Cal State L.A. Department of English

Statement Magazine represented at last week's Día de los Mu***os festival hosted by El Sereno Community Arts, curating a series of readings and slams for student and community poets. Readings unfolded throughout the festival, both on the main stage and in the more intimate after-dark setting afforded by the decorated pedestrian tunnel beneath Huntington Drive; there, the students read alongside the compelling altar they built to honor dead poets. The editorial team also hosted games and giveaways, shared back issues of the magazine with curious festival-goers, and greeted community members (including many Cal State LA alumni!). It was great to connect with El Sereno on this memorable day -- folks are already looking forward to Statement's role at next year's event!

(Pictured readers are Cal State LA students Jeszabel Millan and Katie Luna, as well as ESCA organizer Collier White.)

Just a reminder that the annual Kubal Lecture is TOMORROW!! See below for details, and we look forward to seeing you there!

The English Department’s David L. Kubal Memorial Lecture will take place Tuesday, October 29 at 6pm in the Music Hall (Theatre Arts Building 116). The event is free and open to the public! This year’s Kubal speaker, Dr. Adam Bradley (http://www.adamfbradley.com/bio), will give a talk titled “Hip Hop's Past, Present, and Future.” Bradley is a professor of English at UCLA and founding director of the Laboratory for Race & Popular Culture (aka, the RAP Lab). Dubbed “The Professor of Hip Hop,” Bradley pioneered the study of rap lyrics as poetry and has worked with some of the leading artists in popular music. As a curator, he has collaborated with museums across the country and the globe to launch exhibitions of art and culture. Most recently, he co-curated “Hip Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit” (2023-2024) at the GRAMMY Museum. As a writer at large for the New York Times’s T Magazine, Bradley tells impactful stories in long-form essays. He is the author of six books, including Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip Hop, The Anthology of Rap, and the national bestseller One Day It’ll All Make Sense, a memoir he wrote with the rapper and actor Common.
At this event, we will also recognize our department's student scholarship and essay prize winners. Please come and celebrate with us!
If you have any questions, please email Dr. giovanni singleton at [email protected].

Students!! Families!! Faculty!! Alumni!!

The English Department’s David L. Kubal Memorial Lecture will take place Tuesday, October 29 at 6pm in the Music Hall (Theatre Arts Building 116). The event is free and open to the public! This year’s Kubal speaker, Dr. Adam Bradley (http://www.adamfbradley.com/bio), will give a talk titled “Hip Hop's Past, Present, and Future.” Bradley is a professor of English at UCLA and founding director of the Laboratory for Race & Popular Culture (aka, the RAP Lab). Dubbed “The Professor of Hip Hop,” Bradley pioneered the study of rap lyrics as poetry and has worked with some of the leading artists in popular music. As a curator, he has collaborated with museums across the country and the globe to launch exhibitions of art and culture. Most recently, he co-curated “Hip Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit” (2023-2024) at the GRAMMY Museum. As a writer at large for the New York Times’s T Magazine, Bradley tells impactful stories in long-form essays. He is the author of six books, including Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip Hop, The Anthology of Rap, and the national bestseller One Day It’ll All Make Sense, a memoir he wrote with the rapper and actor Common.

At this event, we will also recognize our department's student scholarship and essay prize winners. Please come and celebrate with us!

If you have any questions, please email Dr. giovanni singleton at [email protected].

Poetry-Related Volunteer Opportunity!

Students: If you are looking for volunteer and networking opportunities, please consider the following. Cal State LA English alum Sebastian Camarena is coordinating student help for the upcoming anniversary party of the LA Poet Society. The event will be held on November 16th, but LAPS is seeking people who are willing to help out before the event as well, including contributing to projects such as social media, outreach, and event coordination. The flyer for the event is below, and interested students can either submit a volunteer form (at the bottom of the page at https://www.lapoetsociety.org/join-laps) or reach out directly to Sebastian at [email protected].

*ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT*
Meet Saul Chimil Tizo! Saul recently graduated from Cal State LA in Spring 2024, where he majored in English and minored in Child Development. As Saul dreams of becoming a high school teacher, his undergraduate career consisted of working at two local high schools in Boyle Heights.

During the 2022-2023 academic school year, Saul was a teacher intern at Theodore Roosevelt High School, where he assisted in two AP English Language classes and a regular 11th-grade English class. The following year, Saul worked at Boyle Heights Continuation High School as an instructional aide, helping students in their English and History classes. Within three years, Saul has impacted the lives of more than 200 students.

When asked about his time being part of the English program, Saul said, “I had a great experience. I was able to learn about the different ways that English can be applied that I never was aware of. With the writing skills I obtained in classes such as Grant Writing and Writing Fiction, I was able to create assignments where I allowed my students to practice constructing a resume, as well as giving them the freedom to share their story.”

From being a full-time student, dedicating 15 hours per week working in the classroom, and working other part-time jobs, Saul was still able to make it on the Dean’s List every semester, and graduate with a 3.96 GPA. Saul emphasized, “Although it was stressful at times commuting to Cal State LA for a morning class, to then commute to work at the high school, to then head back to Cal State LA to attend my evening classes, I enjoyed the courses I was taking and spending time with my students.”

Saul got accepted to some of the top teaching programs in the country, including: USC, UC Irvine, Teachers College - Columbia University, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and Stanford. Through residencies, fellowships, and scholarships, almost every program offered to fully pay for Saul’s tuition. Starting in the fall, Saul will attend UCLA’s Teacher Education Program, where he will be earning his Master’s in Education and teaching credential in English.

“My passion in wanting to become an English teacher comes from my personal experience,” Saul shared. “I never had someone to guide me on how I can continue strengthening my reading and writing skills, or knowing how to write my personal statements. I want to be that mentor I wish I had for my students. I want to teach my students that English can help them in achieving their goals, whether it is to pursue higher education or getting their dream job.”

Saul would like to thank his English professors, Child Development professors, teacher mentors, advisors, counselors, co-workers, classmates, and his students. Saul shared, “With the support I received from all of these people, they challenged me in continuing to be a hardworking student, but also helping me become a better person.”

Cal State LA Library's "Sounds of the Underground" symposium kicks off in an hour, and tomorrow is Collecting Day, so there is still time to dust off any old artifacts you want to share. Fans of music, subcultures, and archives will not be disappointed by these quality events. Highly recommended!

Cal State LA's College of Arts and Letters and the Center for Contemporary Poetry and Poetics are excited to be co-sponsoring the 15th annual Dia de los Mu***os Festival hosted by El Sereno Community Arts. Join us for the festivities on Saturday afternoon, October 19, on Huntington Drive between Portola and Pueblo. Student poets representing Statement Magazine will be reading throughout the day -- starting at 3:45 and going on into the evening -- and are also contributing to the building of the festival's altar honoring dead poets. There will also be food and craft vendors, and live music after dark. Please come on out and join in!

El Sereno Community Arts; Center for Contemporary Poetry and Poetics; Cal State LA, Arts & Letters

The American Indian & Indigenous Student Alliance is hosting an event on Monday for Indigenous People's Day. Here's hoping you can stop by and be a part of it!

Consider submitting your creative work to Statement Magazine! This is your chance to be published in one of the country's longest-running university literary magazines. This year's theme is "Time," and you can review the call here: https://www.calstatela.edu/statementonline The deadline to submit is Dec 6.

Statement Magazine | Cal State LA The cover for our current issue, released in 2024

Eagle Con is happening next Tuesday - Wednesday, Oct 15-16! Please check out the exciting schedule, especially the following session on speculative poetry in the 21st century! And you might want to stick around to hear from legendary actor and Cal State LA alumnus Edward James Olmos who will be receiving the Prism Award, 4:35 - 5:40PM in the USU Los Angeles room (308).

Panel: Speculative Poetry in the 21st Century
Time: Wednesday Oct 16th, 12:20 - 1:25PM
Location: U-SU Los Angeles Room (room 308)
Description: Join distinguished poets from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association for readings of their work and a discussion of the current state of speculative poetry.
Moderator: Wendy Van Camp, poet (The Planets, Eccentric Orbits)
Panelist: Pedro Iniguez, poet (Mexicans on the Moon, Fever Dreams of a Parasite)
Jean-Paul L. Garnier, publisher of Space Cowboy Books and editor of StarLine Magazine
Denise Dumars, poet (Cajuns in Space, Mars Maundering)
Bree Wernicke, author (“Fairy Tales for Drowning Girls,” “Human Habits”)

All are welcome!

RSVP 2 — Eagle Con UNFRAKKING THE FUTUREApocalypse and Its Alternatives Tuesday, Oct 15th – Wednesday, Oct 16thCelebrating the 20th anniversary of Battlestar Galactica, the 25th anniversary of The Matrix, and the 40th anniversary of The Terminator, programming will emphasize how speculative genres have been used to ...

In Memory
We would like to take a moment to remember English Professor Emeritus, Sid Richman, who passed away shortly before the Fall semester began. His obituary was published in the LA Times last week and details a life well-lived:

Sidney Richman Obituary (1928 - 2024) - Santa Monica, CA - Los Angeles Times View Sidney Richman's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

Students!! Please join us for the English Fall Welcome TOMORROW, October 3rd, 3-4PM in E&T 631. Come chat with your fellow undergraduate and graduate peers and faculty members, learn more about the many opportunities English offers such as Words Uncaged, Statement Magazine, and the Significations Conference. And, of course, enjoy some yummy seasonal snacks!! Bring your friends - all are welcome!!

Attention student poets! Statement Magazine is recruiting a slate of readers for an event at the El Sereno Community Arts Dia de los Mu***os Festival in October. It's a great opportunity to reach a public audience and to gain experience reading your work. More details on the flyer!

Students!! Please join us for the English Fall Welcome next Thursday, October 3rd, 3-4PM in E&T 631. Come chat with your fellow undergraduate and graduate peers and faculty members, learn more about the many opportunities English offers such as Words Uncaged, Statement Magazine, and the Significations Conference. And, of course, enjoy some yummy seasonal snacks!! Bring your friends - all are welcome!!

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Veronica Coates Ahmed to the English Department as Assistant Professor of African American Literature! If you see her in the hallway, please say hello!

Dr. Veronica Coates Ahmed is a daughter of the Black South and a first-generation college graduate. She received her PhD in American Studies from Purdue University. She is an interdisciplinary Black feminist literary teacher-scholar whose research broadly interrogates the literary history, activity, and contributions of Black girls and women in the 20th and 21st centuries. She’s particularly intrigued by the Black Women’s Literary Renaissance and its contemporary influences on Black feminist activism and literary community. Her current research project centers on examining the history and contemporary role of Black women booksellers in the United States.

Rising Cal State LA sophomore Stephany Herrera Lucas wrote this fabulous piece as her Op Ed in English 1010 Accelerated College Writing--and the Cultural Daily published it! Congratulations!!

The Obsession with Female Rage in Media - Cultural Daily With the uprising popularity of female rage and female rage characters in the media, it’s time we cast the male gaze aside and claim our anger as our own.

Book launch -- June 15!

Dr. Ren Heintz, working with the nonprofit Allies in Arts, has been leading a creative writing workshop for trans writers (18-25) from all over the US to craft their creative voices, and their work is being anthologized by Co-Conspirator Press. The book launch is coming up on June 15th at the Hammer Museum, and will feature an array of student writers as well as three LA-based mentors: authors Ali Liebegott, Thomas Page McBee, and Jaclyn Moore. The launch is free and open to the public, and books will be available to purchase as part of a fundraiser for the program. Check out the link for all the details.

Transchool: Volume 1 | Hammer Museum Aspiring trans writers age 18 to 25 will read from their work alongside notable mentors to celebrate the publication of a new anthology.

We are proud to announce that recent Cal State LA English MA grad Rory Olivarez has published an article on Toni Morrison in the +South Central Review+. The essay, which explores how Morrison's innovative use of spectral figures has influenced other contemporary writers, features work that Rory conducted for her culminating M.A. thesis. Congratulations!

Congratulations to Dr. Andrew Knighton for receiving a prestigious Fulbright Scholar award to teach and establish a Humanities Lab at the American University in Bulgaria! This is a spectacular opportunity for him, our department, and our international colleagues and communities. We are so proud of all his accomplishments and so eager to see this new work come into fruition.

Cal State LA English professor receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award Cal State LA English professor receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award

There is an excellent Cal State LA discount for those who want to see the Independent Shakespeare Company's upcoming production of Beckett's _Happy Days_! Just one more aspect of the broad range of Beckett-related diversions happening this spring. Check it out!

Department of English faculty member Kate Maruyama announces the arrival of her second horror novel, THE COLLECTIVE, which will be released via subscription by Writ Large Press this week. She writes: "I basically took all I observed from my years in the film industry, added a studio exec, a reporter, an up and coming actress and a demon, and stirred. It was a lot of fun to write, and if you like beach read horror, you might enjoy getting a new episode in your inbox every week (starting May 20)!"

The full book will be printed once the subscription cycle is complete. The cover is an original painting by LA Artist, Ana Chaidez. Here's the link to more info: https://www.writlargeprojects.com/shop/p/the-collective

One week from today: College of Arts and Letters Associate Dean Katherine Weiss visits the Eastside Cineclub at Libros Schmibros to talk about Samuel Beckett's short film, entitled "Film." Beckett himself called "Film" -- which was his only cinematic effort -- an "interesting failure." You be the judge, next Wednesday!

Of possible interest! Abstracts are being invited for this fall's Speculative Fiction Across Media Conference, to be held here in Los Angeles.

Tonight!

Save the Date! This year's edition of Statement Magazine launches on May 6!

Statement has been published on the Cal State LA campus for some 74 years, and is one of our most cherished literary traditions. Come on out to celebrate the accomplishments of its many contributors, including the hardworking editorial staff, as they bring this latest iteration to the public!

Graduate Students! The Graduate Resource Center is opening its doors and welcoming you during the last couple weeks of the semester. Do drop in and enjoy their hospitality!