September 2020, No. 1

Sunday, September 6, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

This week, I continue the series I’m calling “Some (More) Good News.” While this semester will bring its own set of challenges, this series aims to give us a moment of pause from the stressors and to highlight ways that people have found, and made, good during this time.

One of the ways that we have collectively found strength during difficult times in our department is by drawing on the support and community here between the walls of the English Department in Fretwell. The nature of this semester means that access to that support may look and feel different, but it is still part of the fabric of who we are. We may not be able to find it a few doors down the hall, but we can still find it with each other only a phone call, email, or even (dare I use the word?) Zoom call away. You are doing this with your students, and we can do it with each other as well.

To this end, this week’s “good news” is about Janaka Lewis, recently named one of Charlotte’s 40 Under 40 Awardees.  It’s delivered via video–to put a human face to the words that would otherwise be mere characters on the screen. The videos are large files and so are uploaded via Google Drive. You should be able to open the files by downloading. We have two interviews that celebrate some members of the English Department who have, during this time, found and made good. Please join me in celebrating them this week.  Here’s the video:

Have a wonderful first week of class, everyone. And if/as you need anything this semester, I’m here to support you too, of course.

Jen Munroe
Acting Chair