From your ESA co-chairs, Jacob and Filipa:

Hello, everyone!

We wanted to check in with all of you before the semester officially commences. 

First, we want to thank everyone for their involvement in the ESA and the wider English program last fall. For the most part, ESA meeting attendance and event participation were spectacular. We want to assure you faculty and administrators have noticed the initiative our student body takes to shape the program and that this initiative does make a meaningful difference. For example, rumor has it that the external reviewers were particularly impressed by the organization, professionalism, care, and—to put it plainly—sheer interest students showed during the external review process. In short, our voices were heard.

Second, we want to draw your attention to all that is coming up this semester: 

• The deadline to submit to our 2019 ESA Conference, BLACK LIVES, will be January 30th. Please take some time to visit the conference website here. Even if you are not presenting, we hope to see you there. The conference will take place over two days this year: April 11th and 12th. More info to come!
• Our Friday Forum series this semester will feature presentations on a wide array of topics from scholars both outside of and within the CUNY system. What is particularly exciting is the number of students and alumni featured in these events, starting with Critical Karaoke on Friday, January 25th at 4:00 PM. There will also be two job talks from prospective faculty appointees, the first of which will be on February 8th at 4:00 PM. Because Friday Forum has traditionally been central to the social life of the English program, we encourage you all to attend these events whenever it is possible.
• Though this is billed as a Friday Forum, we wanted to draw your attention specifically to the February 22nd event, “A Tribute to the Life and Work of Meena Alexander.” Because many of our colleagues are still reeling from this terrible loss, we hope to see you at this celebration of Meena’s indelible impact.
• If you have not done so already, please UPDATE YOUR ESA PROFILE. We are hoping to clean up the ESA website before the Prospective Student event in March so that prospective students will be able to smoothly browse through the ESA website/profiles and learn more about the amazing work we are all doing.

FINALLY, Our first ESA meeting of this semester will be on Thursday, February 14th at 6:30 PM. We will send out information about the agenda and the exact location in the coming weeks.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

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