Monday, April 30, 2012

Student Research Day

Check out the student projects in Zorn Arena. Student Research Day

Congratulations to our student assistants in the library who have displayed their posters at the event.

Poem-a-Day: "Still I Rise"


Today is the last day of National Poetry Month! We're going out with a bang in our final installment of McIntyre Library's Poem-a-Day series! Without further ado:

"Still I Rise," a poem by Maya Angelou. Selected by Lisa Karnish, English 348.

Read the poem or watch a introduction and recitation by Maya Angelou:



Maya Angelou was born in 1928 in St. Louis and is an African American poet, author, historian, actress, and activist. She began her career in drama and dance and would later go on to earn nominations for the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, and Ladies Home Journal Woman of the Year. She was also appointed the northern coordinator of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This poem, "Still I Rise," is a call for all people who experience prejudice and humiliation to assert pride and courage, especially those who have been victims of racism.
~Lisa Karnish, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Poem-a-Day: "There will come soft rains"

A poem selected by Joseph Davies, English 348:

"There will come soft rains," by Sara Teasdale.

Read the poem, printed in Flame and Shadow:
This poem is titled "There Will Come Soft Rains" and it was written by Sara Teasdale in 1920 and published in her collection titled "Flame and Shadow." This poem deals with the theme that nature continues about its business regardless of what humans are doing. It even suggests that if all mankind were to parish the rest of the world would not even notice. This poem was also used in a short story of the same title which deals with a world where people actually are extinct and the way technology continues to function.
~Joseph Davies, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Poem-a-Day: "Stopping by woods on a snowy evening"

A poem selected by Lacey Bast, English 348:

"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," by Robert Frost.

Read or watch a "poem flow," or watch this video of Frost reading his poem:

Robert Frost (March 26, 1874-January 29, 1963) was a very inspirational American poet. He’s highly regarded for his realistic interpretations of rural life and his use of informal American speech. He frequently inserted settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to analyze complex philosophical and social themes. Frost was one of the most popular and critically respected poets of his generation and was honored with for Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry.
~Lacey Bast, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Poem-a-Day: "The Garden"

A poem selected by Alaina Sullivan, English 348:

"The Garden," by Shel Silverstein.
Read or find it in the library.

I chose “The Garden” by Shel Silverstein partially because he wrote some of the first poems I ever read and partially because as a kid I would sit and read this poem over and over and feel the impact of the last line in my chest. Most of his work seems like fun and absurd poetry for children, but often there are darker or more serious themes that you don’t really see until you reread his work as an adult.
~Alaina Sullivan, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Poem-a-Day: El Dorado

A poem selected by Ahren Jensch, English 348:

"El Dorado," by Edgar Allan Poe.

Read or watch a video interpretation:


Edgar Allen Poe is one of the greatest poets of all time. His ability to create a flow of words is unparalleled. Poe's poem "El Dorado" is a poem that many people can relate to. It seems everyone is searching for his or her own version of "El Dorado" whether that be fame or wealth, but it seems "El Dorado" is a sense of happiness.
~Ahren Jensch, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Poem-a-Day: "The Pitcher"

A poem selected by Sae Rom Park, English 348:

"The Pitcher," by Robert Francis. Read or listen to the poem.

This is a poem about the art of pitching a baseball. Nobody really thinks about the motion that goes into pitching and also the mind of a pitcher and the thoughts they have. However, this poem is interesting, because it can be interpreted in another way. This poem can also be about the art of writing poetry. The speaker is insisting that a poet writes poetry as a pitcher would throw a ball. A poet writes and arranges words precisely so it is beautifully written and read, but at the same time it has to be vague, so that the reader takes time into appreciate every word.
~Sae Rom Park, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

4-24-12 Story time features international student readers

From UW-Eau Claire News Bureau:
Twelve international students in an ESL class will be guest readers at the Tuesday, April 24, story time in McIntyre Library. Kids from the Children's Center will gather at 10:15 a.m. in the Instructional Media Center in McIntyre Library. The international students will read a book or lead a song or activity. International students participating are from China, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Chile. Story time will be about 45 minutes. It will be the last story time held on campus since the existing Children's Center will be torn down to make way for a new education building and the new Children's Center will be located off the main campus. For details, contact Kati Tvaruzka at 715-836-4522 or tvaruzke@uwec.edu.




Friday, April 20, 2012

Game Day-Sat. April 21-1-5 p.m.

Poem-a-Day: "Howl"

A poem selected by Carly Hanson, English 348:

"Howl," by Allen Ginsberg.

Read the poem, or listen to Allen Ginsberg read it.

Watch Part I:


Watch Part II:


Watch Part III:

Allen Ginsberg wrote “Howl” in 1955. This piece was included as a part of a collection called Howl and Other Poems, published in 1956 by San Francisco’s City Lights Bookstore. “Howl” was banned for obscenity shortly after. The ban was lifted after it was declared to have artistic value. “Howl” is challenging, edgy and intelligent. It is an uncouth commentary on social ideologies including religion and politics, sex and war. I recommend “Howl” to anyone who craves an adventure, a history lesson and an emotional cataclysm wrapped into one.
~Carly Hanson, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Poem-a-Day: "I Saw a Man Pursuing the Horizon"

A poem selected by Allison Lutz, English 348:

"I saw a man pursuing the horizon," by Stephen Crane. Read it here.

“I Saw a Man,” by Stephen Crane, displays the freedom of following one's own ideas. It also suggests that we tend to run after things (whether they be goals, people, etc) that we might never had a chance in reaching in the first place. The horizon serves as a metaphor to mean anything that seems hard or impossible to obtain, yet something that many people want, and its pursuing alludes to ideas that many people reject. This poem is a fine example of going for your dreams and to not pay attention to the people who want to drag you down. Never give up, even if you have to chase the horizon.
~Allison Lutz, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Poem-a-Day: "Invictus"

A poem selected by Jennifer Mackenzie, English 348:

"Invictus," by William Ernest Henley.

Read or listen:


“Invictus” is an empowering poem about self-determination and being undefeated. The word "invictus" itself means “unconquerable.” The important concept is we choose our paths and direct our own life. Indeed, we all feel weak and there is nothing to do but give up. “Invicuts” shares this moment of feeling totally defeated, that life has just thrown us astray. We choose to take on anything life throws at us, to give up, or to decide our destiny. “Invictus” shares this incredible self-strength and words of wisdom for when we all might feel we have reached our breaking point.
~Jennifer Mackenzie, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Poem-a-Day: "Bringing My Son to the Police Station to be Fingerprinted"

A poem selected by Lauren Krauth, English 348:

"Bringing My Son to the Police Station to be Fingerprinted," by Shoshauna Shy.

Read or listen:


I chose this poem because it raises a lot of questions as you read it. The title is very important because it is really the only direct indication that she is going to a police station. Initially, you wonder why she is going to the police station and expect the poem to explain. Instead, she is focused on her outfit through the entire poem. There are a number of theories as to why she is so concerned about her outfit, but the likely reason is she is using her outfit as an escape from the unsettling reality.
~Lauren Krauth, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Poem-a-Day: "Poetry Readings"

A poem selected by Amanda Boehm, English 348:

"Poetry Readings," by Charles Bukowski.

Read or listen:


Charles Bukowski was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer who wrote mostly confessional work about his life, alcohol, women, sex, life as ordinary and lower class, and the reality of living as a professional writer. He was born in Germany, but lived in Los Angeles and got influence from Los Angeles’s social, economic, and cultural state. It is believed that the popularity of Bukowski’s work is due the intimacy of his writing and honesty to his audience.
~Amanda Boehm, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Bike to Campus Day--Tuesday, April 17

Celebrate Earth Week by biking to campus. For a complete list of campus Earth Week activities, and information about a chance to win prizes for biking to campus, click here.



Poem-a-Day: "Phenomenal Woman"

A poem selected by Kelsey Quist, English 348:

"Phenomenal Woman," by Maya Angelou.

Read, watch Maya Angelou recite an excerpt from "Phenomenal Woman," or listen to Ruthie Foster's musical rendition of "Phenomenal Woman":


As one of America’s most celebrated poets, Maya Angelou writes with grace and ease that makes her poems moving and memorable. “Phenomenal Woman” is a beautiful, joyous poem that celebrates women everywhere. It is about the quiet strength and power that women can have with confidence in their bodies. Angelou sends the message of a positive body image to readers, by acknowledging different body types and showing how every single one is beautiful. This powerful poem shows that Angelou is indeed a “phenomenal woman”, whose poetry will last for years to come.
~Kelsey Quist, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Poem-a-Day: "A Dream Within a Dream"

A poem selected by Katie Cary, English 348:

"A Dream Within a Dream," by Edgard Allen Poe.

Read or listen:


Edgar Allan Poe published “A Dream Within a Dream” in 1827 in Boston. Poe is considered to be the “rock star” of American literature in the 1830s and 1840s. Many people think of him only as a “horror” writer because of their limited experience with his poems and stories, such as “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart.” However, he wrote many other pieces dealing with topics such as philosophy, theory and criticism, science fiction, and even detective stories. “A Dream Within a Dream” is a poem that questions whether one can fulfill dreams if life itself is only a dream.
~Katie Cary, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Poem-a-Day: "The Road Not Taken"

A poem selected by Sung Yeon Jo, English 348:

"The Road Not Taken," by Robert Frost.

Read or listen to Robert Frost read it:


"The Road Not Taken" is a poem by Robert Frost, published in 1916 in the collection Mountain Interval. This poem is about the two different roads humans face during life’s journey and one’s desire for the destiny. Frost (March 26, 1874–January 29, 1963) was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work is about complex social and philosophical themes. One of the most popular and critically respected American poets of his generation, Frost was honored frequently during his lifetime, receiving four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry.
~Sung Yeon Jo, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Tax time - today's the day!

Tax forms are available.  If we run out, check the L.E. Phillips Public Library for additional forms.
The tax rack is located near the library entrance gate on 1st floor.
Tax materials are for personal use only, as supplies are limited.

Forms are  available online at the following websites:
U.S. forms
Wisconsin forms
Minnesota forms



From WEAU.com:

Students and faculty at UW-Eau Claire who are looking for a convenient way to file their taxes can now do it online on campus, for free.

This year, the university is offering the services through its volunteer income tax assistance, or vita, program. The program is offered by the university's accounting and finance department. To qualify, you must have a valid UW-Eau Claire email account and earn less than $57,000 a year.

Britni Stensen, a UWEC Senior Student Manager, says "Its very user friendly, you create an account, you enter the information that you need, and it walks you step by step."

If you'd like to file your taxes through the program, it's based in Schneider Hall in Room 322, and will be open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1 p.m. till 5 p.m., through April 16th.


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Poem-a-Day: "If You Forget Me"

A poem selected by Sarah Knutson, English 348:

"If You Forget Me" ("Si tú me olvidas"), by Pablo Neruda.

Read this poem in English, read it in Spanish, or listen to Madonna read it:


Pablo Neruda is a Chilean poet who wrote in Spanish. His work, though originally written in Spanish, is also beautiful in English. In "If You Forget Me," he speaks about how love needs to be nurtured--“My love feeds on your love, my beloved.” When one person stops loving, stops caring, a love cannot last. Neruda, like other great poets, has a way of making love poems not as sappy as the general public believes them to be.
~Sarah Knutson, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Open regular hours until May 7 pre-finals week

Welcome back, students!

We will be open our regularly-scheduled hours now until Monday, May 7, when pre-finals week begins. The library is open the Saturday and Sunday of Easter weekend.

Hours

Monday, April 09, 2012

Poem-a-Day: "i shall imagine life"

A poem selected by Rachel Tiede, English 348:

"i shall imagine life" by e.e. cummings.

Read, find it in the library, or watch a video interpretation:


Published in 1958 in 95 Poems, this poem was part of the last poetry collection e. e. cummings published before his death in 1962. The poem does not actually have a title, but just a number. However, it is often referred to by the first line. Cummings was a popular poet throughout the 20th century. He was very well known for his unique style, playing with punctuation, sentence structure, and word structure, and won several awards for his writing, including Academy of American Poets Fellowship, two Guggenheim Fellowships, the Charles Eliot Norton Professorship at Harvard, and the Bollingen Prize in Poetry. Some people did not enjoy him because they felt his poems were too confusing.

The poem “i shall imagine life (72)” is one of e. e. cummings' simpler, less structurally complex, and relatively lesser well known poems. cummings was popular in the 20th century for his unique syntactic style. This particular poem is short, but really speaks to what mankind perceives as beauty, and whether or not that beauty is legitimate or even if it matters.

~ Rachel Tiede, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Saturday, April 07, 2012

Poem-a-Day: "Hug o' War"

A poem selected by Anthony Letourneau, English 348:

"Hug o' War" by Shel Silverstein.

Read, find it in the library, or listen:

Shel Silverstein was a multi-talented artist known not only for his poetry, but also as a composer, singer, cartoonist, and illustrator. Born Sheldon Alan Silverstein, he first received attention as a cartoonist for the U.S. Army publication Stars & Stripes. Silverstein is well known for his best-selling children’s books Falling Up, The Missing Piece, Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, and The Giving Tree, which has been in print almost constantly for nearly 40 years. Silverstein’s work has been translated into more than 30 languages and his books have sold more than 20 million copies.
~ Anthony Letourneau, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Thursday, April 05, 2012

Poem-a-Day: "We Wear the Mask"

A poem selected by Alicia Homan, English 348:

"We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar.

Read or listen:

"We Wear the Mask" appeared in Dunbar's first professionally published volume, Lyrics of Lowly Life, in 1896 by Dodd, Mead, and Company. It also appeared in the volume Majors and Minors from the previous year. Dunbar was an activist against slavery and the oppression of African Americans in America. This point of view can clearly be seen in "We Wear the Mask," having the world beat down on a race but have them put on a face of bravery and happiness although what these masked people are feeling is opposite of what their masks are showing to the world.
~ Alicia Homan, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Poem-a-Day: "So you want to be a writer?"

A poem selected by Sebastian Armendariz, English 348:

"So you want to be a writer?" by Charles Bukowski.

Read or listen:

Charles Bukowski attended Los Angeles City College from 1939 to 1941, then left school and moved to New York City to become a writer. His lack of publishing success at this time caused him to give up writing in 1946 and spurred a ten-year stint of heavy drinking. After he developed a bleeding ulcer, he decided to take up writing again. He worked a wide range of jobs to support his writing, including dishwasher, truck driver and loader, mail carrier, guard, gas station attendant, stock boy, warehouse worker, shipping clerk, post office clerk, parking lot attendant, Red Cross orderly, and elevator operator. He also worked in a dog biscuit factory, a slaughterhouse, a cake and cookie factory, and he hung posters in New York City subways.
~ Sebastian Armendariz, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Tuesday, April 03, 2012

Poem-a-Day: "I'm nobody! Who are you?"

A poem selected by Kaitlyn Johnson, English 348:

"I'm nobody! Who are you?" by Emily Dickinson.

Read the poem or watch a video interpretation:

I love this poem because it is simple but says so much. Everyone feels like a nobody at some point. Emily tells us it is okay to feel that way, but also a little ridiculous. It is silly to think that someone is a nobody. You don’t need to be like everyone else to be a somebody. This poem is so universal and can speak to anyone.
~ Kaitlyn Johnson, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!

Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.

Monday, April 02, 2012

Poem-a-Day: "Dreams"

A poem selected by Mary Gillis, English 348:
"Dreams," by Langston Hughes.

Read "Dreams" or listen to Langston Hughes read his poems "Dreams" and "The Dreamkeeper."



Langston Hughes is particularly known for his insightful, colorful portrayals of black life in America from the twenties through the sixties. He wrote novels, short stories and plays as well as poetry and is also known for his engagement with the world of jazz and the influence it had on his writing. His life and work were enormously important in shaping the artistic contributions of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920's.
~ Mary Gillis, UW-Eau Claire student, English 348

April is National Poetry Month! UW-Eau Claire students in English 348 (Topics in American Literature) are celebrating National Poetry Month with the McIntyre Library.

Featured poems will be listed here in the order they appear on the blog.

UW-Eau Claire's celebration of National Poetry Month is on Facebook and Twitter!
Questions or comments? Robin Miller will try to help.