afterMAPH

We here at MAPH would like to thank all of the alums who came out (despite the cold) and made the MAPH Alum Happy Hour a very successful and enjoyable event! Old friends met and discussed over tasty finger foods (the friend mushrooms really were incredible) and frothy pints (you didn’t even have to dig through a bucket of ice for it–although there will always be that prized moment of finding the last “good” beer, even if you develop frostbite in the process…).

We hope you all had fun and we look forward to seeing you at future events. Keep your eyes open for an announcement when we all thaw out this spring.
Send us a post and tell us your tales of rekindled friendships and rehashed philosophical debates. Any pictures? Send those too!

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Eleven MAPH Alums have contributed to the latest issue of Contrary, an online literary magazine founded and run by MAPH Alums.

In the latest addition there’s fiction by B.E. Hopkins, aka Brandon Hopkins (MAPH ‘03), who’s been living as an expatriate in Paris and writing stories like “The Halcyon Days of War.” Brandon appears alongside some other amazing and accomplished writers, including Laurence Davies, a Welshman who edited the Collected Letters of Joseph Conrad, Mark Spencer, a novelist and the dean of Humanities at the University of Arkansas, and Robert Gibbons, who edits Janus Head and regularly writes for Alexander Cockburn’s Counterpunch. (Some of you read that commie broadside, I know.) Also check out poetry by UofC undergrad Kristiana Colón. Oh, and poetry by Contrary regular Amy Groshek, whose first book is coming out in February.

And there are book reviews by Shaindel Beers (Maph ‘00), Jeff McMahon (’02), Leigh Knittle (’05), Mike Frechette (’05), Thea Brown (’05), Laura M. Browning (’06), David M. Smith (’07), Michael Andrews (’07), Linda Smith (’07), Shevi Berlinger (’07).

Check out this and previous editions at www.contrarymagazine.com

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It’s been far too long since our last alumni event, so I’d like to invite any and all MAPH alums who plan to be in Chicago the evening of December 6th to shamble on down to Jake Melnik’s Corner Tap and let us treat you to yummy appetizers and drinks.

If free food and beverage sounds like a great way to spice up your holiday season then visit the MAPH Happy Hour page and click “Sign up” to make your RSVP. If clicking that link sounds like way too much technology for you, feel free to send an email to Braden Grams.

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MAPH Alum Kristin Scott shares her very insightful advice on how to get your foot in the door when applying for teaching positions. Thanks Kristin!

Some advice for new MAPH graduates and those looking for their first teaching positions:

Over the last couple of years, I’ve had a few folks come my way asking about how to get their foot in that often hard-to-open teaching door. Continue Reading »

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Often find yourself in an awkward situation? Having a party but you’re not sure of the correct way to keep away uninvited guests? Have you recently had an interaction with someone and you don’t know the proper way to respond? You’re in luck. Former MAPHer Jim Steichen (2007), in addition to his other life activities and pursuits, has created “Human(e) Behavior, a blog dedicated to reclaiming the practices of etiquette. His blog invites readers’ questions about daily awkward living situations and he deftly gives advice on how to navigate these tricky occurrences in a more thoughtful manner.
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The next travel installation from MAPH Alum Adrian Hall….

Hi guys!

Since last I wrote you all:

I was happy to leave Bangkok behind because after a week the incredible pollution and stink wore away some of the City’s initial charm, such as it is. But first I had to have my lunch with my Philipino friend from the weekend market. She picked me up in a taxi near my hotel and we drove to her family’s house, which was a nice-ish bungalow kind of place. I met her brother, Alex and her cousin. I thought it was strange that her sister wasn’t there though, the whole reason behind this lunch date. Continue Reading »

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Jennifer Shook graduated from MAPH in 2005 and is currently doing work at Chicago’s Caffeine Theatre. She submits this post with the hopes of generating conversations with other (After)MAPHers after being inspired by her work with the theatre company.

Caffeine and Translations–and Caffeine Theatre’s TRANSLATIONS

The same week I started in MAPH, Caffeine Theatre premiered its first show. For the past three years, I’ve been working as the Artistic Director of Caffeine Theatre, and striving to make the same kinds of connections through our performances and programming that I tried to make in my U of C classes. The kinds of connections that get people talking. About important things. Because if we don’t talk about the Big Questions, how can we begin to work them out?
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Joel Witmer, graduate of MAPH in 2007 spent many of his MAPH days like the rest of us, slaving at the Regenstein, reading and “unpacking” scholarly articles, trying to make some sort of argumentative claim…about anything, really. But, while the rest of us spent our free time at Jimmy’s, Joel was working furiously on his Ohio-based sports blog, The Disappointment Zone…and then coming to Jimmy’s.
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Adrian Hall graduated from MAPH in 2006 and worked for the program as a mentor the following year. Recently he has taken off on a journey across the globe and he has been kind enough to divulge us in his travel stories (through which we can all now live vicariously….). Keep an eye out for frequent updates.

I’ve been in Bangkok for 5 days now and have just found an internet cafe here in the Sukhumvit subway station.
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Running from October 27 through November 11 the Chicago Humanities Festival returns to Chicago for its 18th year. The theme this year is “The Climate of Concern,” working in conjunction with the Chicago Festival of Maps. Every year this festival runs throughout the various cultural institutions in Chicago, bringing lecturers, panel discussions, and music and dance performances Continue Reading »

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