Editor's Statement
Welcome from the EGSB President

English Department

Who's Who
Department Electronic Mailing/Memo Lists
Graduate Faculty

Publications

Yalobusha Review
Annotations
Mississippi Writers Page (website)
Jefferson City Broadside Society
Journal x

Conferences and Lectures

Southern Writers, Southern Writing
Renaissance Conference
Faulkner & Yoknapatawpha
Savage Lecture
Grisham Series and Visiting Southern Writer-in-Residence

Organizations

English Graduate Student Body
Graduate Student Council (Campus wide)
Sigma Tau Delta, the International
  English Honor Society

Approaching the MA

Admission Requirements
Course Requirements
Foreign Language Requirements
Thesis and defense

Approaching the Ph.D.

Choosing classes
Creating a doctoral committee
Choosing areas for comprehensive exams
Constructing lists for the comprehensive exams
Competing the comprehensive exams
Prospectus and defense
Dissertation
Conclusion
Appendix: Suggested timeline for completion of the Ph.D.

How to register
Transferring credit
Directed readings
Financial Assistance
Incomplete Grades
Grade Appeals
Travel money

Conferences
Publishing
Grants
Professional Societies
New Section--Professional Lists and Web Resources

How to Get an ID Card
The Library 
Getting Connected to an Internet Service

Living in Oxford

Housing
University Dorms
University Village
Off-campus Housing
Utilities
Banking
Residency and voting
Health care
Child care
Pet care
Food
Entertainment
Bars
Movies and movie rentals
Readings and lectures
Plays
Outdoor Recreation
Physical Recreation
Top 10 Other Things to Do

The QPages: Living Gay in Oxford/Issues of Sexual-Political Freedom at Ole Miss

General Information
Helpful Numbers

Oxford
Memphis

Solicitation Warning
Queer Theory/Gay & Lesbian Studies at Ole Miss
Bible Belt Mentality & Sexual Freedom
Two Questions Concerning Alternative Sexualities or Gender Constructs and Pedagogy:

Should an instructor “come-out” to his/her class?
What about your self-destructive or suicidal gay/lesbian/bi-/transgendered or sexually confused students?

2. Associated Graduate Student Body (AGSB). The AGSB meets to articulate the specific needs of graduate students within the university student body. In recent years, the representatives from the English Department have met with Graduate Instructors from other departments to voice opinions about library services, student fees, and other issues germane to graduate studies. The EGSB selects two representatives to the AGSB.

3. Sigma Tau Delta. Sigma Tau Delta is the international English honors society. Every graduate student is eligible for membership. The university's chapter sponsors social events and offers opportunities for graduate students to take part in fiction and poetry readings as well as Sigma Tau Delta's annual national conference. For more information, email sigmatd@olemiss.edu , or visit the website at http://www.olemiss.edu/orgs/sigmatd/.

Table of Contents

EBook: Degrees

Approaching the Master's Degree at Ole Miss:
Editor's Note: The author of this section chose to contrast the description of the Master's degree program found in the Graduate School catalogue with the lived experience of students who proceed through the program. As so often when we chart our course through bureaucratic waters, other pilots are a more reliable guide than the maps. Catalogue copy appears in italic type.
Admissions Requirements:
Admission is competitive and based upon undergraduate transcripts, GRE general and subject test scores, three recommendations, and a writing sample.
Regarding test scores, the department considers only the scores from the Quantitative and Verbal sections of the GRE general test; the Graduate School requires a combined score of 1000 for admission. The average score of students admitted to the program on the subject test is 500.
Course Requirements:
Students must complete 24 hours of course work with a B average and also complete an additional six hours of thesis credit. Students must also take six hours of course work in English or American literature before 1800 and six hours of English or American literature after 1800. Up to six hours may be taken in related disciplines and/or directed reading. It is possible to receive an M.A. with an emphasis in creative writing (fiction or poetry) by completing six hours of creative writing courses and submitting a substantial work of creative writing (a novel, a group of short stories, or a book-length manuscript of poems) for a thesis. Teaching assistants are required to complete ENGL 617: Teaching College English.
How you choose the courses to fill the requirements for a Master's degree depends to a large extent on what you'd like to do with the degree. The Master's is commonly considered a generalist degree--i.e. it should expose you to new areas of literature and new approaches to criticism, allowing you to explore the field in more detail than undergraduate courses allow. If the M.A. will be your terminal degree, you should consider the professional applicability of the degree and adapt your course selections to fit accordingly. If the M.A. is an intermediate step toward the Ph.D., course work should be used to explore and isolate areas of particular interest that will provide background for the more specialized work you will undertake in the Ph.D. program. The average course load per semester for graduate students without Assistantships is nine hours (three classes), although some take as many as twelve hours. Students holding Research and Teaching Assistantships are required to register for nine hours per semester, but often only six hours are classroom time, with thesis or dissertation hours filling the other three.
Foreign Language Requirement:
Students must present evidence of proficiency in one of the following foreign languages before the thesis defense: Greek, Latin, French, German, Spanish, and Italian. Evidence of proficiency ordinarily consists of a grade of B or above in three hours of course work in the literature of the appropriate foreign language (in the original). Students seeking to satisfy the language requirement in a language other than those listed above must petition the Graduate Studies Committee for permission to do so.
If you enter the graduate program with recent experience in a foreign language, you should begin working immediately to fulfill the requirement--get it out of the way early. If you enter with little or no experience, all the more reason to begin work early, as it will take you two years of study in the 100- and 200- level classes to prepare you for the 300-level classes that fulfill the requirement. Many students neglect the foreign language requirement while they are completing their course work in English, and they end up having to study the foreign language while researching and writing a thesis.
There are two ways to complete the department's language requirement. One is by receiving an A or a B in a 300-level (or above) course in the literature of another language. Modern Language Department courses in cultural studies or conversation are not acceptable substitutes. Another option is the standardized Graduate Student Foreign Language Test (GSFLT) which is offered regularly throughout the year at the University of Memphis. You must score at or above the 40^th percentile in order to receive credit and you must take the exam while you are enrolled in the graduate program at Ole Miss. You may take the exam more than once if necessary. The cost is $12.50 per session. Most students opt to take the class rather than the test, despite the greater amount of time involved, simply because the exam requires more fluency and a more exact knowledge of grammar than a literature class--for which one can read, at home, with a dictionary at hand--typically does.
Thesis and Thesis Defense:
Your choice of a thesis topic is again dependent on your career goals and professional aspirations. If the Master's is a terminal degree, the emphasis and focus of your thesis may be different from that of a student planning to go on to the Ph.D. If a Master's candidate were interested, for example, in teaching literature at a secondary school or composition at a community college, the thesis might reflect these specific interests. Some students planning to go on to the Ph.D. apply for admission to the Ph.D. program before writing a thesis, in which case your Master's course work is applied to the doctoral requirements. Yet the majority choose to write a thesis in the belief that the thesis provides an opportunity to research issues, explore concepts, and discuss works to be encountered later--in more depth and maturity--in the dissertation.
A thesis is generally considered to indicate an intensive semester's work, but depending on the topic and the requirements set by the candidate's committee, it may require a substantially larger investment of time. Some students may take up to a year or longer to complete the thesis but the department requires that the degree be completed within five years of admission. Graduate instructors have three years in which to complete the degree with departmental financial assistance.
The manual issued by the Graduate School describes the thesis as a
...less comprehensive doctoral dissertation. In the master's thesis, the candidate demonstrates ability to accomplish a research project of more limited scope and far less originality than that demanded of the doctoral candidate.... In the master's program the emphasis in the thesis is placed more upon the candidate's ability to handle the techniques of research and to communicate results than upon the discovery of new knowledge.
Some committees require that a thesis represent an extension of thought beyond the bounds of a seminar paper; others may require more extensive research and exploration. Page lengths reflect these various demands, but generally masters theses range from 60-150 pages. The format and style requirements of the completed thesis are dictated by a manual available at the Graduate School. This manual will also describe the costs associated with the printing and binding of your thesis, which will become part of the library's permanent collection.
Your thesis defense is going to seem like a really big deal to you before you do it and it is an important part of your education insofar as it marks one of the last obstacles you must hurdle before you attain your degree. Keep in mind though that its function is largely ceremonial and ritualistic. Although this may differ according to the personality(ies) of your particular committee, the defense is largely a formality. If they have fulfilled their responsibilities as your mentors, your committee members will have provided you with the feedback and support and recommendations for revision that you need along the way; and they probably won't pull any fast ones on you at the defense. You do however, need to head into the defense with a clear head, prepared to address questions relative to your thesis topic, both minuscule and general in scope. Keep in mind that this type of situation will pop up again in your academic career, in your oral exam, for example, or your prospectus defense, or your dissertation defense, or in job interviews. Professionally speaking, you need to be able to articulate your ideas clearly and knowledgeably, in person as well as in writing, and the defense is good practice for this.

Approaching the Ph.D. in English at Ole Miss:
Introduction: The Ph.D. in English is a professional degree. Recognize it as such from the beginning of your program and keep the ends always on your mind as you choose the means of getting there. You should enter the doctoral program with some sense of your goals and interests. From day one, ask yourself: Where do I want to be? and How do I get there? All of the decisions you make in the course of your degree program--beginning with the choice of classes and continuing into the creation of a committee, the choice of comprehensive exam areas, the construction of reading lists, the completion of exams, and the writing of the dissertation--require an increasingly clear picture of the professional you want to be when you graduate.
Choosing your classes: There are several goals you pursue during your course work. First, you want to discover or clarify your own academic interests and methodology. Second, you want to familiarize yourself with the faculty members whom you might want to work with in the later stages of your degree. If you enter from the BA, you will take more classes and therefore have more time to experiment with different areas and approaches. Those entering from the MA should be more focused, taking only those classes that serve their needs. We suggest that students take 500-level classes only if you need additional grounding in a particular area. Otherwise, your time is better spent in the more focused 600-level seminars. Be sure to watch for classes that offer a particular scholarly method that you might find useful as well as courses whose content matches your needs.
In regard to the theory requirement, if you have not had a course in literary theory we suggest that you take one as soon as possible. Push the department to offer ENGL 591: Recent Literary Criticism on a regular basis. In the past, many graduate students have fulfilled the requirement by taking courses such as Studies in Gender Theory, Southern Literature and Literary Theory, and various offerings in Rhetoric and Composition.
In regard to the foreign language requirement, we have very little to add to what is said under the MA. Complete the requirement as soon as you can. Be aware that certain fields will require particular language training. You might want to speak to professors in your area to ask what sort of language training they might require. Ultimately, each student's committee determines his or her language requirement, but most of us find ourselves taking language courses before our committees are formed.
Many students find it helpful to take courses in other departments. If you are thinking of using an interdisciplinary approach, you will want to be aware of what the other departments are offering. You will need an outside reader for your dissertation anyway...why not look around now? In recent semesters, students have found the offerings in the Departments of Southern Studies and History quite useful to fleshing out their understanding of literature's cultural context.
Creating your doctoral committee: The English Department has a relatively small faculty to support relatively large undergraduate and graduate programs. In addition, the faculty tend to be disproportionately bunched in certain areas, with Southern Literature--at the time of writing--the area in which the largest number of faculty are working. As you prepare to form your committee, you should have a coherent plan for your comprehensive exams and dissertation, and you should choose faculty members who can best guide that project. Because of the personnel limitations, you may not find three professors in your specific period, so also look for professors whose theoretical or methodological approaches coincide with your own. In addition--and here we must be blunt--you should look for professors you enjoy working with. Sometimes compatibility of personality is more important than similarity of ideas or fields.
When asking a professor to serve on your committee, bear in mind that you are asking of them to make a significant investment of time in you and your project. It makes sense, therefore, to form relationships with the professors in your field well in advance of this stage by taking their classes. Take classes from anyone you see as even potentially serving on your committee. You can also get to know the faculty by checking into the work that they have done: read their articles and books, find out what they have taught in the past. You should also ask around and find out what other graduate students are working with the professors and speak with them about the professors. The Ph.D. requires that you work closely with your committee and that the professors on that committee work with each other. We suggest that you get the essential people, starting with your chair, signed up first. Then ask their help in building a committee that will work well together. Be aware that different committees work differently. On some, the chair handles all the interaction with the other professors. You deal with the chair, s/he deals with the other members. In other situations, the graduate student meets and negotiates with each professor separately.
Choosing the areas for your Comprehensive Exams: As the graduate handbook explains, you will be choosing a literary period and two of the following three areas for your comprehensive exams.
A. The literary period. The concept of a literary period remains vaguely defined, and you should work this to your advantage. In the past, graduate students have chosen a literary movement, a half-century, a century--but others have chosen fields as narrow as Twentieth-Century Southern Women Writers. The definition of the "period" is up to you and your committee, but of course they have the final say. It seems that the period exam was conceived as a guarantee to insure that we would be able to place our more specialized work into a literary-historical context, and so the more narrowly defined periods will not always serve you best, even though there is a real temptation to specialize, to narrow the fields as much as possible.
B. The genre. In recent years, graduate students have been defining their genres very closely--studying, for instance, Women's War Writing, Travel Writing, and Women's Autobiography rather than, say, The Novel. If your project requires an investigation of form, you may find yourself doing a more traditional genre such as the lyric poem.
C. The single author or group of related authors. While fewer and fewer single-author dissertations are coming out every year, this remains a popular choice for the comprehensive exams. Author lists tend to be manageable and can easily form a chapter of the dissertation or a stand-alone article.
D. Special topics. This area covers everything else, essentially. Many students choose theory lists to help themselves bone up on their methodology. Recent topics include Business Women in the American Novel, History of the American Frontier, Race Relations, and the Carnivalesque.
Constructing the reading lists for your comprehensive exams: When you have chosen your three areas, you will then develop a reading list for each. Most committees prefer that you submit all three lists at once, though some students have proceeded one list at a time. It is more efficient perhaps to get all three lists approved at the start, and so we recommend that you get your committee together in a meeting to discuss and approve the lists. This process always involves some negotiation, so come prepared to deal but also come prepared to justify the areas you have chosen and the texts you have added to each list.
Many graduate students spend a lot of time worrying about how many works to put on each list. There are conflicting desiderata in the construction of the lists: you want to become competent in the field, but you also want to complete the exams in a timely fashion. The final word rests with the committee, of course--they must approve of your list. But you should also bear in mind the time line for the completion of the Ph.D. You are expected to complete one exam per semester. How much work are you capable of doing in one semester? Let that be the standard. Most students will take two courses, reading approximately thirty books and writing two papers. With only one paper or a test we can perhaps do more reading, though the writing is held to a higher standard. Many professors recommend that you include works that you have read before on your lists, and so perhaps the numbers will climb as high as fifty. Some lists will naturally be shorter, such as a single author list; others, particularly that for the period exam, will run longer. Theory lists should be shorter because of the difficulty of the reading. Some graduate students advise that you turn in a list shorter than you believe you can complete because most committees feel duty bound to add to lists. Remember, just because a book is not on a list doesn't mean you can't read it later. Each exam is a discrete task; don't plan a lifetime of work. Be professional and ambitious, but also be reasonable about your expectations. The Ph.D. is a long road; be gentle with yourself.
Completing the comprehensive exams: If you haven't met with your entire committee as a group yet, now is the time. Discuss your options, present them with a plan, set tentative deadlines. We can't overemphasize the importance of getting your committee members talking--not just with you, but also with each other. The exams consist of four hurdles: two papers and a timed, written test, followed by an oral exam. Most of us have done the exam first, and most of us have chosen to do the exam on the historical period. The reason for that is that it is easier to generate a paper out of the more focused reading areas. But remember, you are in control of your own destiny. Present a coherent, logical plan to your committee and argue for what you want. Most committees will let you plan your own course of testing. There are two options for the test: a 24-hour take-home version, and a four-hour seated version. There are advantages to each. Most committees will allow and expect you to consult your books when you take the 24-hour version; you also have the advantage of your word processor, spell check, and coffee machine. You are, inevitably, held to a higher standard of polish in this version. Those who take the seated exam are quick to point out that while they experience four hours of extreme stress, they finish twenty hours earlier than the others. A few people who took the 24-hour version swear they would do it differently if they had to do it again, though in fairness we need to say that some liked the 24-hour format just fine.
The oral exam comes at the end. You will sit with your committee for two and a half hours and face a variety of questions that draw from each of the three reading lists. In preparation for this exam, many students take notes during their reading for the first three exams. Otherwise, you have quite a bit to review or reread. While the oral is designed to test the breadth of your knowledge, your committee will expect you to be able to talk in depth about the texts on your lists--not all of them, surely, but at least a few. Additionally, the oral exam expects you to show an ability to think on your feet in front of people--essentially the same skills we use in seminars and in the classes we teach. Recommendations from students who have passed orals in the last year: "Don't BS too much; tell them when you don't know an answer." "Don't worry about saying that you don't remember everything--they will push you until you reach your limit anyway." "Try to turn difficult questions around to something you can talk about." "Try to have your friends give you practice exams so you can get accustomed to talking about these texts and can try out a few answers."
The prospectus defense: Your director will describe the type of prospectus s/he expects you to turn in. Essentially, the prospectus outlines the dissertation project, spelling out the texts you will examine, the methodology you will use, and some reasons for choosing the project (why it is worth pursuing). Most will include a chapter-by-chapter outline and a brief bibliography. At the defense, you will discuss the document with your dissertation committee, which will now include an additional member. Each dissertation committee includes a reader from outside the English Department whose function, institutionally, is to safeguard the integrity of the degree. (That is, they watch over the rest of the committee to ensure that you are being held to a reasonable standard.) The outside reader should also serve as an active member of your committee, making recommendations about your project and the work as you complete it. You have the right to request a particular outside reader, though they are formally appointed by the department chair.
The dissertation: The best advice we've heard about a dissertation is this: "Don't get it right; get it written." Set a regular schedule of working hours for yourself; churn out the material, finish a draft, then go back and fine tune. One student who recently completed the big D suggested the need to look ahead to the tremendous financial burden associated with the process. According to her calculations, for instance, it is far cheaper to buy a laser printer and use it for all of your drafts and the final printing than to pay a commercial copying service. Plus you get to keep the printer when you're done.
Conclusion: This description of the Ph.D. program is meant to offer suggestions for getting through the degree, rather than to proscribe a single method. The Ph.D. program deliberately leaves a lot up to the student and committee to negotiate, which is why a clear idea of who you are and where you want to be is absolutely imperative. As you consider the hurdles that lie before you, take comfort in this: Even though it may feel like it at times, you will not be going through the program alone. There are many people going through the program a step or two ahead of you. Use your colleagues as a resource. Ask other people about everything: which classes they recommend, how they structured their exams, which professors they are working with and why. Many students in the exam stages rely on their colleagues for feedback and support. It is our opinion that the English Department needs more organized support at the later stages of the degree program, for instance a dissertation seminar or student-organized reading group. Look for and create such opportunities for yourself. Good luck.
 

Appendix: The Graduate Studies Committee's Ph.D. Timeline
December 8, 1995
To All Faculty and Graduate Students:
Various graduate students have expressed their wish for some kind of time line for completion of the Ph.D. Realizing that different students have different situations--that, for instance, some are ready to pass the foreign language requirement right away, and others will complete a dissertation prospectus immediately after completing their comps, while others may have family obligations that hold them up for a while--here is a time line based on a completion time of six years from the M.A.
Two years: Course work in English (24 hours). --Any necessary foreign language course work is additional, and may be completed either while taking English courses or later, depending on the student. Note that the foreign language requirement must be complete before advancement to candidacy. Note also that the student should confer with the Graduate Director regarding the Ph.D. committee by--at the latest--the final semester of course work.
Two years: Completion and committee approval of three reading lists. Completion of comprehensive exams, including the oral exam. --Note that while it is advisable to work toward completing the reading lists while one is still taking courses, so that one does not succumb to the notorious dead time, which so often has occurred between finishing courses and starting exams. [Editor's note: this was a real problem when the current Ph.D. was first implemented. It has become less a problem with each passing year.]
One semester: Completion of a prospectus and the prospectus defense. --Note that some students defend their prospectuses immediately after completing their comprehensive exams. That is fine, too.
One and a half years: Completion of a dissertation.
Let me repeat again that each student has his or her own obligations and rhythms, and these are meant as guidelines and suggestions as to what constitutes timely progress toward the completion of a degree.

Ann Fisher-Wirth Director of Graduate Studies, English

Table of Contents

EBook: Policies, Procedures, &c of the English Department and Ole Miss

How to Register:

There are three publications that detail the course offerings at the University. Although the Graduate School Catalog lists all the courses potentially offered by the department, with a brief, general description of each, you will find that many of these courses are never offered, as these descriptions were written up over a decade ago. The Registration Bulletin, which is published each semester by the University, lists all courses (including meeting times & days, and instructors) offered by all departments. (This Registration Bulletin also contains guidelines for the registration process so its good to have one handy when you sit down to register.) The bulletin lists courses by number (English 569), course code (which you need to register over the phone), and title. This information is potentially misleading however, as "Topics in American Literature" could apply to a number of different syllabi. So, for full information, look to the English Department's own Course Description booklet, which is published every semester and which lists all its undergraduate- and graduate-level classes, and provides professors' descriptions of the classes they are teaching.

The U of M employs a telephone registration system (915-RSVP [7787]), referred to as RSVP. In order to access this telephone system, you must have an ID number (usually your Social Security #) and a PIN (which changes every semester). To get your PIN, you must see Ann Fisher-Wirth, the Director of Graduate Studies. Shortly after mid-term, Ann holds pre-registration conferences. Although faculty members do their best to announce these conferences in their seminars, it is ultimately your responsibility to sign up for a conference, on a sheet posted outside Ann's office door (Bishop 335). Use this time to discuss with her your progress toward the degree (for instance, fulfillment of requirements, projected time-lines), as well as the courses you have selected for the following semester; during this conference, Ann will give you your PIN so that you may pre-register.

It is also possible to register for classes at the beginning of a semester; first-time graduate students, for example, will receive PINs and ID numbers at the beginning of their first semester. It is more expedient to pre-register, because the University will then have time to process your paperwork and to send confirmation of your schedule and your anticipated financial aid by mail, relieving you of the necessity of going to the Turner Center. If you receive financial assistance from the department in the form of a Graduate Instructorship or Research Assistanship, it will be reflected on your University bill. If your assistance does not show up there, you'll need to contact the English department; this is usually an indication that there's been a snag in your paperwork and it is the department's responsibility to amend the situation.

We recommend that you try to avoid the Turner Center if at all possible, as the lines are long, the progress confusing, and you have better things to do with your time. If the only reason for you to go to the Turner Center is to pick up your Financial Aid check, and time is not absolutely of the essence, you can wait and pick up your check from the Bursar's office later in the week.

If you miss the pre-registration period, or pre-register but fail to pay your fees, you must register via the telephone at the beginning of the following semester, then proceed to the Turner Center where schedules are finalized, fees assessed, and financial aid dispersed. This is also the time to get your parking sticker.

If you wait until the Turner Center registration period passes, you will incur a late registration fee of $50 for each day after the deadline.

Transferring Credit:

Students enrolled in any graduate degree program and who have completed at least 12 hours of course work at Ole Miss may petition the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) for acceptance of transfer credit from work completed at another recognized and accredited institution. MA students may transfer up to six hours. Ph.D. students may transfer up to nine hours. Transfer credit can only be awarded for grades of B or higher. Upon the recommendation of the GSC, the Graduate School will review the petition and adjust the student's transcript. Only in exceptional circumstances will the Graduate School not follow the GSC's recommendation.

To request a credit transfer, submit to the Director of Graduate Studies the following items: a written statement of your request and your reasons for making it; an official transcript of work completed at the institution from which credit is being transferred; a description of each course for which credit is being requested. (A syllabus from each course is best.)

Several other stipulations established by the Graduate School apply to transferring credit: transferred course hours must have been completed within the past six years, and the institution from which credit is being transferred must offer a graduate degree in the field in which the work was completed.

Directed Readings:

Students in the graduate programs in English are allowed to complete up to six hours of course work through the completion of Directed Readings, courses organized around a specific topic, proposed by the student and carried out under the supervision of a faculty member. They are generally designed to fill in holes in the graduate course curriculum, to replace seminar-level courses which either do not exist or have not been offered in a consistent or timely manner. The student must find a faculty member to direct the study, create a syllabus for the course, and construct the reading list and course requirements. The application requires the approval of both the Graduate Studies Committee and the Department Chair.

Applications for the Directed Reading course are available from the Director of Graduate Studies and specify that the student provide the following information:

--DESCRIBE YOUR PROPOSED PROJECT (Indicated clearly and specifically what you intend to study in the Directed Reading, and why.) --DESCRIBE YOUR PROJECT'S SIGNIFICANCE IN LITERARY STUDY (For example, what makes the material you propose to study significant, or worthy or three hours of graduate credit?) --EXPLAIN HOW THIS DIRECTED READING FITS INTO YOUR DEGREE PROGRAM (Why is this reading important to your personal course of study? How does it relate to other courses you have taken or plan to take, or to your examination fields, or to your plans for a thesis or dissertation?) --COURSE REQUIREMENTS (Indicate how often you will meet with your Faculty Director and what writing and other work you will perform in the course.) --PLEASE ATTACH A COMPLETE READING LIST ON A SEPARATE PAGE

As these questions indicate, application for a Directed Reading requires a great deal of preparation, research, and forethought on the part of the applicant and should not be undertaken lightly. Perhaps the greatest difficulty in undertaking one of these projects is locating a faculty member to direct the course as their service in this area is strictly voluntary; they are not paid for the extra preparation and classroom time involved. While many faculty members have enthusiastically accepted this extra workload, students who request a Directed Reading should realize that the faculty member will expect a level of responsibility and commitment that exceeds that expected in the typical seminar class.

Financial Assistance:

There are currently three forms of financial assistance available to graduate students in the English Department: Research Assistantships,Teaching Assistantships, and dissertation fellowships. If you are interested in any of these, you should clearly indicate that interest in your letter of intent, although you may also apply after entering a degree program.

The Research Assistantship is usually granted to those graduate students who are selected for assistance but who lack the number of graduate hours required for a Teaching Assistantship. R.A.s work in the English Department and Freshman English offices and are assigned other specific tasks (usually to help individual professors with their research needs) by the department chair. R.A.s receive a tuition waver and earn approximately $7000 per year. Most R.A.s receive Teaching Assistantships once they have acquired the requisite 18 hours of graduate credit, depending on their performance in courses and the number of T. A. positions available.

A Teaching Assistantship is available to graduate students who have taken at least 18 credits of graduate credit at any university. Graduate Instructors receiving the T. A. are provided with a tuition waiver and a stipend beginning at $7000 per year. Students may hold the Teaching Assistantship for up to three years in the Master's program and up to six years in the Ph.D. (The sixth year is available only to students who have completed all the requirements but the dissertation within 5 years of beginning their doctoral work--so if you only received your assistantship during your second year on campus, the sixth year would not be available to you.) A limited number of summer instructorships become available to Graduate Instructors. The semesters are short and the pay is good: $2500 for one month's work. Application is made to the department chair and competition is tough; the supposition is that no student will receive summer support two years in a row.

Graduate students who are awarded a Teaching Assistantship are required to attend the Freshman English Program's teaching workshop (held the week before the semester begins) and to take English 617, Teaching College English, during their first semester of teaching. It is recommended that graduate students wait to take 617 until they have been granted the Teaching Assistantship and are teaching at Ole Miss. Graduate Instructors teach two courses per semester, beginning in the first year with Freshman Composition 101 and 102. After the first year, instructors are eligible to teach sections of sophomore literature classes: 200, An Introduction to Literature; 205, Masterworks of British Literature; 206, Masterworks of American Literature; and 210, Masterworks of World Literature. As teachers of record, Graduate Instructors are responsible for the content of their classes, working within the guidelines set forth by the Freshman English and Undergraduate Studies Committees and as set forth in the Undergraduate Catalogue. Graduate Instructors create their own syllabi, hold classes and office hours, and issue midterm and final grades. Each Graduate Instructor shares an office in Somerville Hall with a colleague.

In 1997-1998, the English Department began to offer one-semester fellowships to students working on their dissertations. These fellowships pay a $4000 plus a partial tuition waver (the portion of the tuition figure that represents the fees are not paid). Application for these fellowships is made during the Spring semester. In addition, the department usually offers several one-course teaching reductions to runners-up in the Fellowship competition.

Incomplete Grades:

While it is possible to negotiate with your professor to take a grade of Incomplete (I) for the semester, thus deferring the required completion of the seminar paper until the end of the next semester, we strongly urge you to avoid doing so. Incompletes are a good idea if you fall ill, get divorced, or face a similar life trauma. They are not a good idea as a general rule because: a) most students don't begin work on the incomplete until they are already involved in the next semester's work; b) they tend to create a domino effect, as each semester's work is put off until the next; and c) deservedly or not, too many incompletes can earn you a reputation among the faculty for a lack of seriousness. If you must take an incomplete, we advise you to complete the paper as soon as you can--between semesters if possible.

Grade Appeals:

It is rare for a graduate student to appeal a grade and even more rare for an appeal to succeed. When you undertake to appeal a grade, you should recognize that the university's presumption is always in favor of the professor and the burden of proof of "arbitrary or capricious action" is always on you. Moreover, in a small department like ours, you should think seriously before cutting yourself off from a professor whose cooperation you may need at a later date. That said, there may come a time when you feel the need to make use of your right to appeal. What follows condenses the language on the subject from the University's M Book, which gives more detailed language about the time periods within which certain actions must be taken.

Step One: The first step is to make an appointment with the professor whose grade you are disputing. You should bring to that appointment a copy of your paper and a prepared list of questions for the professor. You might also choose to record the conversation in order to prepare a follow-up letter and to provide evidence of the conversation for the following steps.

Step Two: If you are not satisfied with the professor's explanation, you may appeal in writing to the department chair. The appeal must be completed within 45 calendar days from the beginning of the next regular semester after the one in which the grade was received. You should include in your appeal the follow-up letter you sent the professor after your meeting. The department chair will consult with you and with the faculty member in order to attempt to resolve the matter. He may also consult with other faculty about the matter.

Additional steps: If the chair of the department does not resolve the appeal to your satisfaction, you may send the appeal on to the Dean of the Graduate School and beyond, to the Academic Appeals Committee and the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. These steps involve complicated procedures for which you should consult the M Book.

This is precisely the same procedure for undergraduate appeals against profs and, more importantly for you, against graduate instructors. --ed.

B. Travel Money. There is a limited amount of assistance available for graduate students who are traveling to deliver papers at a professional meeting. The English Department offers each student a travel award of $50 each year. In the past, the Graduate School has awarded $100 for national meetings and $50 for regional meetings, but this funding is currently threatened. Graduate students have also had success in isolated instances appealing to various other departments and deans across campus. These instances usually involve special needs, minority status, or projects that the administration feels merit special consideration. Supplementary travel funding is sometimes available to grad students through the Associated Graduate Student Body. Your correspondence on the matter should be directed to the President of the GSC (Graduate Student Council, formerly the Associated Graduate Student Body) and should supply the following information: total expenses; the amount already funded (by the department and the Graduate School, for example); the amount needed for the trip; the abstract of your presentation; and a cover letter stating your situation. Phoning the GSC offices to contact people is pretty much a lost cause--try http://savant.bus.olemiss.edu/gsc/ instead. (You'll note the organization's bias from the server domain.)

If you are approved for funding by the AGSB, they will notify you in writing and request that you submit a Travel Voucher and appropriate receipts to the Dean of Students' office (Union 422) for processing. You can get Travel Vouchers in the department office in Bishop 309 or from the Dean of Students office (Dot is probably the person you'll need to talk to). This year (1998) was the first that the AGSB was an option for funding, so the processes and personages involved may evolve over the next year or so. The EGSB elects two people as AGSB reps each year so these people will probably be good sources of updated information. This year, the AGSB reviewed applications in March and checks (averaging about $150.00 per person) were cut in late April.

Table of Contents

EBook: Professional Issues:
Check out the new section, Professional Lists and Web Resources

Publishing. Everyone knows that publishing is a good and, indeed, an essential thing to do. There is little organized support at the University of Mississippi for graduate students' publication efforts. Professors are generally quick to tell you when they think a paper is potentially publishable. Moving from potentiality to actuality is somewhat problematic, however. When you are told that a paper has potential, you should actively solicit advice as to how to revise the paper and pinpoint a suitable outlet for it. Don't expect to place your first essay with the first journal you send it to; but if you think your work has merit, keep sending it out until it finds a home. Bear in mind the reason why publications matter: they are an indication of your ability to negotiate the complex world of the academy. This includes your ability to recognize which journals have standing and prestige in your particular academic area and to aim high.

Grants. Grants are financial awards offered by various foundations and government agencies in support of particular kinds of work. In general, there are few available in our discipline but you should seek out the reference books available on the subject and apply for anything that seems to fit. These books are available at the Office of Research, currently a division of the Graduate School.

Professional Societies. The least important part of one's professional life as a graduate student, these organizations generally take your money and recompense you with a journal you will not read. If you submit a paper to, for example, a regional MLA, you may be required to join the organization before the conference. Wait until you are accepted to join. There is little benefit to listing a number of organizations on your vita, especially now that many of the previous benefits of such organizations can be accessed by signing up for various listserves. In fairness, we should mention that many professors find membership in these societies invaluable in their professional lives, allowing them to make contacts that lead to conference presentations and publications.
 

Conferences. The purpose of going to conferences changes over the course of one's graduate career. At first, delivering a paper can provide an opportunity to gain poise and professionalism, to compare your work to the work of others. Graduate student conferences, like our own Southern Writers, Southern Writing or the Sigma Tau Delta national meeting, generally offer friendly and receptive audiences and we suggest that you consider these as a first step. Some regional and national conferences, like the Twentieth Century Literature Conference at the University of Louisville, also especially welcome graduate student proposals. To find out about conferences, consult PMLA or check out the UPenn Calls for Papers listserv or other professional web resources--see below. As you progress in your career, you should begin to seek out conferences in your own particular field. If you do Southern Literature, for example, the regional SAMLA meeting is often a good place to meet others working in the area.

Please see the section on travel monies when you begin to consider conferencing.

There is some argument over the value of conferencing. When you are looking for a job, people will often be put off by too much conferencing in relation to publication. You should use conferences as a way of getting full value from work you have already done, or are in the process of doing, rather than distracting yourself from your academic progress by taking on extra tasks. Some graduate students find conferences a convenient way to set goals for themselves during the comprehensive exam and dissertation writing process; a twenty-minute paper can often serve as the seed of a chapter.

Professional Lists and Web Resources:

H-Net is "an international interdisciplinary organization of scholars and teachers dedicated to developing the enormous educational potential of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Our edited lists and web sites publish peer reviewed essays, multimedia materials, and discussion for colleagues and the interested public." Their web address is http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/

Perspectives in American Literature is a web site operated by Paul Reuben, and contains a large bibliography on American poets, playwrights, and novelists. http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/home.htm

The UPenn Calls for Papers List is a great way to find out about academic events off of our campus. While their primary service is to present CFPs and information about how to send an abstract to a conference you might want to go to, they also have information about e-journals, and calls for entries for books.

Just sign up and they will send the CFPs to your e-mail address, or you can visit their list of CFPs at their web site. Their information follows below.

====== cfp@english.upenn.edu ======= Calls for Papers in English & American Literature The English Department at the University of Pennsylvania hosts an electronic mailing list (cfp@english.upenn.edu) and web site(http://www.english.upenn.edu/CFP/) for calls for papers on English and American Literature and Culture. We encourage conference or panel organizers and volume editors to find the largest possible audience for their announcements by posting them on this list and web archive. Announcements can include upcoming conferences, panels, essay collections,and special journal issues related to English and American literature, and can include calls for completed papers, abstracts, and proposals. The boundaries are flexible: all English-language literatures, cultural studies, literary theory, bibliography, humanities computing, and comparative literature (even when not concerned specifically with English or American literature) are within the pale. Conferences or panels devoted exclusively to literature not in English, to music or art, to history, etc., are excluded unless they are relevant to students of English and American literature, as are lecture series, regular meetings of small local societies, fellowship opportunities, etc. Essay competitions and prizes are excluded unless they will result directly in publication or presentation of a paper. Calls for creative writing are also excluded. Due to the volume of postings and the fact that each posting must be approved and edited by hand, the CFP list and web archive is only for calls for papers, not for general conference announcements. ------- SUBSCRIBING/UNSUBSCRIBING -------- To subscribe to the list, address a message to listserv@english.upenn.edu Do NOT send subscription messages to cfp@english.upenn.edu. The subject line can be anything, but the body of the message should read subscribe cfp There should be nothing else: no name, no e-mail address. You should receive a confirmation message after a few minutes. If you have any questions, contact the editor at the address below. To unsubscribe, address a message to listserv@english.upenn.edu (not cfp@english.upenn.edu!) reading just "unsubscribe cfp" (don't include your name or address). To change your address on the CFP list, send an unsubscribe message from your current account, and then login to your new account and resubscribe from that. The Majordomo software on which the CFP list is run, I'm afraid, has no facility for digests and no "no mail" option. Also, we cannot send announcements only in a given field or fields of interest within English and American Literature. Those who find the volume of mail too high should rely on the Web archive; those who wish to stop receiving mail for a short while should simply unsubscribe and resubscribe later. ------ WEB ARCHIVE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS ------ Those interested in the calls for papers need not subscribe to the list directly. The announcements will be archived and available on the Web at http://www.english.upenn.edu/CFP/ There they'll be grouped under rubrics (such as Renaissance, American,Theory, Gender Studies) to make browsing easier. Postings will remain in this archive until the conference has taken place. The web site also includes a search engine and a monthly archive, which lists calls for papers chronologically as they are posted. Messages are sorted into their respective period- or topic-centered folders within about a week after their posting, but the "Archive by Month" is automatically updated with each new message. Please check to see whether announcements have been posted already before sending additional copies. -------- POSTING ANNOUNCEMENTS -------- All panel organizers and volume editors are encouraged to make their calls for papers or proposals by sending their announcements to: cfp@english.upenn.edu After they are posted to the list, messages will automatically be archived on our web site: http://www.english.upenn.edu/CFP/ Please send postings as "plain text" (aka. ASCII text) in the body of the message rather than as an attachment. Calls can take any format in the body of the message. The subject line,though, should be as informative as possible (to enable browsers to find relevant announcements quickly), and should take the following form: CFP: Topic of Conference/Panel (deadline; conference date) Messages that don't conform to this standard may be rejected. The subject line should briefly and clearly describe the topic of the conference. Some tips: * Rather than a cryptic panel title like "Imagined Encounters," use a descriptive entry like "New World in16th c." * Put dates in numerals, in American notation (month/day/year).Include both the deadline for submissions and the date of the conference. * In the case of major conferences where the name of the conference will be useful (e.g. ALA, ASECS, NASSR, Kalamazoo),specify the name in addition to the dates. In the case of MLA,specify the year (e.g. MLA '01). * If the conference takes place outside North America, or if it's a graduate student conference, note that as well. Some examples: CFP: Teaching Beowulf in Translation (12/15/00; 3/23/01-3/24/01) CFP: (Post)Colonial Derrida (3/3/00; MLA '00) CFP: American Novel into Film (3/1/01; RMMLA, 10/11/01-10/13/01) CFP: Composition and Rhetoric (grad) (12/1/00; 2/23/01-2/24/01) CFP: Joseph Conrad (Poland) (1/15/01; 5/29/01-6/1/01) CFP: Romanticism & the Woman Reader (grad) (UK) (7/15/00; 9/6/00) CFP: Queer Theory and Disability Studies (8/1/00; journal issue) CFP: Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora (4/30/01; collection) Note that with several thousand subscribers, some addresses on the list are no longer correct, as people change addresses without unsubscribing,or as hosts change names. The editor tries to keep the list current, but you may receive error messages from some of these bad addresses when you send a call for papers. You can safely ignore them. If you want to know whether a call for papers successfully made it to the bulk of the subscribers, you can either check the archive on the Web or contact the editor. If a call for papers must be updated -- to reflect a change in the location or date of the conference or the deadlines -- please replace the"CFP:" in the subject line with "UPDATE:" and be explicit about exactly what has changed in the body of the message. Please send only actual updates to the list: refrain from merely reiterating past calls for papers. Also, while I can post updates to the information in a call for papers, I cannot post general updates about the conference itself when the deadline for a call has already passed (e.g. registration info, finalized program, etc.) --------- OFF-TOPIC MESSAGES ---------- The CFP list is meant strictly for announcements of calls for papers, not for discussion of conferences and certainly not for discussion of anything else, including social issues, chain letters, virus warnings, and so on. Please refrain from posting such messages to the list. Advertisements of commercial products or services not directly related to the purpose of the list are forbidden. ------- HISTORY ------- In 1995 the English at the University of Pennsylvania established the cfp@english.upenn.edu mailing list to facilitate the exchange of information on upcoming conferences and publication opportunities, and archives of the postings were later made available on the Web. Since that time, the CFP mailing list has grown to over 6,500 subscribers from allover the world. The CFP list and web archive were founded by Jack Lynch. The current CFP editor is Erika Lin. If you have any questions, please contact Erika Lin at: elin@english.upenn.edu

Table of Contents

EBook: What You Need to Know about Ole Miss

Getting an ID Card:

This handy piece of plastic serves as your library card, a meal card for on-campus dining and vending, and is required when you buy tickets for and attendsporting events on campus. The ID Center is in the basement of Johnson Commons (conveniently situated across the parking lot from Bondurant Hall). As soon as you are on the SIS computer as having been admitted to the university, you can bring a picture ID and have your card made.

The (Main) J. D. Williams Library:

From its marble facade and impressive Faulkner quotations, one might assume that the library at the University of Mississippi is, as it so often claims to be, a library worthy of a "major research institution." But behind the facade lie a number of inadequacies, inconsistencies, and pitfalls. The recent renovation, while attractive, failed to significantly increase the amount of shelf space. Although the library boasts a collection of nearly 800,000 of volumes and 7000 periodicals, careful examination of the stacks will find this number inflated by a collection of, say, twenty copies of certain obscure and outdated texts. And the vagaries of philanthropy have dictated that, while the library has received funds for acquisition, no such funding exists for increased staff or service. This has created a situation that many graduate students find particularly frustrating, in which the overworked staff of student employees are unable to keep up with the flow of books through the building. Many grad students complain that the books they need are either lost, misshelved, or simply unavailable for use. Also, recent budget cuts have resulted in the loss of many of the library's periodical subscriptions. Among other things, this means that the library does not subscribe to many of the newest, most interesting journals--such as, to give one example, Modernism/Modernity.

With all this said, the library has been making efforts to update and improve the quality of its holdings. The online catalogues, for example, allow patrons to suggest books for acquisition--and the suggestions are very often followed. The library now boats greater online services, especially in reference, and the staff in the Reference Room is very good at helping you use them.

Many of us have had cause to bless the Interlibrary Loan department, probably the most efficient and cooperative staff within the library system.

Graduate students are allowed to check books for 42 days. Books can only be renewed in person which is often, as you can imagine, a hassle. Late fees run to $.25 per day per book. You can recall books checked out by another patron. Graduate students can check out volumes of bound journals for one day, which can be helpful as the xerox machines in the library charge $.10 per page, $.03 above what is available downtown. The Dean's current policy is that current (unbound) issues of journals do not circulate, period.

UPDATE: As of right now, graduate students no longer have to schlep their books in by the armload in order to renew them. . . the on-line catalogue now offers an option, under the "view own record" function, that lets patrons renew their own books. Now, this will NOT let you renew if you have too much overdue, or if the items are already overdue, or if anything has a hold on it--but this shuold save everyone a lot of hassle. --DRC, 9/12/1998

Carrells are available for graduate students, particularly those past coursework. There is a waiting list for carrells. Should you feel you need one, you will need a letter from your committee chair attesting to your legitimacy (in fact, a simple signature from Ann or Dan will take car of this). There is a small key deposit. Applications are available at the Dean's office on the third floor. These carrells are far from plush and not for those who suffer from claustrophobia. The lights, as elsewhere in the library, are extremely bright fluorescents and some carrell dwellers find it helpful to bring in incandescent desk lamps. Some carrells include online connections.

Outside of the carrells, the library has little to recommend it as a study space. It is choked with undergraduates every night, many of whom utilize it as a singles bar rather than a study space. During the day, pleasant study areas are sometimes available on the second and third floors.

Getting Connected: Internet Service Information

The first, most important thing to know is that you already have an email account, and space for a web page, set aside for yourself.

Let's begin by talking about how to get that email account active. The computer haven is in Powers Hall, which is one of the last buildings on west side of campus. Go out the west door of the Library, pass the next building (Johnson Commons) a series of dorms, and at the end of the street you'll see a newer building. That's Powers. You can go there for actual human beings to help you. They will not give out information over the phone, however, that would allow someone access to another's account. Take your student ID there, and ask for your account information. Some combination of your last name and initials has already been given to you as a "user ID," or your name on the computer system. This will also be your email address, like mine: gbrown@olemiss.edu. You then go to a computer, such as the ones in the Writing Center in Bondurant (across from Bishop Hall, in the basement). Start sunset, and follow the instructions on the sheet you've been given; first, you'll type new, then you'll give your user ID and temporary password, etc.

Now, you have an email account, and 5MB of space for web pages. I will leave to another discussion how to check your mail or write pages (I use Netscape for both, myself). However, note that 5 megabytes is a lot of space--I have all the information for two separate levels of classes in my site, and the whole lot of it is less than one megabyte. You must follow the appropriate use policy of the University, though--no links to prurient material, and you can't sell anything there, for example. But, unless you live in the (mostly disappointing) dorms, you will only be able to check that email or make up pages on campus in one of the computer labs, such as Weir Hall, or the Writing Center in Bondurant. However, if you have your own computer and a modem for it, you'll likely want to connect to this account from home.

The University's network, for all the complaining you will hear, is actually quite good. There's some nice people over there, namely Kathy Gates and Jimmy Ball, who can help you with everything from email configuration to setting up and managing electronic discussion groups for your composition classes. One thing the University doesn't do very well, at this time, is provide the service to dial up from home. Busy signals and brief connections are the usual fare. They're working to improve this, but in the mean time, most folks pay an Internet Service Provider (ISP) for Internet access.

You will want an ISP if you're going to get on line from off campus. Unless you have cash to burn, I cannot recommend America On-Line. First, there's no local access number, so your modem will have to make a long-distance call at a per-minute charge. AOL has many features, but I find Netscape (free for students) or Microsoft's Internet Explorer (I don't use it because I don't like to have a mini-monopoly in my computer-it's still free though) do just fine, coupled with a "flat rate" ISP account.

The major options are Teclink (Now Meta3), EBIcom, and Watervalley.net. You can also get Internet service from the local phone company, Bell South. The fees run from $12 to $20 per month, in my experience.

The Computer Center Helpdesk will have the most current information on what's available, including contact numbers. You can call them at 915-5222. What follows is simply personal experience from myself and others.

For Bell South service, call 1-800-4DOTNET, or check out their web site at http://bellsouth.com/blsc (you can do this at the Writing Center). Their service is flat rate, a few pennies shy of $20 per month. They also have a cheaper rate, for 10 hours per month. I prefer not to count time on line, but you might want to go that route. There's a charge for time over the allotted 10 hours. I haven't used them, but from what I hear, they're typical.

For Watervalley.net, call 1-601-473-4225. I use them currently, and they're fairly good, and they have the fastest connection I've found. Yes, you'll have to contact them and get tech support long-distance; they say they're changing this over to a 1-800 number soon. They have a local access number for Oxford. They're also upgrading to the fastest currently available modems and lines. They're one of the cheapest, at $12 per month for students, for flat rate, unlimited usage. This comes with 250KB of web page space, with 1MB/$1/month additional if you want it--where you could sell something. They'll even come to your house for free once to help you set up. They're the only folks that offer this service, much less free, that I know. Additional email "mailboxes" are available at a small monthly charge.

For EBIcom.net, call 1-888-324-7800. Many people prefer them. I found them to be very unreliable; occasionally tech support was good, but more often the person on the phone would more or less forget he was talking to someone. I'd spend long periods of silence waiting for him to have me change settings back and forth on my computer to no effect. They cost $16 a month, but in my estimation, they're not worth $1. In the words of a friend who's used them, "[I got] lots of busy signals . . . which we can get for free off the campus system."

For Teclink.net, call 1-888-286-3823. Lots of folks revile them. They have been rather sketchy, but in my personal experience, they're better than EBI. A slower connection, but more "stable," meaning you're less likely to get disconnected suddenly for no reason. At the $20 mark, they're the most expensive service other than Bell South. I'd try the phone company first.

Once you get an ISP, you can easily get to your Ole Miss account. I use my ISP only to get to the school's system, which is where I keep my email. With the paid-for Internet access service comes an email mailbox, but I don't use it. Using the school's system prevents me from having to change my address with all my correspondents every time I try a new provider. Sure, there's more restrictions using the Ole Miss system, but email is like a postcard rather than a letter anyway. Don't plot to overthrow the government on any email system.

There's lots of programs available to help you get to your account. Telnet, a program already available on almost all machines, can connect you to the University's computer--sunset.backbone.olemiss.edu. (To open Telnet in Windows95, for example, click START, RUN, and then type telnet and click OK.) There's also a program called FTP Explorer for Windows95 that is free and easy to use to upload those web pages. You can get it at http://www.ftpx.com.

Using Telnet, either at home or at school, you can use a very basic email program called PINE. After you've logged on to sunset, simply type "pine," without quotes of course, in the Telnet window, and you'll see what it's like. The advantage is that PINE keeps your email on the sunset supercomputer, making it available anywhere you are. The computer you use simply acts as a terminal. The downside is that it is a Unix program-for example, you can't use the mouse in composition. Its clunky, like DOS, and it doesn't have some of the more fancy options. Not much to look at either.

As I said earlier, I use Netscape. A very fine program with full composition abilities (web pages and email). It is very much like any good wordprocessor. The downside is that it "resides" on my computer--meaning the program and all my mail is tied to one place, and if I were to use PINE elsewhere, I would probably lose mail. Someone more savvy could perhaps work around this, but usually using two different mail programs will confuse both you and your computer.

All of this information is subject to change. It may have changed as I wrote this. That is the world of computers. But don't let that discourage you; we're all novices repeatedly. Waiting for the whole industry to stabilize or even-out is an unwise choice, because it won't, ever. You cannot wait for the ultimate computer system, or the best ISP. So, do what you can. You will find the best system for yourself, and you don't have to constantly upgrade if you don't want. But do get your feet wet. Don't be afraid to switch providers or experiment. I am writing this in March of 1998; if you're reading this a few months from now, call the Helpdesk at 915-5222 for the latest information. It will be worth it.

Table of Contents

EBook: Living in Oxford

Internet Service: please see the section on the University, Getting Connected to an Internet Service for information on how to get an on-line connection at your home.
Banking: Oxford has six institutions, each of which offers a wide variety of services to help you manage your money. What follows is a brief summary of the service that most of us require first: basic checking.
Bank of Mississippi: has two branches, one at 517 South Lamar and another at 1629 West Jackson Avenue. Their ATMs are located at the two branches (drive-through service) and at the Student Union on campus. Bank of Mississippi offers an "Absolutely Free Checking" account for students at Ole Miss with no minimum balance, no per check charge, automatic bank drafts, unlimited check writing, no monthly maintainance charge, first 200 Image Checks printed free, and MPACT ATM card with worldwide ATM access. They asked us to remind you that even "Absolutely Free" accounts have to have money in them to work; the standard Non Sufficient Funds (overdaft) charge of $22.00 applies to these accounts as well. Bank of Mississippi also offers a variety of other accounts including Regular Checking (free for those with balance above $800), premium Crown Services accounts, special options for people over 65, and INFOLINE call in banking. There is a fee of $1.00 for using your MPACT card at an ATM that belongs to another bank or financial institution.
First National Bank of Oxford: The folks at First National say that most of their student customers open First Checking Accounts. They require $100 minimum balance to open the account, and charge a maintenance fee of $3.00 for every statement cycle. They also charge a transaction fee of $.20 for every debit transaction (withdrawal, check paid, automatic transfer, or payment out of the account, including ATM withdrawals). Deposits at ATMs (without account numbers) cost $5.00. They charge $1.50 for cash withdrawl from nonproprietary ATMs. Their ATMs are located inside the main branch on the square, in the student union on campus, and--soon--at the University branch near the mall on Jackson Avenue.
Mechanics Bank: is located on University Avenue across from the Sonic, with a branch and ATM located inside Larson's Big Star food store (also on University Ave.). They offer a regular checking account with a minimum initial deposit of $100 and a graduated fee schedule. With monthly balance above $500 there is no charge; $400-$499.99 costs $3.00 per month, $300-$399.99 costs $4.00, and a balance less than $300 per month brings a fee of $5.00. There are no additional charges for the number of checks you write or deposits you make.
Merchants & Farmer's Bank: is located on Jackson Avenue on the Oxford Square, with branches in the Tradewinds shopping center on University Avenue and on West Jackson Avenue. ATMs are located at each of those locations and also at The Brittany Store, 1903 West Jackson (a gas and sip). Merchant's & Farmer's offers a Personal Valuechek account with a minimum opening deposit of $25.00 and a monthly maintenance fee of $2.95. The first order of checks and the "Max" ATM card are free. Your first 25 debits are free with debits over the limit costing $.20 each. All credit items (deposits) are, you guessed it, free. There is an early closing fee of $10.00 that will be assessed if the account is closed within 90 days of opening. There is an monthly ATM usage fee of $.50, a debit card fee of $.50 per month following the first (free) year. There is a $1.00 charge for withdrawal from a non-proprietary ATM. The Personal Checking option requires a minimum opening balance of $100 and requires a monthly balance of $500 to avoid a service charge.
SouthBank: is located on the North Side of the Oxford Square, with a drive-through branch just down the block on West Jackson. They offer a budget checking account that rquires a $100.00 minimum opening balance. They limit debit transactions to twenty per month, with additional transactions (withdrawal, check paid, automatic transfer, or payment out of the account) charged $.15 each. Cancelled checks are not returned with the statement. SouthBank offers Permacheck ATM and Debit cards with a separate schedule of fees, including $5.00 for a new card's PIN number set up and $1.00 per month charge (regardless of whether the card is used or not). SouthBank does not own an ATM in the Oxford area, but will refund up to five foreign ATM charges occuring on your monthly statement. SouthBank also offers a variety of services for those wishing to receive interest on their checking balance.
Union Planters Bank: is also located on the square, with a branch on University Avenue across from the Kroger. Their ATMs are located at the two branches (drive through on University Ave), at Baptist Memorial Hospital North Mississippi, and at WalMart. Union Planters offers a UP Budget Checking Account with one low monthly fee ($5.00 at the time of writing), 10 checks per month, and a charge of $.25 for each check over 10. This account also receives a free ATM card. UPPersonal Cheking allows you to avoid a service charge as long as you maintain a monthly service charge--which their literature fails to specify. The account allows for unlimited check writing, an Annie Cash Card with free, unlimited use or an Annie Check Card that works like a reusable check. They also have several interest-earning checking account available.
 
 

Residency and Voting:
Civic duty aside, it is a good idea to establish residency in Lafayette County (once you learn how to pronounce it) for monetary reasons. The M.A. program offers three years of funding, the Ph.D. five, and if you happen to remain at the university longer than that, you will want to pay in-state tuition rather than out-of-state. Procedures for establishing residency are quite simple: go to the second floor of the Courthouse and fill out two forms. You are then awarded official residence in Lafayette County and given a voting card which indicates where your voting station is located. After that, you'll need to get a Lafayette County license plate for your car. Do that on the first floor of the Courthouse. Car taxes and tags are relatively inexpensive in Mississippi, so it may be in your best financial interest to make this change as soon as you can. For the fiscal year 1998, for example, taxes on a 1995 Honda Accord amounted to approximately $87.00, although the primary charge to register your vehicle may be more than that.
Health Care:
Each graduate student receives information about the university-sponsored insurance plan each year. While it is an individual decision whether or not to sign up for this plan, most English graduate students opt not to. The plan is primarily major medical and horror stories circulate about what procedures are not covered. Even without the university insurance plan, any student who pays tuition can visit the Student Health Center for standard medical treatments. The doctor visits cost nothing, although any lab work is charged to the student. (Many graduate students get their flu shots at the Center.) The Center has a good, relatively cheap pharmacy, and any costs incurred at the Center can be charged to the student's Bursar account.
Due to a measles outbreak in the 80s, Ole Miss demands that each incoming student have a vaccination record indicating two MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) immunizations. If you cannot locate your vaccination record or only have had one MMR shot, you can get this immunization at the Student Health Center for a reasonable price.
Some graduate students prefer to find a way to acquire private medical insurance and to visit doctors and pharmacies in town. Most of them are very good, although many doctors' offices only file state insurance or Blue Cross/Blue Shield claims for the patient. This erstwhile graduate student recommends the following doctors: Anita Adams (GP), Mona Castle (GP), William Henderson (OBGYN), Harvey Leslie (DDS), and William Mayo (eye). Most doctors' offices are located near Baptist Memorial Hospital on South Lamar.
Child Care:
We did a quick survey of folks in the department with children in day care, and came up with three facilities that our colleagues use and endorse.
Willie Price University Nursery School is located on campus, in Meek Hall. They offer both full and half-day child care. The cost for a half day is $139.00 per month, while $225.00 will ensure full-day care for your child. There are additional costs, however, including an annual enrollment fee of $75.00 as well as an annual art supply fee of $25.00. The nursery accepts children from age 3, with potty training required. There is also a waiting list which varies in length from one semester to two, depending on the number of families applying.
Offering child care from a very young age (6 weeks pre-K) Mother Goose is the service most frequently used by our faculty members with children. Mother Goose provides all-day care at the following rates: for babies to 2 years of age, $300.00 per month; for children of 3 or older, $270.00 per month.
The First Baptist Church also provides full day care for ages 1-4. The prices are as follows: one year olds, $275.00; two year olds, $270.00; three and four year olds, $250.00.
There are a host of other options that can be found in the BellSouth yellow pages. Caring for children while you are in graduate school can be a terrific challenge. We wish you and your family the best of luck in finding a caregiving situation that fits your needs and means.
Animal Care:
You cannot go wrong in terms of animal care in Oxford. There are three clinics available for veterinary service: Animal Care Center, Animal Clinic of Oxford, and Lafayette Animal Clinic. Each has an excellent reputation, qualified doctors and staff, and emergency services. A regular checkup with vaccinations usually runs around $40.00. Basic pet supplies are available at Wal-Mart and you can buy pet food at any grocery store. If you require special pet food, it is available at any of the three veterinary clinics. If you are interested in acquiring a pet in Oxford, there is only one animal shelter -- the Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society on Highway 7. It is a small facility and, given the stray animal population in the area, must euthanize a goodly number of animals per year. However, the staff is dedicated and every effort is made to adopt as many pets out as possible. The shelter employs standard adoption procedures -- applicants must fill out an adoption form and agree to have the pet spayed or neutered within a given period of time. The staff tends not to visit the applicant's home, but they do reserve the right to do so. They will check to make sure that pets are allowed in the applicant's home, if s/he is renting, so don't try to pull a fast one. The adoption charge is usually around $45.00, the pet is given a vaccination on the spot, and the first veterinary visit is free.
The shelter staff usually recommend the Animal Clinic of Oxford, but the applicant can choose any of the three available clinics. Two staff members, Deniese Thweatt and Vicki Ferguson, will pet-sit, independent of the shelter -- just call the shelter to set up the schedule and payment with them.

Food:
For a town of its size, Oxford has a surprisingly large number of restaurants. You will find all the fast food places your heart might desire out on West Jackson and on University by Kroger, but if you are in the mood for something more than a Happy Meal, you might try some of the following places. As you explore Oxford, you will no doubt discover places where you like to eat, but in the mean time, here are a few suggestions for places that will fit most graduate students' budgets.
Like any respectable Southern town, Oxford has its share of barbecue places. Handy Andy's carries on the tradition of a barbecue place looking like a converted grocery store, right down to the torn screen door (unless they fixed it since I was last there). The booths are a bit torn and very comfortable, and in addition to barbecue at lunch and dinner, you can get a fried pie or a pork biscuit for breakfast. Not everyone knows that you can get barbecue at the drive through Rebel Barn. It's pretty good (I like the spicy sauce) and some people will kill for one of their barbecue sundaes (worth looking into: it's probably not what you are thinking). In the wintertime, this is the only place in town to get a cold beer--they store the beer outside and it reaches a nice drinking temperature. Pretty tricky, huh? Dixie Creek Barbecue is a little more chi-chi (in the sense that they bring you your order after you place it at the counter) and they have really good french fries. Dixieland Barbecue is also worth a try--find it in the corner beside Big Star.
Pizza places are ubiquitous in Oxford. No one seems to know why, but they pop up everywhere. You will probably just have to shop around to find your favorite, but here are a few places to try. Proud Larry's serves pizza by the slice during lunch and dinner. They put some herbs and stuff into their crust which I think makes it really good, but other people find it kind of distracting. Larry's also serves good salads, sandwiches, and pastas. Old Venice Pizza Co. Serves about a billion different kinds of pizza, with toppings that range from the exotic (pine nuts: yum!) to the everyday (pepperoni). Chances are you can find something you like there. You might also want to try Dino's and Pizza Den. In addition, there are two Pizza Huts (why, please, do we need two?), a Domino's, and a Papa John's.
Unlike pizza, ethnic food is not so easily found in Oxford. Of the Chinese places in town, Ruby Chinese seems to be most everyone's favorite. As the only Mexican restaurant in town, El Charro would probably get lots of business even if it wasn't really cheap and fast. Nobody pretends that it is authentic (with its canned salsa and processed cheese), but the waiters are friendly and darn if there aren't some nights (or days?) when those margueritas don't just hit the spot. Kalo's Tavern is a "Greek" restaurant that serves things like hummus and wraps. The food has been a bit inconsistent, but it has changed owners recently and so is certainly worth a try. Don Pancho's is a small and comfortable Caribbean restaurant that is run by a mother and son. The menu changes every day, but everything is fresh and well spiced. Try the catfish with garlic sauce--it is yummy. Be sure to bring wine with you if you want it; they do not have a liquor license. Make a reservation if you really want to eat here. A few restaurants around town will occasionally offer some ethnic dishes on their menu, particularly the Henry Cafe. The Henry doesn't serve meat--just fish--and this year, Thursday has been sushi night, and they offer an Indian plate on Saturday nights. Both of these have always been good bets, worth going out of your way for. By the time you read this, the Henry will have opened a tapas bar next door (The Jubilee Lounge). If the rest of the food is any indication, the new bar will be a welcome addition to Oxford.
Ajax Diner has good Southern food--I really like the twice-baked potatoes, and I smuggle the hush puppies home in my pockets. The Yocona River Inn is one of my favorite places to eat, not only because the food is really good (get a house salad--yum yum!), but the 10 mile drive makes me feel like I really have a life. Yocona is another brown bag place, and it is one of the only restaurants open on Sunday nights.
Of the two bakeries in town, Bottletree and Trigo Plant, I like the Trigo better, but since there is no place to sit down and eat there, it is really more of a place to pass through than a destination. The Bottletree has good coffee and substantial (if a little pricey) sandwiches at lunch. For heartier breakfasts and cheap plate lunches and dinners, check out Smitty's and The Beacon. Smitty's, incidentally, is the only place in town to serve breakfast all day long (excepting, of course, The Huddle House, which is much like Huddle Houses elsewhere). The Henry sometimes serves a fine Sunday brunch. If it is only a cup of coffee you are looking for, and maybe a light snack too, consider the cafe upstairs at Square Books. It's good, strong, New Orleans coffee, and if the weather is nice, there is no nicer view of the Square than from the balcony. And if you sip inside, you get to enjoy the smell of new books.
City Grocery and Downtown Grill are the two fine dining restaurants in Oxford. Both are too expensive for the typical graduate student's budget--unless you are dating a doctor in town--but perhaps you can think of them when a parent visits or a bond matures. The Downtown Grill offers typical country club fare--steaks, chicken, and pasta. Its dark wood and green carpet and waiters that don't quite know what they are doing reinforce this theme. City Grocery offers what is probably the most interesting food in Oxford. Its menu, which changes seasonally, often makes creative use of local ingredients and international influences. The wood floors and brick walls reveal its former life as a livery stable, but they also make for an interesting atmosphere. Beware--on busy nights and football weekends, those lovely walls often turn the restaurant into an echo chamber.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in the above essay are the opinions of our food guru and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editor of this book, the Department of English, the EGSB, or anyone else worth suing.
 

Entertainment: Things to do in Oxford (when you're not dead) . . .
Okay, so you've had a nice meal and you're itching to do something, but you're just not sure what that something is. Below is a list of some ideas that may eat up some of that spare time you know you should be spending academically. Hey, there are those days when reading another book of criticism just might make you scream. The following are ranked by the author and imply nothing other than one person's opinion--albeit an expert opinion.
Bars:
#1--The City Grocery: No, it's nothing like the name implies, although at one time it was a real mom and pop grocery store. The bar entertains a fairly laid back crowd--an equal mix of Oxonians and Ole Miss students (mostly graduate level). Talk over spirits is the status quo. Happy hour runs from 4-6 (1/2 price beer and well drinks). They've got a couple of televisions, so you can watch the latest SEC game. Features a local blues or jazz band weekly. They've a cd juke box and a shuffleboard table for those more adventurous types. For those warmer days, there's a balcony overlooking the square. The bar features odd artwork--the not-so-subliminal hidden word, and what's up with the upside down Christmas tree? The bartenders pride themselves in making the best drinks in town. Martinis and the Scotty Colada are specialties. A great place to bring or find a date.
#2--Murff's: It advertises itself as "The Center of Life" and although that's a bit debatable, a great sudsing place that serves great short order food. The mix tends to swing a bit toward locals, but not in an uncomfortable fashion. They have a fine deck for those nice spring-early summer days. Music tends to get loud as the night progresses. They've got a pool table, a dart board, a shuffleboard table, and the owners pride themselves in following sporting events on a pair of televisions. Murff's has a second downstairs bar that's open periodically. There are drink specials and bands by announcement. Their specialty is stiff well drinks.
#3--Proud Larry's: A great place to eat and drink if you don't mind the wait. Service is notoriously slow. Features the best bands in town, hands down. They have featured alternative, jazz, blues, and rock bands including Warren Zevon, Mose Allison, and the like. They've drink specials by announcement, often in conjunction with local sporting events. Clientele is mostly undergraduates.
 
 
 

Other Bars:
The Jubilee Lounge--Recently opened to rave reviews. Large pints of tasty imported brew are a bit pricy, but for quiet conversation and the company of friends, perhaps the best place in town.
The Gin--An undergraduate hangout. Serves food. Has a wonderful and huge outside bar during the warmer seasons.
The Sports Bar--An undergraduate hangout with great pool tables. Expensive pool rates.
Lyric Hall--Features bands in a concert-like setting.
To take a chance on: Holiday Inn, Duffy's, Forrester's, Opal's, Full Moon.
Movies: Well, there's only one place . . .
Cine 4: Located in the Oxford Mall, it's your standard small town theater. It has four screens as the name implies and shows mostly the big hits. A fairly good atmosphere, but if you really want to see that movie go to Memphis. For art films, small films, or films with three-syllable words, again you're bound for Memphis.
Movie Rentals:
As Seen on TV: Located on the Square, this place has an odd assortment of blockbusters, hard to find hits, art films, and weird films. A bit pricey, but they also sell beer. A truly odd and wonderful place.
Blockbuster: Just like the other thousands around the country. Has specials, the biggest numbers of the biggest hits.
Take Two: The place has two locations in town and you're liable to find a better selection of those harder to find favorites. Prices are good.
Video Midtown: A good selection of hard to find favorites--which in this case means that they have a lot of good movies and films, but they are physically hard to find on the shelves. They have a very odd way of arranging things. Figure on spending time actually finding what you're looking for, or make it easy on yourself and just ask. Good prices--and tanning in the back.
Readings and Lectures:
Square Books/Off Square Books: Owner Richard Howorth does an excellent job pulling in some of the biggest name writers of our time to read from and sign their books. Recent writers have included a cross-section of the finest popular, literary, and children's writers from across the United States. If you haven't read at Square Books, you're not a name. Watch for periodic announcements--usually a major reading every 2 weeks or so.
Sigma Tau Delta: Has an average of 4-6 readings per year. Features local and student writers and open microphone performances. Watch for announcements of place and time.
Brown Bag Lunches: Features readings and critical discussions over various topics of interest several times during each semester. Yes, you can bring your lunch. Watch for postings.
The English Department, as one might expect, does a great job in featuring literary and critical readers. Watch for announcements in the Daily Mississippian and around Bishop Hall.
Other readings not to be missed: John and Renee Grisham Visiting Writers Series, Oxford Conference on the Book, Faulkner Conference, Southern Writers/Southern Writing Conference, Savage Lecture, Longest Lecture (yes, that's the real name), etc.

Plays: Ole Miss has several play series throughout the year backed by the Theater Department and various conference tie-ins, in addition to sponsoring professional troupe visits periodically. They are usually good and fairly cheap. Order tickets ahead of time.
Outdoor Recreation--Camping, Fishing, Picnicking, Hiking:
#1--Sardis Lake: A rather large and fairly well kept National Park. Hiking, camping, picnicking are great. Fishing is rumored to be great although this writer has had little luck. Best non-boat fishing is off the dam. Stop by the Oxford Tourism Council for more specific information on Sardis and for information concerning other lakes in the Oxford area. For fishing and hiking trails, ask the eco-folk in the department and they'll point you in the right direction. The park hosts a great wetlands trail--don't laugh, it's not what you think. Remember in Mississippi fishing and hunting licenses expire in the middle of summer. Don't ask why; it's a Mississippi thing.
#2--Rowan Oak: While picnicking and such is not allowed at Rowan Oak, there is a well kept trail you can walk in Faulkner's woods. Takes about an hour, depending on how industrious you are.
#3--Avent Park: If you just want to play frisbee, ball, or have a nice picnic, it's a well-kept little park in town. It has a frisbee golf course and swing sets. Here's to the kid in all of us!

Other Things to Do (A Top 10 List):
#10--Go to Oxford's First Tuesday celebration #9--Watch power walkers from the City Grocery balcony #8--Visit the University Museum and student galleries #7--Spit into the kudzu from the University Street bridge #6--Attend an Associated Graduate Student Body meeting #5--Attend an English Graduate Student Body meeting #4--Attend a meeting of Cell Block 8 at Parchman Prison #3--Join Sigma Tau Delta #2--Try to guess how old that chicken on a stick really is #1--Tour Rowan Oak in your pajamas

Table of Contents

EBook: The QPages

Living Gay in Oxford and at Ole Miss

concerning issues relating to the individual freedom of sexual/political expression at Ole Miss

General Information:

In many ways Oxford, Mississippi is a typical Southern town: a sequin set in the country’s Bible Belt. Ostensibly, such classification places the University of Mississippi deep in the antagonistic corner away from any spirit of freedom in matters of sexual openness. Indeed, most of the undergrads on campus would probably consider sexual activity with someone of the same sex to be a sin. This judgement often stops all sincere critical thought on the matter.

This said, Oxford is atypical because of the presence of the University. Not ten years ago, tenured gay professors were in danger of losing their jobs at Ole Miss if they revealed their sexual identifications to be anything but heterosexual. Now, there are openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual teachers who can speak about issues of sexuality without having to rephrase or translate everything for “normal” students.

Currently, at Ole Miss as with most good schools, the battle wages on to stop homophobic ignorance from crystallizing into hatred. For every gain made by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Association or any other group at Ole Miss (e.g., a full page ad in the Daily Mississippian of students dressed in modest attire in front of the Lyceum and captioned, “Your Gay & Lesbian Colleagues Welcome You Back”), hostility has set back those same advances (e.g., a retraction from the DM and a series of ads taken out attacking the initial welcome message). The campus, in learning to accept people of various gender identifications and sexual orientations, is experiencing much of the difficulty it had in the sixties and seventies with simple acceptance of racial equality. And just as the war against racial bigotry continues, it looks like the University of Mississippi will be dealing with various other issues of acceptance for decades to come.

Helpful Numbers:

Oxford

• Lambda traditionally, a social group (listed in the Daily Mississippian or call the Wellness Center 915-3784)
  
• GLB&T Association traditionally, a social action group (listed in the Daily Mississippian or call the Wellness Center 915-3784)

Memphis

• ACT UP/Gay Liberation Movement: 226-6523
• Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA): 276-7379 @Memphis Lambda Center (MLC) Al-Anon (Co-dependency): MLC, 276-7379
• Alliance (levi/leather club): 4372 Kerwin Dr., Memphis TN 38128
• Amnesia (popular disco and drag bar $$$): 2866 Poplar, 454-1366
• American Gay Atheists (AGA) Memphis: Box 42371, Memphis 38174-1371
• A Novel Idea (gay-friendly bookstore): 2113 Madison (Overton Square), 276-8535
• Changes (popular woman's bar): 2586 Poplar, 452-9100
• Cotton Pickin' Squares (gay/lesbian square dance club): Thrs.@7 Prescott Memorial Baptist Church, 3956 Blue Spruce, Lakeland TN 38002; 387-1567
• Friends For Life (HIV/AIDS services group):1450 Poplar, Memphis TN 38104; 278-AIDS
• Gay and Lesbian American Indians: 725-4898
• Holy Trinity Community Church (largest gay/lesbian church in Memphis): 1559 Madison, 726-9443; Services: Sun, 11am & 7pm, also, Wed. Bible study: 7pm
• Integrity Memphis (Episcopal gay/lesbian christians): 525-6602
• Into the Light (women's AA): MLC; 276-7379
• Living Word Christian Church (gay-friendly mainstream Protestant denomination): 340 North Garland, 276-7379; Services: Sun, 10am & 6pm, also, Wed. 7pm
• Loving Arms (Support Partners for HIV+ Mothers & Babies: volunteers who hold babies at the Med): Shelia Tankersley, PO Box 3368, Memphis TN 38173; 725-6730
• Memphis Area Gay Youth (MAGY): PO Box 241852, Memphis TN 38124; contact: Jonathan Green: ujbgreen@msuvx1.memphis.edu
• Memphis Center for Reproductive Health: 1462 Poplar Ave; 274-3550
• Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center (MGLCC): Box 41074, Memphis TN 38174; 324-4297
• Memphis Lambda Center (MLC: a meeting place for 12-step groups): 1488 Madison, 276-7379, 726-6293, 527-1461, or 327-3676
• Memphis Pride, Inc. (gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgendered pride events): Box 3956, Memphis TN 38173; 393-7500; contact: Andy Cain
• Memphis TransGender Alliance (TV/TS support group): Box 11052, Memphis TN 38111-0052; contact: Barbara Jean Jansen
• Meristem (feminist & gender issues book store): 930 S. Cooper; 276-0282
• Mid-South AIDS Mastery Group: 767-2182; contact: Ronnie Gardino msaidmstry@aol.com
• Mystic Krewe of Aphrodite: Box 41822, Memphis TN 38174-1822
• National Organization for Women (NOW): Box 40982, Memphis TN 38174-0982; 272-0560
• New Beginnings (adult children of alcoholics): MLC; 276-7379 or 454-1414
• Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (P-FLAG): Box 172031, Memphis TN 38187-2031; 761-1444
• Phoenix AA: MLC; 454-1414
• Pipeline (well-established men's bar): 1382 Poplar; 726-5263
• River City Men's Chorus: Box 12837, Memphis TN 381182-0837; contact: Charles Friedman
• Safe Harbor MCC (Christian church): 751 N. Trezevant; 458-0501; pastor: Greg Bullard
• Seriously Sober (AA): MLC; 276-7379 or 454-1414
• Southern Country Memphis (country-western dance club): 278-9321 or 274-8655
• Southern Sisters (support group for transexual women--i.e., male to female): 728-4297 call from 7:30-11 pm for referral
• Tennessee Leather Tribe (men's & women's organization): Box 1034, Collierville TN 38027-1034; 357-1921
• Triangle Journal News (Memphis's gay newspaper): Printers Ink, Box 11485, Memphis TN 38111-0485; 454-1411; Fax: 454-1411 *51; email: TJNmemphis @aol.com
• Tsarus (L/L club--sponsor of Aida run in May): Box 41082 Memphis TN 38174-1082; contact: Greg Tanner
• University of Memphis Students for Bisexual, Gay & Lesbian Awareness (BGALA): BGALA c/o Office of Greek Affiars; Box 100, U of Memphis, Memphis TN 38152
• WAC (Woman's Action Coalition): Box 1203, 3566 Walker, Memphis TN 38111; 678-3339
• WKRB (well-established woman's bar): 1528 Madison; 278-9321

Regarding Unsolicited Solicitation:

Finding gay/gay-friendly partners or friends in Oxford can be difficult, but, that’s no different for “straight” people. Generally, the groups listed above are a good start towards networking with other, similarly open-minded companions on campus or in Memphis. As for meeting folks about town (i.e., cruising), another warning should be interjected. Watch out for traps or “sting operations” run by either UM Campus police or the City of Oxford police. These “crack-downs” most often occur in public rest rooms or wooded areas. Sources have reported being arrested for saying just a few suggestive words in these places. Usually, the police feel that they are doing a service to the citizenry; however, some police have been reported to arrest people for lewd conduct after having received sexual pleasure from those they arrest. With laws and court decisions so weighted against equal rights for all, many gays feel that extra precautions for same-sex relations have to be exercised, especially in typically cruisy areas.

Queer Theory/Gay & Lesbian Studies at Ole Miss

The English department at Ole Miss has many professors as well as students who are concerned about feminist as well as gender theory and queer issues. Even the few English teachers who have expressed their dislike of gays or gender deconstructionists seem to grade fairly despite their political opposition to equal rights. For the most part, teachers wish to know more about the exciting things happening as queer theory takes shape in the wake of Foucault. Expect, of course, to apply your knowledge of queer textual interpretation to the subject prescribed by the teacher so as to illuminate vital points about that subject, and then there can be little dispute as to the validity of your high grade.

Within the department, professors have expressed a wish to help students interested in queer theory or gay and lesbian studies including Dr. Karen Raber. Along with directing you towards texts (like, Judith Butler's Gender Trouble or Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick's Epistemology of the Closet) that help orient a student in the conflicts and hermeneutic tools of queer theory, she can also help you make sure the employment of your exegesis or tonality readings (e.g., coerced retraction or camp) are not only applicable but also used with the same precision required of all academic disciplines.

Bible Belt Mentality & Sexual Freedom

Many students at Ole Miss cannot fathom the complexities that shaped the interpretation of religious texts in the South. Often forgetting, or simply ignorant of, the use of the Bible as an oppressive tool against Blacks and women, even intelligent students will act as if condemnation of sex (any sexual activity other than procreative duty) is the only valid interpretation of the Word of God. Putting aside the fact that, for many people, the canonized Bible is no more the word of god than a joke on a Bazooka gum wrapper, those who do associate the Bible with divine inspiration are too often, in the South and throughout the Bible Belt, given interpretations of scripture that would seem to condemn: gays, those who've had or those who support the right to an abortion, effeminate behavior in men, or butch behavior in women, etc. Of course, other popular and still prevalent condemnations that some people distill from the Bible include: no cutting of hair for women, no consumption of alcohol (or other recreational chemicals--like, say, caffeine), no swimming with people of the opposite sex, no wearing of colorful clothing (e.g., many Amish Christians call those people who wear other clothes than black or white, "gay people"), etc.

The point here is that there are just as many Christian churches in the United States that support the rights of gays as there are churches waiting to condemn them. Also, in creating an ecumenical society between denominations, much tolerance must be afforded not only for someone else's personal restrictions, but also for personal liberties that others may not feel fitting for themselves. Locally, only a few branches of national Christian churches accept non-heterosexuals, including: the Society of Friends (Quakers), the Episcopal Church, and the Lutheran Church. On the national scene, one Christian church, the Metropolitan Community Church, has grown since the early seventies to become a substantial Christian church both in size and theological aptitude. While the MCC in Memphis is actually an evangelistic outreach of Covenant Metropolitan Community Church in Birmingham, Alabama, Safe Harbor MCC is a young, growing church for gay Christians and their supporters. Certainly of equal importance is Holy Trinity Community Church on Madison Avenue (1559) across from WKRB. A substantial congregation has existed at Holy Trinity for several years, and it is the largest area church for Christians not accepted elsewhere. Both Safe Harbor and Holy Trinity offer uncloseted worship of Jesus Christ for people of all gender descriptions and sexual orientations.

Two Questions Concerning Alternative Sexualities or Gender Constructs and Pedagogy:

Nearly all instructors have to decide daily if they must alter information for less experienced students. One choice, the blatant truth, is right for some, while some others choose to “bend” or fictionalize specifics of personal illustration. Once again, the English Department doesn’t restrict an open forum, but they do remind us that we have extra authority within the classroom forum. The choice of your classroom’s decorum regarding topic choice and diction will influence tendencies toward blatancy or circumlocution--both in speaking and writing.

What seems so ironic, though, is that the implicit mask of “passing” as straight often creates less direct and specific communication in the classroom, while at the same time, Freshman Composition teachers are often trying to teach their students to become more direct. Composition teachers, however, have the youngest, least experienced students to deal with. Some teachers feel that since most of their students are from conservative backgrounds (complete with conservative parents paying for their children’s education) that confronting students with examples and anecdotes outside of rigid lines of conformity will hurt their students’ ability to focus on the larger issue of precise, inventive writing. Other teachers feel that within the same anxiety that makes queer/gay/lesbian/bi-sexual/transgender issues or sexual choice such hot topics, the source of powerful thinking and writing springs forth self-evident to the student when allowed to explore such intimate feelings. So, while some find it hard enough to barrel through their students’ general resistance towards writing, others tackle hard questions to force students to write down and examine their own feelings, biases, and ideas.

Basically, it’s an unanswerable question. Some graduate instructors don’t even come out to their peers, much less to their students. Either path is tough, but each has its own benefits. Luckily, the University of Mississippi supports the ideals of academic standards over pure conformity and is, at least, wrestling with questions of individual rights.

Finally, a recent case within the English Department showed the rigor of Ole Miss’s commitment to professionalism within the classroom. A teacher had to confront several students in conference regarding their whispering and jeering about that teacher’s sexual orientation. With witnesses and the full support of the English Department, those students were advised to stop discussing issues that were not part of the subject being taught. They were told that their class grades at that point had dropped severely by their poor classroom participation grade. The issue, as all parties (and all but one of the students) confessed, was not over anyone’s sexual desires but, rather, over a lack of individual writing work and the concentrated focus needed for good workshop participation. Some of the students basically admitted that they only gossiped when they weren’t prepared for workshop. The teacher, rightfully, was commended for handling this situation.

Note: when discussing this question with this section's author, I forwarded the opinion that one could choose to leave sexuality outside the classroom. The author mentioned how heterosexual instructors/professors may mention wives or husbands, and asked whether this wasn't an expression of sexuality--which a homosexual professor or instructor might have to modify or avoid altogether.
I had to admit that sexuality does come out in the classroom, and no one can decide that outside experience must not enter into the classroom. Such a decision could not be enforced. I have heard professors mention their husbands or wives many times, especially in anecdotes or examples, or if their partners were also involved in relevant research.
These questions therefore are very important. If we wanted instructors without any personal relevance--without any personality--in the classroom, then we'd be better served by teaching machines, not human beings. Why should we expect one group to be more robot-like than the rest? --editor

The official US statistics as to the frequency of gay teenagers who commit suicide speak volumes: gay teens are two to three times as likely to try and are generally more successful in their attempts at suicide. Others, including myself, believe these numbers to be woefully below the actual incident rate. Self-shotgun fire has quelled the life of more than one Ole Miss student who couldn't accept the idea he might be gay. Nationally, incidents of alcoholism and drug abuse rise within the group of gay adults, especially among closeted gays; therefore, it's only reasonable to accept the possibility of heavy chemical usage as a means to dilute passions an Ole Miss student feels must be hidden from his/her peers. The presure to conform often crushes gay teens in one way or another.

What do you do when a student threatens suicide because he/she thinks he/she can't live in this world if that's who he/she really is? Have the student call the Wellness Center. If you're really concerned, then make sure this student has a counselor that he/she can talk with.

It's fine to discuss subjects with students in a professional manner outside of the classroom; however, it is of particular danger to the English teacher (like the music teacher or coach) that students will seek us out as trained counselors despite the availability of free counseling on campus. Particularly around finals or paper due dates, sudden outpourings of deeply hidden thoughts seem to burst forth from students who earlier may have seemed rather listless or excessively absent. As for the nature of these dangers they are several-fold: 1) to the student, 2) to yourself as a teacher & your career, 3) to the department, 4) to the school, 5) to the student body of graduate instructors, 6) to the general principles of ethical educational practices, etc. Watching a film like Oleanna, To Sir With Love, Dead Poets Society, or even Tea and Sympathy will give some bearing as to the dangers whereof I speak. Everything from suicide to sexual harassment to charges, like those placed against Socrates, of misleading the country's youth can be and have been placed on teachers who really challenge students to think and live without unfounded societal constraints. However, by passing the student on to people who are trained to deal with these conflicts, the teacher can usually assure better care for the student as well as, honestly, fewer legal dangers.

Some of the best advice, especially for writing teachers, is to invite those students having sexuality problems (or problems being accepted because of their sexuality) to use their journals and personal writing times for exploring those feelings. Without having to place a grade upon the work, the teacher can write to the student to observe certain passages or tendencies of each passage so the student can use writing as a tool to become more honest with him/herself. The same is true of any traumatic experience that the student might undergo.

So, if it's because they take their own lives from self-loathing or if it's because society forces the hemlock to the lips of young folks who might be anything but heterosexual, no one can say. But something is killing gay teens. Sedgwick points this out at in her essay "How to Bring Your Kids Up to be Gay" as she reminds us that so many institutions in American society (e.g., marriage, public life, a bussiness, education, acting, clerical or military career, etc.) reinforce mandated, gender-proscribed behavior as well as the need to punish those outside of those behavior guidelines. She also reminds us that a quarter of gay sons are "kicked out onto the streets" without any parental support when they refuse to try and be heterosexual. Please, do be sensitive to your students needs and issues, but remember not to overstep your abilities in trying to help, or to place yourself in danger of being manipulated. Ya'll take care
Mail the author of this section

Top
Accessed Saturday, July 04, 2009, at 02:22 PM CDT