Still Rape

Bringing Mexican law up to speed with the rest of the world, the Mexican Supreme Court passed a unanimous ruling last Wednesday, which recognized that rape within a marriage was illegal and considered “an undue exercise of conjugal rights.”

Prior to the ruling, a United Nations survey found that 9 out of every 10 rapes in Mexico went unreported. The ruling made clear that sexual abuse in a marriage—whether physical or psychological—was no longer tolerable under law.

Today, only a small number of countries do not recognize spousal rape as a crime, two of those being India and Malaysia. Still, the recognition of rape within marriage is relatively new in the judicial system. In the U.S., for example, spousal rape was not recognized as a crime until 1993.

-Alyssa Gargiulo
Link


Thanksgiving Fun Facts

-In the U.S., about 280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations. There is no official reason or declaration for the use of turkey. They just happened to be the most plentiful meat available at the time of the first Thanksgiving in 1621, starting the tradition

-Thanksgiving remained a custom unsanctified by law until President Roosevelt signed a bill on November 26, 1941 that established the fourth Thursday in November as the national Thanksgiving public holiday.

-James Madison declared Thanksgiving twice in 1815.

SOURCE: http://www.didyouknow.org/thanksgiving.htm

Poem of the Week

This week, the multitalented Elina Bloch shares a poem that had the entire English Majors' Counseling Office in tears. It is a deeply moving poem by Dr. Roni Natov's sister, the incomparable Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz. It is entitled "Love after 9/11."




Love after 9/11

1.

The worst photos were not beaming wedding birthday graduation taped
to lampposts subway billboards any walls at all

not even the ones you start to recognize yeah that’s
Angela Brendan Carmen Teresa last seen wearing
Mohammed, yes, Mohammed

The worst clips were not the plane striking the tower
and then the second plane the first then the second.
Again.

Not the hordes of people running though streets covered in ash
not the pet rescuers
not the weeping firefighters
not the vast twisted steel
not the mountains of contamination

not even the people insisting their loved one was not dead just
missing after 7 days 10 days 15 days

No, to me the worst were the ones they stopped showing after the first day so
maybe the papers agreed, photos of tiny
bodies hurling themselves from windows 90 100 floors up
so hot they jumped

caught by the worst photos in the vertical flow of traffic
just jumped midfall almost to ground zero not yet named

Are we that small?
A bad question but not the worst
No, to me the worst question is were they

that frightened
that desperate
that hot

2.

Yesterday we made love for the first time since 9/11-
too tired, too raw, too in motion. I had to say
let’s do it: later, after we walk the dog,
after Key Food, after the delivery of 12 bottles of seltzer and a giant
laundry detergent, after 5 lbs of potatoes
arrive, finally. You make one more call. I
check emails mostly about 9/11 and the impending
war and how to stop it when we are
that small, falling from a great height

Finally, by 6, 6:30 we had cleared away a small
space in which we might touch, sink into each other’s
bodies, and sleep a deep restful sleep
even for half an hour. And we touched
the wordless comfort of skin. You
came first, loud and raucous, that deep place of
release. Then me: and as I came I saw
bodies falling from a great height
each a tiny streak of light slashing the darkness and coming I
sobbed for all the bodies
and all the bodies who loved them, sobbed
in my own body
coming fully alive

At this Moment #8

Hello Bloggers and welcome to another installment of At this Moment. This week, expert journalist and budding poet Keith Zackowitz brings us word from the newsroom....

"What concerns me at the moment is graduation, employment, and the continuing encroachment of jingoistic facism. I'm also single and I have a cough, which truly concerns me at the moment."

-Abe Selig, Junior, Journalism

"I recently received an email from the president's office regarding anupcoming event called 'Meet the President,' in which 15 undergrads will be chosen to attend a discussion/meeting with President Kimmich on 12/1. Here's what I'm wondering: who received this letter and how were they selected? Who will be the 15 chosen to attend the meeting, how were they selected, and, most importantly, why? Guess I'd like to know whether it's a PR event, or a legitimate opportunity for students to express grievances."

-David Lepeska, Senior, Journalism

This Week in OurStory

Once again, the amazing Elina Bloch with this week in OurStory....

Nov. 8
1916—Peter Weiss, Swedish writer/dramatist/playwright, is born
1900—Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie is published

Nov. 9
1818—Ivan Turgenev, Russian novelist/poet/playwright, is born
1928—Anne Sexton Newton, an American poet, is born
1953--Dylan Thomas, author and poet, dies in NY at 39

Nov. 10
1730—Oliver Goldsmith, Irish novelist/dramatist/poet, is born
1920—George Bernard Show’s “Heartbreak House” premiers in NYC
1938—Nobel Prize for literature awarded to Pearl Buck

Nov. 11
1821—Feodor Dostoevsky, Russian novelist, author of Crime and Punishment, is born

Nov. 12
1651—Juana Unes de la Cruz, Mexican poet/nun/feminist, is born
1936—Nobel Prize for literature awarded to Eugene O’Neill

Nov. 13
1850—Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island, is born in Scotland
1909—Paul de Vree, Flemish author, is born

Nov. 14
1511—Janus Secundus, Latin poet, is born
1905—Sanoesi Pane, Indonesian author, is born
1907—Astrid Lindgren, Swedish children book writer, author of Pipi Longstocking, is born

Nov. 15
1731—William Cowper, English poet, is born
1887—Marianne Moore, poet, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, is born

The Boylan Brief #30

Crocodile Crossed with T-Rex: Predator of the Seas or “Jaws Meets Jurassic Park”

The discovery of a large, sea-dwelling crocodile, nicknamed Godzilla, has turned heads in the academic science world. A scientific research team, funded by National Geographic, has put together the pieces of this 135-million-year-old dinosaur, officially named Dakosaurus andiniensis, after nine years of research. Zulma Gasparini, a paleontologist at the National University of La Plata, Argentina, uncovered an intact fossil skull of the new species in 1996. The jaw of the sea-dwelling creature, discovered in the Patagonia region, was a foot and a half long and contained 52 serrated teeth used for tearing flesh from other large sea creatures.

The crocodile, only a dozen or more feet long, was not the largest crocodile to swim the seas, but its short snout, resembling that of a T-Rex, separates it from other types of crocodiles with long slender snouts and more than 100 small, sharp teeth.

The discovery of Dakosaurus andiniensis, published on November 11 in the journal Science, culminates nine years of research and fossil preparation led by Gasparini.

-Alyssa Gargiulo
Link


Jordanian Peace Protests

Thousands protested against the terrorist bombings last Wednesday in Amman, Jordan that tore through three popular tourist hotels, leaving 59 people dead (a majority of whom were Jordanians, but also Iraqis, Indonesians, Chinese, Syrians, Saudi Arabians, and one American, with 14 more bodies yet to be identified) and injuring about 100.

The Al Qaeda group in Iraq claimed responsibility for the deadly blasts and called Jordan “a backyard garden for the enemies of the religion, Jews and crusaders ... a filthy place for the traitors ... and a center for prostitution,” according to The Associated Press.
Some Jordanians attributed the attacks to their country’s efforts to make peace with Israel and its close links with Washington.

In a statement released by the royal court of Jordan, King Abdullah said: “The terrorist attacks that targeted three hotels in Amman are criminal acts carried out by terrorist groups. Jordan remains determined to pursue its fight against the criminals who wanted by their acts to target innocent civilians.”

He added that Jordan would "remain a safe country."

Marwan Qusous, an owner of a nightclub a few yards from the Grand Hyatt, one of the hotels bombed, expressed similar sentiments: “This is our Jordan, and I will fight this [terrorism] with my every means.”

-Christine Choi
Link


Saddam Trial in Jeopardy

Three masked gunmen assassinated a second lawyer in the trial of Saddam Hussein and his aides. Adel al-Zubeidi died when his car came under fire in western Baghdad. Another defense lawyer, Saadoun al-Janabi, was abducted and shot on Oct. 20, the day after the start of the trial against Hussein for crimes against humanity. The latest attack “happened in broad daylight in front of the U.S. occupation forces,” Hussein’s chief lawyer told al-Jazeera television. No group claimed responsibility for the murder.

Regardless of who was responsible, the killings raised the question of whether the trial could be held in an atmosphere of insurgency. Hussein’s lawyers have demanded that the trial be shifted to an “Arab country where there is security.” However, the spokesman for Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari rejected the idea and insisted that the proceedings be continued before an Iraqi court.

-Elina Bloch
Link 1
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Africa's First Woman Leader Emerges

Africa’s first woman president was elected in Liberia last week, two years after the end of a fourteen year long civil war that ravaged the West African nation. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, known as the “Iron Lady,” received 59% of the vote in a run-off against former soccer star, George Weah.

Weah, who had the support of most of the 100,000 ex-combatants from the civil war, is contesting the election, alleging “ballot tampering, intimidation and harassment.” Hundreds of his supporters staged a rally on Friday in the streets of Monrovia, the Liberian capital, claiming electoral fraud and chanting “no Weah, no peace.” Weah urged his supporters to shun violence, saying “the streets of Monrovia do not belong to violent people.” A spokesman for Weah’s Congress for Democratic Change party told reporters they had filed a “writ of prohibition with the Supreme Court to intervene and stop the counting process.”

Election observers declared the vote “peaceful and transparent.” Johnson-Sirleaf called her opponent’s claims absurd, saying, “the Liberian people have chosen and I am humbled by the fact that they have elected me to lead the effort of reconciliation and development.”

-Keith Zackowitz
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FUN FACTS:
-If you know a millionaire who happens to be married, what is the most likely profession of his wife? She’s probably a teacher.

-In a recent survey, Americans revealed that banana was their favorite smell.
SOURCE: http://funny2.com/facts.htm

We Rocked the Mic Right!

(Katy Maslow)

We'd like to do two things. First, we'd like to thank EVERYONE--speakers, listeners, students, staff and faculty--for making the Fall 2005 Open Mic an overwhelming success! Second, we'd like to apologize to those students who did not get to perform their pieces. We truly regret not being better organized and not anticipating the overwhelming number of speakers. And lastly, a huge apology to those for whom we guaranteed but did not get to perform: Sean Rogan, Stella Domenech and Marie Ortiz. We promise to try to do better next time.

We'd like to invite everyone who participated, and those who may not have had the chance, to submit their work for possible publication in the English Majors' Zine. You can e-mail your submissions to BoylanBlog@yahoo.com, or you can drop off your work saved as a word document on a floppy disk at Prof. Roni Natov's English Majors' Counseling Office, located in room 3416B.

(Carol VerEcke)

Now that we're done wiping the egg from our faces, we'd like to share our experience at Open Mic with you. I'm sure that you don't need us to tell you, but...you were all FANTASTIC!

(Ingrid Feeney)

"Hearing the versatility of voices and talents on Tuesday’s Open Mic, filled my heart with pride. Our English Majors are the best! Happiness and sadness, recitation and song, poetry and prose—all intertwined at this celebration of creativity. The night before the event, I couldn’t sleep looking forward to it; the night after, I couldn’t sleep because I was thinking about the amazing people that study in our department. I enjoyed the atmosphere of friendship and unity immensely, and am grateful to everyone who had participated or just listened. My apologies go to those who did not have the opportunity to read because of time constraints beyond our control."

-Elina Bloch

(Jon Christiansen)

"What I love about the Open Mic is that it is a safe outlet for students to communicate all of the deep-seated emotions, concerns, and beliefs they are unable to express in everday conversation. Every voice has a place in the room, which is a major reason why I believe the event is growing and attracting more participants. I am always moved by the talent and, moreover, the bravery of readers willing to take risks with unconventional poetry or song. Another great thing is when shy students, inspired by other readers, muster up the courage to speak for themselves. It's an incredible gift to be able to watch someone find his or her voice in this crazy world, where so many are detached from human emotion."

-Christine Choi

(Serena Burdick)



"This was my first experience reading at an open mic, and I absolutely loved it! I can't wait to get up there and read again. At first, I was apprehensive about sharing my own intimate thoughts with such a large audience, but once I started reading, I could feel how responsive the audience was. This type of open mic event only workswhen everyone involved is respectful of each reader, and I think weachieved that. My favorite aspect of Open Mic is that every voice--no matter how large or small it is-- gets a turn to stand behind the microphone."

-Alyssa Gargiulo

(MacCorley Mathieu)



"The Open Mic was overwhelming, both in the sheer numbers who flocked to support the literary community here on campus and the support I felt from the audience as I stood trembling, baring my naked work to a crowd of 80 or more. For me, this was my first time reading my own work in this type of environment. In the past, I've performed music in front of large crowds, but there is nothing quite as pure and beautiful as hearing your normally confident voice falter and shake,only to be reassured by every pair of eyes when I finally tore them from the blurry paper in front of me."

-Keith Zackowitz

(Jewell Oliver)




"The works performed at the Open Mic were funny, provocative, charming,witty, smart, pretty, deep, angry-- everything writing should be, only enhanced by an equal variety of voices. I loved the individuality of every single piece. The best part of gathering so many talented writers together for two hours is that in the hours that follow, weare not just faces at Brooklyn College; we are words and voices and songs, able to loosen our ties and lift the corners of our mouths in the presence of one another."

-Esther Hwang



(Jan Ransom)



The Open Mic is an ideal icebreaker for English Majors and non English Majors alike. This year's event was my third to attend, but second in which I stepped up to the podium- let me tell you, each year keeps getting better and better! It's invigorating to be able to share a piece of myself with peers, faculty, and total strangers. Hearing others read, rave, rant, and rhyme was entertaining, eye-opening, and inspiring. It's two weeks after the event and suddenly all the English Majors know eachother- it's encouraging to have a strong sense of community where we can share our thoughts and creativity.
I think we all have new found respect for one another now that we've exposed ourselves, or at least a glimpse of ourselves, through the podium. Thank you all for making it a truly positive experience.

-Randi Vegh

(Anthony Punt)

"Quite frankly, I'm overwhelmed by the number of talented individuals on this campus. From the poetry of Peter Lindo, Jan Ransom, Katy Maslow, Ingrid Feeney and Christine Choi, to the prose of Jewell Oliver and Serena Burdick, to the comedy of MacCorley Mathieu, to the musical stylings of Esther Hwang, I found myself completely blown away. I can't wait to get started on next semester's Open Mic!"

-Robert Jones, Jr.

Rosa Parks: She Sat For What She Stood

by Randi Vegh

Rosa Parks died on Monday, October 24th of natural causes in her Detroit home.

In the winter of 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for a bold act of defiance that would change the world. Forty-two-year-old Rosa Parks refused to yield her bus seat to a white man because "she was tired of being humiliated by the laws and traditions that made black citizens less than human."

The segregating law ruled that the front of the bus was reserved for whites, while the rear for blacks- who populated over 75 percent of bus farers. Blacks were permitted to sit in the middle rows, but were required to vacate those seats if whites needed them, leaving the blacks to stand or leave the bus if there were no vacant seats in the rear.

In violation of the Montgomery bus law, Parks was arrested, jailed and fined ten dollars for her misconduct.Parks' arrest spurred a 13-month "boycott of the bus system organized by a then little-known Baptist minister, the Rev Martin Luther King." 30 years after her act of protest, Parks said, "At the time I was arrested I had no idea it would turn into this. It was just a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the masses of the people joined in."

Her precedence coined her the title, "mother of the civil rights movement." Throughout her life, Rosa Parks continued to protest the cause she stood up for, simply by choosing to remain seated. In 1988, Mrs. Parks said she worried that black young people took legal equality for granted. "Older blacks," she said, "have tried to shield young people from what we have suffered. And in so doing, we seem to have a more complacent attitude. We must double and redouble our efforts to try to say to our youth, to try to give them an inspiration, an incentive and the will to study our heritage and to know what it means to be black in America today."

At a celebration in her honor that same year, Rosa Parks declared, "I am leaving this legacy to all of you ... to bring peace, justice, equality, love and a fulfillment of what our lives should be. Without vision, the people will perish, and without courage and inspiration, dreams will die - the dream of freedom and peace."

Rosa Parks was 92 years old.

Sources-
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Link 3

The Boylan Brief #29

Skating Out of Slums

Skateboarding, a sport born in the U.S., has taken root all over the world, but particularly in Brazil. While most Brazilians view the popular activity as just a pastime, some consider it a ticket out of their country’s grafitti-splattered inner cities.

“It is the dream of every good Brazilian skater to make it to California,” said Lincoln Ueda, whose fame in Brazil is akin to that of American skateboarding legend Tony Hawk.

Ueda began skateboarding when he was 12 after his father scrounged the money to buy him a skateboard for Christmas. Today, Ueda earns $180,000 each year, which pales in comparison to what Brazilian soccer exports earn in Europe. But for Ueda, who never earned a college degree, it’s gold.

In the long term, Ueda hopes to earn enough so that he can sponsor young Brazilian skateboarders.

-Christine Choi
Link


Lightning Storms Strike Australia—Holy Cow!

Since October 24, lightning storms in the Mid-North Coast region of Australia have significantly damaged the area’s agriculture and livestock.

Warwick Marks, an Australian farmer, lost 68 registered dairy cows to the deadly strikes and three were temporarily paralyzed.

The storms originated from a high concentration of pressure over the Tasman Sea, the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand. This increased humidity resulted in repeated electric storms, which have caused severe financial loss for farmers. “We've lost half of our stock, half of our income ... it's something we'll never recover from,” said Marks.

-Randi Vegh
Link


Rumsfeld’s Fell Blow on Guantanamo

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld denied a request by U.N. human rights investigators to meet with detainees at the Guantanamo prison for foreign terrorist suspects. At a Pentagon news conference, Rumsfield told reporters the hunger strike was merely a ploy “to capture press attention.”

The three U.N. investigators, including one who focuses on torture, said on Monday they would turn down an invitation extended by the Pentagon to visit Guantanamo (nearly four years after the visits were first requested) unless they were permitted to interview the detainees. Rumsfeld said access would continue to be limited to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which keeps its findings confidential.

In an effort to distance himself from the “deeply troubling” allegations about force-feedings provided by the lawyers of the detainees, Rumsfeld said, “I'm not a doctor and I'm not the kind of person who would be in a position to approve or disapprove. It seems to me … that the responsible people are the combatant commanders. And the Army is the executive agent for detainees.”

-Esther Hwang
Link


Hilltop Youth Shot

A 12-year-old Palestinian boy carrying a toy gun was shot by Israeli troops in the northern West Bank town of Jenin. The boy was taken to a hospital where he was reportedly treated for serious head injuries and possible brain damage. The shooting resulted from groups of young men allegedly throwing stones, and firing on Israeli soldiers during the arrest of a local Islamic Jihad leader. When soldiers spotted what they thought to be an armed gunman approximately 130 yards away, they opened fire on the target. Upon closer inspection, Israeli soldiers found the “weapon” was only a plastic toy gun.

The Israeli army expressed regret in their statement about the shooting, and a commander of the West Bank ordered further investigation of the incident. Israel claims it has had to defend itself from continuing terrorist attacks by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. During an evacuation last week, a 17-year-old settler allegedly punched a deputy brigade commander in the eye. Moreover, aggressive young settlers, known as the “Hilltop Youth,” have confronted Israeli soldiers who’ve tried to dismantle the group’s illegal settlement outposts—slashing tires on the soldiers’ jeeps or setting them on fire, tearing soldiers’ uniforms and hitting them.

-Alyssa Gargiulo
Link

Film Screenings @ Brooklyn College!

This week the Robert L. Hess Scholar in Residence Program presents screenings of two films by Agnieszka Hollans, this year's Scholar in Residence:

Tuesday, November 8th, 1:30 pm
Washington Square
Whitman Auditorium

Wednesday, November 9th, 6 pm
Europa Europa
Whitman Auditorium

Monday, November 14, 6 pm
Total Eclipse
Whitman Auditorium
*The screening of Total Eclipse will be followed by a Q & A session with Agnieszka Holland.

Tuesday, November 15, 1:30pm
The Secret Garden
Woody Tanger Auditorium

Students are encouaged to attend. Enjoy!

At This Moment #7

This week, Elina Bloch brings us two more voices for At this Moment.

What worries me is our pace of life. We live in a rushed environment in which everything has to be done in haste, and in which there is no time to “stop and smell the roses.” Between my studies, my work, and my other obligations, I cannot find the opportunity to simply relax and enjoy life.

-Boris
Psychology Major

At this moment I am concerned about people’s narrow-mindness, about their inability to see things in shades of grey, and to accept and respect difference. Our world would be a much better place if we could listen to each other with attention and with an open-mind.

-Jenny
Graduate Student in English

Poem of the Week

This week Poet/Student/Educator Alyssa Gargiulo shares a poem to celebrate Black Solidarity Day. The poem is entitled, "Here Where Coltrane Is" by Michael S. Harper. Enjoy!

Here Where Coltrane Is

Soul and race
are private dominions,
memories and modal
songs, a tenor blossoming,
which would paint suffering
a clear color but is not in
this Victorian house
without oil in zero degree
weather and a forty-mile-an-hour wind;
it is all a well-knit family:
a love supreme.
Oak leaves pile up on walkway
and steps, catholic as apples
in a special mist of clear white
children who love my children.
I play "Alabama"on a warped record player
skipping the scratches
on your faces over the fibrous
conical hairs of plastic
under the wooden floors.

Dreaming on a train from New York
to Philly, you hand out six
notes which become an anthem
to our memories of you:
oak, birch, maple,
apple, cocoa, rubber.
For this reason Martin is dead;
for this reason Malcolm is dead;
for this reason Coltrane is dead;
in the eyes of my first son are the browns
of these men and their music.

This Week in OurStory

Once again, the incomporable Elina Block brings us the significant events that have taken place in Ourstory.

Nov. 1
1500—Benvenuto Cellini, sculptor/goldsmith/writer, is born
1604—William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello 1st presented
1611—Shakespeare’s Tempest 1st presented
1871—Stephen Crane, American novelist and poet, is born
1886—Hermann Broch, Austrian novelist, is born
1896—Edmund Blunden, English poet and critic, is born
1928—1st celebration of Author’s Day

Nov. 2
0017—Publius Ovidius Naso, Roman poet, dies
1830—Henry Kingsley, English/Austrian writer, is born
1884—Jacques Chardonne, French writer, is born
1894—Robert Nathan, poet and novelist, is born in New York City
1920—Isaac Asimov, Russian scientist and writer, is born

Nov. 3
0039—Lucan, Latin poet, is born in Cordova, Spain
1956—Wizard of Oz 1st televised (CBS-TV)

Nov. 4
1862—Eden Phillpotts, English novelist/poet/playwright, is born
1909—Ciro Alegria, Peruan novelist, is born
1948—T.S. Eliot wins Nobel Prize for literature

Nov. 5
0188—James Elroy Flecker, English poet and dramatist, is born
1943—Sam Shepard, American actor and playwright, is born

Nov. 6
1558—Thomas Kyd, English dramatist, is born
1671—Colley Cibber, English dramatist and poet laureate, is born
1944—Hannah Senesh, Jewish poetess is executed by Nazis in Budapest

Nov. 7
0994—Muhammad ibn Hazm, historian/juror/writer of Islamic Spain, is born
1913—Albert Camus, novelist and dramatist, winner of Nobel Prize for literature, is born

November's Hero of the Month: James Baldwin

James Baldwin (1924-1987)
By Robert Jones, Jr.

O, Mr. Baldwin! I pray that I can find the words to let these readers know who you are. Rarely, rarely do we know your kind of courage these days after the Towers fell. No, instead most of us cower. We simply don’t have your resolve. But, I assure you that I’ve grown sick of cowering.

I didn’t know you when you were alive. I was too young, I think. I didn’t know anyone who thought enough of me to give me one of your gifts. However, I know you now—intimately—and I resolve to tell these readers that where race and sexuality converged, and clashed, you sought a new path: reconciliation. You had no map, so you created one. You had no model, so you became one. You were unapologetically Black and proudly same-gender-loving when the world didn’t have the vision, much less the patience, for such a being. They still don’t. They don’t have the mental fortitude to grasp the lovely grace in your step, the unparalleled power of your voice or the unrelenting intellect in your writing. I, like you, am very suspicious of those who are frightened by revolution. Can you show me how to write it down, Mr. Baldwin? Can you teach me how to bear witness?

What made you do it? What made you give us the truth over and over again without fear or reservation? Go Tell it on the Mountain, Giovanni’s Room, Nobody Knows My Name, Another Country, Blues for Mister Charlie, The Fire Next Time. What did you say, Mr. Baldwin? What was it that you said? Ah, yes! I remember now. It was when you showed me the place where Dragons dwelled; it was when you spoke to me of the dangers of their fire-breath:

"Thus, in the realm of morals the role of Christianity has been, at best, ambivalent. Even leaving out of account the remarkable arrogance that assumed that the ways and morals of others were inferior to those of Christians, and that they therefore had every right, and could use any means, to change them, the collision between cultures—and the schizophrenia in the mind of Christendom—had rendered the domain of morals as chartless as the sea once was, and as treacherous as the sea still is. It is not too much to say that whoever wishes to become a truly moral human being (and let us not ask whether or not this is possible; I think we must believe that it is possible) must first divorce himself from all the prohibitions, crimes and hypocrisies of the Christian church. If the concept of God has any validity or any use, it can only be to make us larger, freer, and more loving. If God cannot do this, then it is time we got rid of Him."

They call you bitter because, even now, you refuse to let them off of the hook. So, each time they call you out of your name, I smile because I know why they do it: They fear your genuine nobility.

I wonder if you know, Mr. Baldwin. Do you know that each time I place pen to paper it is in an effort to pay tribute to you; to rise to your challenge; to continue your work; to create genius as you have created it; to inspire someone as you have inspired me? I don’t believe that there is anything else I can nor want to do. If it were not for you, I would not be. I've watched everything that your left hand has ever written. I wonder if you know, Mr. Baldwin, that I am left-handed, too.

You are not simply my hero. You are my knight. You are my paladin. You are my mahatma. You are my inamorata. You are my apotheosis. If you can hear me—if you can hear me, Mr. Baldwin—I hope that my meager words are enough to let you know that you will never be forgotten...never! Not as long as I still live.

I love you.

Sincerely,
Robert