Faculty News from the Department of English and Foreign Languages
Robin Werner, Ph.D, Elizabeth Lewis, Ph.D and Lisa Verner, Ph.D
Dr. Robin Werner, Dr. Elizabeth Lewis, and Dr. Lisa Verner of the Department of Language and Literature presented papers at the 53rd annual PCA-ACA (Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association) Conference in San Antonio on April 5, 2023. Their panel, titled "Teaching Vampires in New Orleans," received two awards in the Vampire Studies area: Dr. Werner's paper, "Privilege and Place: Teaching 20th century Vampire Novels to Twenty-First Century New Orleanians," won the Rho Nicol Vampire Pedagogy Award, and Dr. Verner's paper, "Beyond Communion Wine: A Further Link between Catholicism and Vampires," won the Stake of the Cross Award for Best Critical Analysis. Dr. Werner and Dr. Lewis's book, Vampire Literature: An Anthology, will be published by Broadview Press in 2024.
M.O. Walsh, M.A.
M.O. Walsh’s The Big Door Prize is currently under series development by Apple TV, who has ordered a ten episode first season. The novel is being adapted by the Emmy winning Executive Producer and former Head Writer of Schitt's Creek, David West Read. Walsh will serve as a producer on the show, which is currently scheduled to begin shooting in January 2022 and airing on Apple TV next fall.
Justin Maxwell, M.F.A.
Outopia for Pigeons is coming out as a stand-alone book from Original Works Publishing.
UNO will be staging two of Maxwell's one acts, “Exhausted Paint: The Death of Van Gogh” and “Marie Antoinette’s Head” in February. Both shows are being directed by R’Myni Watson, a first year directing MFA.
Maxwell will also be the conference respondent for the Voices of the Earth Theatre Festival, at Bemidji State University, in April.
The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company has commissioned Maxwell to adapt the Williams’ novel Moise and the World of Reason. There will be a staged reading at the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival in March.
Elizabeth Brina, M.F.A.
Published book, Speak, Okinawa: A Memoir with Knopf Doubleday Press.
Published essay "On Negotiating and Embracing the Differences Between Japanese and American Culture" in Literary Hub Magazine.
Published essay "New Tricks" in Pembroke Magazine, nominated for Pushcart Prize.
Doreen Piano, Ph.D.
Doreen Piano was chosen to participate on the system wide team to develop open-access textbooks for dual enrollment students funded through a large grant to LOUIS by the DoE. Last summer she participated in a seminar that introduced LOUIS faculty to OER materials and issues and that involved participants to develop a course using OER.
Katharine Chosa Franklin, M.A. and Jade Hurter, M.F.A.
Katie Chosa Franklin’s and Jade Hurter’s paper titled, "Privateers’ Pathway to Educational Equity: Examining Perceptions of 'Underprepared' First-Year Writing Students at the University of New Orleans", has been accepted for the March 2022 Convention for College Composition and Communications (4Cs).
