Last Call for SNL Writing Showcase Entries!

All current SNL students are invited to submit their work to the annual SNL Writing Showcase. The showcase celebrates student writers by publicly honoring the best submissions at the Spring Awards luncheon in June. Apply on or before April 1st, 2012 by visiting http://www.snl.depaul.edu/writing/WritingShowcase.html.

Questions? Email snlwriting@depaul.edu.

The poetics of praxis carries with it the discourse of pedagogical institutions.

The above sentence was created with University of Chicago's online random academic sentence generator. Check it out by visiting: http://writing-program.uchicago.edu/toys/randomsentence/write-sentence.htm

The generator is a fun way to start thinking about intentional word choice and sentence construction.

How does it work?

You are asked to select from a list of phrases:

From the list of noun phrases, the subject of the sentence plus a preposition (poetics of) and the object plus preposition (discourse of).

From the list of modifying phrases, the phrase that modifies the subject (praxis) and the phrase that modifies the object (pedagogical institutions).

Finally, from the verbs list, a verb or verb phrase (carries with it).

Next, the program assembles the phrases in a typical sentence pattern:

Noun Phrase + Modifying Phrase + Verb + Noun Phrase + Modifying Phrase.

Simple as that! Who knew academic writing could be so easy?

Spring Quarter AP and ILP Workshops

These workshops are for any SNL student working on Advanced Project or Independent Learning Pursuits. Sponsored by the UCWbL, the forums allow students to discuss their projects with other students, Writing Center tutors, SNL faculty, and a librarian. Discussion will focus on how to generate ideas for topics, begin research, and manage the project once it begins. Faculty are welcome to attend.

Dates are tentative. Exact locations and times TBA:

Tue 4/17 - Loop AP
Sat 4/21 - Oak Forest AP
Sat 4/28 - Naperville AP
Sat 5/5 - O'Hare AP
Tue 5/8 - Loop ILP

Calling All Fiction Writers!

Are you a full-time student who enjoys writing fiction? If so, check out these writing competitions offered through the Norman Mailer Center.

The Four-Year College Writing Award Competition is open to current full-time undergraduate students. Maximum length of entry is 15 single-spaced pages. Winner will receive the following:
• Cash award of $10,000
• Scholarship to the Norman Mailer Writers Colony during the summer of 2013
• Travel and lodging* to attend the Colony’s National Award Ceremony
Students may submit one or more stories (within the page limits) or a self-contained section of a longer work (for example, from a novel). Submissions may be “conventional” or “experimental” and may represent any fiction tradition. However, the best work will demonstrate compelling literary merit.

The Poetry Award is open to full-time students enrolled in four-year colleges, two-year colleges, junior colleges, and technical colleges. Students may submit one or more poems, to a maximum of 10 pages. The winner will receive:
• Cash award of $5,000
• Travel and lodging* to attend the Colony’s National Award Ceremony

Entries for both awards will be accepted until April 30, 2012, Noon CDT. For more information, or to enter, visit: http://www.ncte.org/awards/student/nmwa.

Feel free to pass this onto other students who might be interested in this exciting award! Questions? Please email: nmw@ncte.org.