If your words had the power to change a heart, a mind, or a policy, what would you choose? This question, which most of us might consider hypothetical,  has opened new ways for many incarcerated individuals across the country to find a new purpose  as they reflect upon their past and envision new futures. “Writing Beyond the Prison: Reimagining the Carceral Ecosystem with Incarcerated Authors,” a public humanities project funded by the American Council of Learned Societies (ALCS), celebrated the launching of an online writing curriculum for use in carceral settings and a “living archive” of incarcerated individuals’ work digitally preserved in the SBU library. This event brought together scholars, activists, and formerly and currently incarcerated individuals to discuss the transformative power of writing within the carceral system.

This project not only provided valuable resources for education and advocacy but also underscored the importance of creative expression in the rehabilitation process. Through storytelling, incarcerated individuals are able to reclaim their narratives and challenge the ways they have been defined by the carceral system. Attendees heard pieces created by incarcerated individuals, saw animated short films of some of the work come to life, and had the opportunity to hear directly from incarcerated author and activist Ivan Kilgore, who joined the conversation via telephone call from his cell in Solano State Prison. 

The thought-provoking conversation was preceded by a keynote address from Lawrence Bartley, the publisher of The Marshall Project Inside. Bartley, a formerly incarcerated journalist, has worked tirelessly to bring accurate, trustworthy news to incarcerated audiences through News Inside and its companion video series, Inside Story. His keynote addressed the role of the media in reshaping the narrative around incarceration and empowering marginalized voices.

The event, supported by the Center for Changing Systems of Power and the Humanities Institute at Stony Brook,  served as a powerful reminder of the need for systemic reform. It reinforced the idea that writing, education, and media can help dismantle the prison-industrial complex and give incarcerated people the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to society.

For more information about the Writing Beyond the Prison project, visit their website. 

Take a look at this event from a student perspective. 

While World War 2’s devastating battles were fought on the battlefield, their victories were unknowingly secured in libraries. Dr. Elyse Graham’s Book and Dagger reveals how scholars and humanists became spies, formed the Office of Strategic Services, invented modern spycraft, and ultimately saved the world.

In the Humanities Poetry Center on October 30, faculty, staff, students, and guests gathered in anticipation to hear from Graham as she brought us through how bibliophiles helped win World War 2. Taking us through her research process and sharing excerpts from the book, not a dull moment passed as she spoke about the many distinct scholars who were abruptly called to participate in a newly formed curriculum to become spies for the U.S. government. I mean, what better people could you ask to deceive other than the professors who meticulously study the arts of irony, illusion, and hyperbole?

Written like a spy novel but depicted as a history book, Graham’s book defies genre. The unique writing style and motivation behind that style are said to mimic the whispers and dialogue Graham engages in while working at Stony Brook’s English Department. As Graham introduced us to some of her characters, it became clear that some are disguised versions of actual Department Faculty members, and in a book about secret agents and hidden identities, you might want to be careful of who you’re really speaking to.

This was by far one of the most engaging events I’ve attended from the English Department, with the content and humor grasping my attention from start to finish. I was personally never aware of the scholars turned agents aspect of World War 2, but after attending this event, I can’t wait to learn more. I’ve already purchased my copy, and I know which faculty members I’m steering clear of. 

SBU’s third Science on Stage, an innovative collaboration between scientists and artists created by English Professor Ken Weitzman, focused on one of the most urgent  and devastating threats to our planet and our very existence: climate change.  The evening’s performances and the conversations that ensued beautifully highlighted how everyone fits in the narrative.

The event opened with an original composition by Professor of Music, Meg Schedel. Carnival of the Endangered Animals took deconstructed instruments to depict the calls of endangered animals. The sounds that filled the room gave voice  to creatures that are rarely heard in the wild. Using Artificial Intelligence to map recordings of these endangered species onto instruments, this opening performance conjured the beauty, struggles, and perseverance of not only the animals portrayed in the music, but all creatures affected by climate change. 

The three plays that followed balanced seriousness and humor. “Counterfactual” emphasized the importance of political differences, showing that no matter what your views are, we’re all affected by the same conditions, climate change being one of them. “Ghost Forest” personified natural disasters and brought necessary awareness to the growing presence of ghost forests, which are coastal forests killed by tectonic plate shifts or riptides. Lastly, “Resplendence” fused together memory and pain to evoke the longing for childhood, or at least, how things used to be. Following a family through generations, the play showcased how things continue to change, no matter how we battle with that fact; one can never go back to how things once were.

Whether you have had a personal experience with climate change or not, it is clear from Science on Stage that you inevitably will. Keeping these key issues at the forefront of all minds while also allowing each individual to integrate it into their own lives is important. Science on Stage brought the scary unknown into a format that all can take in and feel personally. From such understanding, we can only hope that the world may benefit.

VocalizED Documentary Premiering at the Penn Museum Nov. 8

New to Stony Brook, Dr. Neisha Terry Young brings a new internship opportunity where students can earn EXP+ credits and lifelong skills. The VocalizED Identity Crafting and Exploration (VOICE) lab is a collaborative cultural identity exploration and narration hub where students can learn podcasting, video narratives, and other digital and multimodal tools. By participating in projects, this internship aims to amplify immigrant voices in a way that allows them to speak their truth and tell their authentic stories.

What made you come up with VOICE, and why is it meaningful to you?

The VOICE Lab itself is an outgrowth of my dissertation research. I started a podcast in 2020 at the height of the pandemic called “VocalizED,” which invites people to explore and discuss some controversial educational issues. VocalizED is actually the first word in VOICE because, for me, my interest has always been to amplify immigrant narratives, so when I began wondering what I really wanted coming from it, It led to VocalizED Identity Crafting and Exploration. It’s very personal to me because I’m an immigrant, but not only that, I’m a black immigrant woman. When I began teaching in the U.S., I realized many immigrant youths have had their stories told for them rather than by them, which further inspired me to create a space for them to share their own stories.

Why should students sign up for this Research Lab? What impact do you hope students will walk away with upon doing this internship? 

We need to facilitate and nurture understanding, so students who are a part of the Lab can gain connection and knowledge of the immigrant experience because they’re able to hear stories from them. Stories are powerful; stories shape reality, and hearing stories will expand our minds and view of the world. Additionally, those who join my Lab develop many multidisciplinary crafting skills. They get to build digital literacy skills and learn how to do podcasting. I hope they walk away transformed. For those who come to the Lab as immigrants or children of immigrants, I hope they walk away with a stronger appreciation for their story. Even those who join the Lab without that background, I hope they walk away with a stronger appreciation for who we are as Americans and immigrants and with the allyship in helping to amplify narratives.

What are you expecting in your upcoming collaboration with the Penn Museum? Do you typically collaborate in these types of ways during this research lab? 

The Penn Museum is an outgrowth of my collaboration with Carribean Community in Philadelphia. The feedback so far has been incredible. One lady said that she cried because the story touched her, and she came to the program not having that background. I’m looking forward to doing similar projects in the future. We’re hoping to do a traveling exhibit, and I plan on offering a summer program for immigrant youth to amplify their voices via digital literacies and help them master the tools needed to do so. 

What is the selection process like when choosing students for the Lab? How many are you looking to select?

I’d like to work with about five students. I have an application form that students will fill out, and there are a number of things I look for. One section asks them to explain their interest in partnering with the Lab, and I look at that to see why they’re coming to this space. They don’t have to have a background as an immigrant, but I want to see a genuine interest in growth, dialogue, and openness.

What dilemmas are English educators currently facing in the classroom, and what approaches are they taking to navigating them? On October 23 in the Poetry Center, secondary school  teachers from across Long Island and SBU English professors spent 90 minutes listening to and learning from each other in an open round table in pursuit of a common goal: understanding where students are, what they need, and how the teaching of English can contribute to the social, emotional, and intellectual growth of students, not only in the classroom but in life. 

The Summit Conference was created in 2022 by Josh Cabat, Director of the English Education Program at SBU, as a way to build bridges between teachers of English at the secondary and university levels. According to Cabat, “It’s important for us to build and maintain this social network in order to depend on one another.” All of the teachers agreed that It is impossible to discuss literature without acknowledging the social issues that come with it. Part of teaching literature is teaching about empathy, either  with the characters or with the  themes of the book. It is not an educator’s job to teach their students what to think, but how to think, and this is done by exposing them to the diverse realm of literature from various walks of life. 

The Covid-19 Pandemic has sparked an upsurge of what teachers are calling the productivity struggle. Despite their students being more than capable, a number of teachers state that their students doubt their potential and articulation. This Summit spoke about the importance of creating and maintaining a comfortable and safe space for their students to help them find their voice. We found that simply asking students, “How are you?” goes a long way in having the students feel seen and heard in the classroom. 

It was incredible to observe this dialogue personally, because as a student, I never thought to put myself in the shoes of an educator. I was absorbed in the stories these teachers had to tell, and for the first time in my life, I understood what it was like to be on the other side of the classroom. The event offered a powerful lesson in empathy that’ll stick with me in a longlasting way.

Joshua Cabat

Every student needs to have a teacher like Professor Cabat. Despite being ready to retire before his time at Stony Brook, Professor Cabat became the Director of the English Teacher Education Program to positively impact others and inspire the next generation of inspirers. Full of personality and humor, Professor Cabat advises that for any student pursuing teaching, you must have two key traits: passion and commitment to making your corner of the world a better place.

What made you pursue your current profession? What’s the most fulfilling part of your career?

There is a Hindu belief that there are four phases in life. You learn, you do, you teach others what you’ve learned, and you reflect. I was all ready to retire; I taught hard for thirty-five years and, in that time, became an adjunct professor here. When Stony Brook University posted the job offer for Director of English Teacher Education, I thought, “Well, that’s going to get me from stage two to stage three.” What better way than going from teaching to teaching the teachers how to teach? The most fulfilling part I’d say is having three three-inch binders full of notes, cards, letters, drawings, etc., from people whose lives I’ve made a little better because they ran into me at the right time. To me, that’s evidence of trying to make a life worth living. 

Do you have any publications/research? Are you currently working on any?

My scholarship is mostly things I’ve done for the National Council of Teachers of English and their periodical for high school teachers, called English Journal. I’ve written a few pieces for them. I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities in my life. I was a Teaching Artist at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in their Young Film Critics Program for ten years. I’ve also started the NYC Shakespeare Festival along with the Northshore Student Shakespeare Festival. I love putting this stuff into play. I’m also working on an outline of a book. I’ve never published anything book-length before, but I have a plan! I’m working on it!

Through any of those experiences, do you have a memory that stands out?

Let’s see. The third NYC Shakespeare Festival, which was held at NYU, was based on the model established by the Folger of the Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. They have a festival. So every year, P.S. 123 from Bushwick would come in full costume and do twenty-minute adaptations of Shakespearean tragedies. One year, the kids brought a rolling table with them, and put a sheet over it with Hamlet’s father’s ghost standing on the table. During the performance, under the table and under the sheet, a kid was pushing the table on his knees so that it looked like the ghost was floating. I was like, “Oh my goodness!” It isn’t a competitive festival, but we did give little fun awards. So we gave the biggest award with the biggest applause to the kid under the table; that was amazing. 

What’s been your favorite class to teach at Stony Brook?

I would say the Methods Two class. The way I teach Methods Two is that I abandon theory, I abandon speculation about the larger philosophy of education, and I just model stuff that is not theoretical but stuff that’s worked for me over the years in many different classrooms. To me, the essence of any class is, “Can I use this stuff tomorrow?” It’s very practical, and so that’s probably my favorite class I’ve taught.

Who are you outside of Stony Brook? Do you have any hobbies or interests that you’d like to share?

I am a serial nerd; I am one of those people who has deep obsessions. For example, where am I spending Veterans Day weekend? I’m spending Veterans Day Weekend at the Star Trek convention! I’m also a music person. I’m a clarinetist and an alto sax player. I also run a virtual Film Society for people in my synagogue and people all around the Country, and we meet once a week to discuss films. I also have a Podcast called Vintage Sand with a couple of old friends I adore. We dont pose as film critics or actors, but we just love movies!

Amanda Korber, Class of ’09

Amanda’s time in Stony Brook’s English Honors Program greatly helped her develop the practical skills she uses today as a Supervising Attorney for The Legal Aid Society of the District of Colombia’s housing unit, where she spends most of her days researching and writing. Amanda especially values the opportunity the Honors Program provided to write her own original thesis: “What an amazing luxury to just read books and think about them and think about how to frame arguments and persuasive thoughts about them; it was really just so much fun.” 

Could you describe what a typical day at your job is like? What is the best or most satisfying part of it?

Currently, I help and supervise new attorneys who represent tenants in eviction cases and tenant associations in rent increase cases. I’m coming up on ten years of being a lawyer, so it’s really nice to work with new lawyers and help them get started in the work and find their way through it. However, I still sometimes represent clients myself because, frankly, one of my favorite parts of my job is working directly with clients. 

Did you know that that was the area that you wanted to go into after law school? Or was this always what you wanted to do? 

When I graduated from Stony Brook, I did not know what I wanted to do. One summer, I interned at Children’s Law Center in New York City, a non-profit law firm that represents children in foster care, so I had a sense that I wanted to go into direct services as a lawyer. I just wasn’t totally sure if I wanted to be a lawyer until after I graduated. I played with a lot of ideas. All different paths work for people; I think that’s really important to remember.

How has your experience in the English Honors Program helped you in your current career? Do you have a specific experience from the Program that you’d like to share? 

The Program helped me significantly develop my practical skills. So much of my day is researching, writing, trying to make persuasive arguments— whether it’s for court or for policy-making, so I greatly appreciate that. Working on my thesis was probably one of my favorite things I did at Stony Brook; like, what an amazing luxury to just read books and think about them and think about how to frame arguments and persuasive thoughts about them. It was one of the best things I did looking back at my academic career. 

Is there any advice that you would give to current English majors at Stony Brook who are interested in a career like yours? 

I really want to emphasize that I don’t think there is one right way to get anywhere, and that the best way to land somewhere good for you is to follow your own interests and things that you love. Working every day is hard— and it’s hard even when you have a job you love— so you really want to make sure you land not where you think you’re supposed to land but where you want to land.

We’re really delighted to welcome three new faculty to the Department!

Ileana Jiménez 

Professor Jiménez joins us as a PRODiG+ Fellow, and as part of the English Teacher Education Program. Her research focuses on Black and Latina feminisms, feminist and queer pedagogies, and digital feminist activism in the high school English classroom. As an English teacher-activist, she taught women of color feminisms and queer literature classes at the high school level for over 25 years. In 2011, she received a Fulbright to interview queer and trans high school students in Mexico City on their relationships and friendships, as well as their experiences with bullying and harassment. She received her BA in English Literature at Smith College; an MA in English Literature at Middlebury College; and a PhD in English Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is @feministteacher on social media platforms.

Name one work you love to teach, and why it’s meaningful to you:

I can’t really name one, but as a set, I really love teaching the Combahee River Collective’s “Black Feminist Statement” (1977); Audre Lorde’s Sister Outsider (1984); and Toni Morrison’s Beloved (1987). Each text has been a part of my teaching for the last 27 years and each informs my stance on transformative justice. I truly believe that each one needs to be read by every high school student in the US.

What’s next, in terms of your research and/or writing?

I’m currently working on a series of articles that are coming out of my dissertation, including one that just came out in English Journal on teaching women of color feminisms in the high school classroom and another one that I’m revising focusing on Black girls and #MeToo digital activism. In the future, I’d like to write a memoir about my journey as a feminist teacher. 

Fun fact: 

During the pandemic, I ran a lot, including three half-marathons: one in Brooklyn; one in Providence; one in London. Finishing my dissertation over the last year took me out of training and I’m slowly trying to get back to a more regular running routine. I’ve never considered myself an athlete, but running reminds me to get back in my body as well as outside beyond desks and screens.

David Heska Wanbli Weiden

(Photo credit: Aslan Chalom)

Professor Weiden joins us as one of the inaugural faculty of the Native American and Indigenous Studies initiative. An enrolled citizen of the Sicangu Lakota Nation, he is author of the novel Winter Counts (Ecco/HarperCollins), winner of numerous literary awards and named by Time magazine as one of the best mystery novels of all time. His short fiction appears in the anthologies The Best American Mystery and Suspense Stories, Never Whistle at Night, Denver Noir,Midnight Hour, This Time for Sure, and other anthologies. In 2024, he was Indigenous Artist in Residence at Brown University and has received fellowships from PEN America, MacDowell, Ucross, Ragdale, Sewanee, and Tin House. He’s the editor of Native Edge, a new series of the University of New Mexico Press.

Name one work you love to teach, and why it’s meaningful to you:

The novel Winter in the Blood by James Welch has deep meaning for me, as it was the first book I’d ever read written by an Indigenous author. Although I didn’t completely understand it as a teenager, it literally changed my life as I realized that Native people could write about ourselves and our communities. The novel is truly a classic, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with my students here!

What’s next, in terms of your research and/or writing?

I’m finishing my next novel, Wisdom Corner for HarperCollins. I’m also in the final stages of editing an anthology of Native-authored short stories titled Native Noir for Akashic Books. Finally, I have a scholarly article that I’ve just completed, “Leonard Peltier’s Sun Dance,” that will be published next year in The Cambridge Companion to American Prison Literature.

Fun fact:

I’m a big music fan, and I’m really excited for the opportunity to see great live music here! I tend to listen to alternative rock most frequently (Radiohead, X, Television, etc.) although I also love classic jazz and am hoping to catch a set at the Village Vanguard soon. 

Neisha Terry Young

Professor Young joins us as part of the English Teacher Education Program. She has been an educator for 19 years and has taught middle and high school English in Jamaica and the United States. She also has experience as an instructor in teacher-preparation programs at Drexel University and Temple University. She earned her teaching diploma from Shortwood Teachers’ College in Jamaica (with honors), her BA in English from Georgia State University (Summa Cum Laude), her MA from Southern New Hampshire University, and her PhD in Education Policy and Leadership from Drexel University.

Professor Young’s research explores the affordances of multiliteracies in supporting the intersectional identities of Black immigrant youth. She has received various recognitions and awards for her work, including the Drexel University School of Education Ann Marie Weil Award (2022), the English Language Arts Teacher Education (ELATE) graduate student research award (2022), the Robert Blake Memorial Scholarship from the International Congress for Critical Pedagogy and Transformative Leadership, and a 2024 MAXQDA Research for Change: Black History Month grant. She is the Director of the VOICE Lab, a new research lab in the Department of English, which aims to be a collaborative hub that provides platforms for the crafting and amplifying of immigrant narratives.

Name one work you love to teach, and why it’s meaningful to you:

I love teaching the poetry of Langston Hughes, whose works offer a profound critique of racism in the United States while celebrating the resilience, strength, and vitality of the Black diaspora. His poetry embodies a spirit of defiance and endurance that never fails to inspire both my students and me, leaving us feeling deeply empowered and transformed.

What’s next, in terms of your research and/or writing?

My current research explores the immigration narratives of Black immigrants in the United States. Part of this research will be included as a composite video in an exhibit on Caribbean immigrant experiences at the Penn Museum later this year.

Fun fact:

As an immigrant from Jamaica, I have always loved spending time at the beach. I am excited to explore the beautiful shores of Long Island and discover all they have to offer.

Professor E.K. Tan

PhD Candidate, Nayoung Yang

Asian literature is not only reshaping societal norms but also challenging deeply rooted traditions by reconceptualizing what is familiar. Stony Brook University’s Fall 2024 Faculty-Student Colloquium with Professor E.K. Tan and PhD candidate Nayoung Yang provided inspiring research on these themes, focusing on alternative kinships, gender roles, war, and the importance of representation both in media and literature. 

Professor E.K. Tan proposes that the concept of “queer homecoming” intervenes in traditional, heteronormative kinship structures defined by Confucianism. His current book project, Queer Homecoming: Translocal Remapping of Sinophone Kinship, draws upon literature, film, and social and new media to argue that activists and creative artists in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan are challenging traditional family structures by rethinking the familial and the familiar. PhD candidate Nayoung Yang challenges not only heteronormative structures but also the traditional gendered roles assigned to women with her research on the poetics of recipes. Using poems from Jiyun Yun’s 2020 collection, Some Are Always Hungry, Nayoung examines how Yun reconstructs cooking from being the primary domain of women into a powerful form of literary expression. 

Both Professor Tan and Nayoung Yang’s research beautifully integrated Asian literature and historical and cultural events to highlight current struggles and injustices within these Asian communities. Their passion is undoubtedly portrayed through their research, offering a standard everyone should take inspiration from. After attending this Colloquium, I know I certainly will never read a recipe the same again.

Kevin Sousa, Class of ’24

After transferring to Stony Brook as an English major, Kevin’s time in the English Honors Program has been beyond fulfilling. While working on his Honors thesis on William James’ pragmatic influence on Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, Kevin states he’s been most enjoying reading up on pragmatism and Exceptional Mental States for his research: “It’s so interesting how Henry James is sort of subtly responding to William James’ ideas.” Expecting to graduate in December 2024, and hoping to go on to being a newspaper editor, Kevin advises English majors to consider if the Honors Program is the right opportunity for them.

What made you pursue English as a major? What’s the most fulfilling part of it?

During my experience at Suffolk County Community College, I talked to a professor about the opportunities with an English major. This made me want to pursue English, so once I transferred to Stony Brook, I became an English major. The most fulfilling part has been being able to connect with professors. They are often available during office hours, and they encourage working together. 

Tell me about your Honors Thesis; What led you to this topic? Who’s mentoring you?

My mentor and advisor is Professor Scheckel, and I’m doing my thesis on Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw. This topic came about after I read the novella during EGL204, and I became so intrigued in it’s contents. The governess as a character is so fascinating, especially the way she thinks, so when discussing William James being a potential influence on Henry James, I wanted to read more about him, his psychoanalysis research and pragmatist philosophy. It’s so interesting how Henry James subtly responds to William James’ ideas, and that’s what I’ll be proposing with my Honors Thesis.

What was the most fun/interesting thing you learned?

I would have to say reading up on exceptional mental states, especially reading about William James’ ideas about multiple personalities, demonic possessions, dreams, and hypnotism. I truly believe that these ideas fit with the governess. Also, regarding pragmatism, how does the Governess determine her truth? What makes her believe that the ghosts are sinisterly evil? Personally, it feels like she’s trying to use the pragmatic method to uncover the truth, but she just doesn’t quite get there.

Are you involved in any extracurriculars/jobs/internships at SBU? 

I’m currently doing the Herstory internship, and it’s fascinating doing memoir writing. I love hearing other students’ stories about their trauma and experiences. It’s a place where you can really have some personal healing in a way, and that’s what I’m definitely doing with my memoir as well. I’m also a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success and the English Department’s Student Advisory Council.