Rogaczewski Reading at Chicago Durutti Skool

This Friday, May 6th, the Durutti Skool and Red Rover Series will be presenting a reading with Michelle Taranksy and Roosevelt's Frank Rogaszewski. The reading concerns the role of poetry in addressing and engaging social awareness. Reading is from 7-9, at Outer Space Studio at 1474 N. Milwaukee Ave.

The reading series wishes to address poetry, social existence, Marxism, and Anarchism and poetry itself as a catalyst for social change! Series, important stuff! More info on this, and other Red Rover Series events can be found here. Support Frank, wonderful poetry, and social change all in one night!

Rogaczewski to Read at Tamale Hut Reading Series

Frank Rogaczewski, poet and professor at Roosevelt, will be reading this Saturday, April 16th, at the Tamale Hut Cafe Reading Series. The reading starts at 7:00 and will then open up to questions and an open mic opportunity!

The Tamale Hut Cafe Reading Series is a monthly event in North Riverside, IL, that was started four years ago by Jenny Seay, and is run by her and current Roosevelt MFA candidate, Bernard Cox. It offers a great opportunity for both established and emerging writers to come together in a supportive literary community! Come hear Frank read this Saturday, at 7:00, at 8300 W Cermak Road, North Riverside, IL 60402! 

Faculty Book Release, This Tuesday!

Thank you all for making our first Coffee & Convo a success, and for the great turn-out for Roosevelt's first 2010 Visiting Author Series event last week! Join us this Tuesday for:

Frank Rogaczewski’s

The Fate of Humanity in Verse

Book Reading & Release Party

Tuesday, March 9

5:00 p.m.

Roosevelt University’s Gage Gallery

18 S. Michigan Avenue (across from Millennium Park)

Frank Rogaczewski received his Ph.D. in Creative Writing (Poetry) at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His poetry has been published in Notre Dame Review, Denver Quarterly, ACM, Samizdat, BlueSky Review, Oyez Review and elsewhere. He’s also one of the featured poets in Vectors: New Poetics (Writers Club Press). His debut collection of prose poems, The Fate of Humanity in Verse (American Letters & Commentary, Inc.), was published in spring, 2009.

And don't forget to swing by early, anytime after 4:30 p.m. to partake in Roosevelt's Creative Writing Coffee & Convo mixer. See you there!

Spring Term Begins

It may not actually be spring yet, but spring term began today after a long (but welcome) Christmas break. As you can see above, some of us are particularly excited to be back.

Here's a look at this term's courses. They're all quite tempting:

Fiction Writing II & III (Scott Blackwood)

Blackwood's workshop/seminar focuses on fictional aesthetics, craft, and the relationship between a writer's life and publishing. Books include Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, Boswell's The Half-Known World, Alice Munro, and Raymond Chandler. Guest workshoppers will include Janet Burroway, David McGlynn, and Don Pollack.

Science-Fiction and Fastasy Literature (Gary K. Wolfe)

In the past few years the boundaries of these genres, like the boundaries between popular and literary fiction, have grown increasingly fluid. This class will focus on the current state of fantastic fiction during the last two decades, focusing largely on short fiction and touching upon such writers as Robert Charles Wilson, Guy Gavriel Kay, Greg Bear, William Gibson, Connie Willis, Kelly Link, and Ted Chiang. Following introductory historical lectures, the course will develop through detailed discussions of specific stories and novels.

Poetry Writing II & III (Frank Rogaczewski)

Focuses on issues raised by contemporary poetry, and how they are reflected in student compositions. Guest workshoppers include Susan Briante.

Shakespeare and Film (Regina Buccola)

Creative Nonfiction Writing I (Janet Wondra)

Explores techniques of nonfiction storytelling with an emphasis on personal narrative, such as memoir. Texts include Judith Kitchen's Short Takes and Julie Hilden's The Bad Daughter. Guest workshoppers include Miles Harvey.

Rise of the Novel (Bonnie J. Gunzenhauser)

Books include Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, Fielding's Tom Jones, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and Sense and Sensibility.

Screenwriting (Scott Blackwood)

Students produce a screenplay in a workshop atmosphere, practicing techniques used by professional screenwriters to create complex characters, thrilling action, and original plots. Some attention to marketing the screenplay, including the treatment and pitch. Robert McKee's Story will be used as a guide, and Yaphet Smith will stop by in March to workshop.

Click here for more first-day-back pics.