UNC Student Organization for Undergraduate Literature

English majors & minors, as well as students in other fields who are interested in literature, are welcome to attend!
The group is an opportunity to meet fellow lovers of literature, but also explore the English Department and the resources it can provide for you professionally and academically.

Attention poetry lovers!

Are you a poet? Or do you just love reading the greats – from Shakespeare to Heaney, from Keats to Angelou? SOUL is hosting a coffeehouse gathering this Thursday, March 25th at 5 PM in Donovan Lounge, and FOOD WILL BE PROVIDED! Come out to hear UNC’s own Dr. Joseph Fletcher and Dr. Chris Murray from Michigan State University speak on “What makes a good poem?”

We’ll also have a low-key discussion on poems and poetry-writing, followed by an open mic session. So bring a poem – or three! – of your own work or by a favorite author. Anything goes - See you Thursday!

Are you looking for something good to read? In need of some thought-
provoking discussion? Come to the SOUL Book Club's first meeting of the semester! Our first book choice is Nabakov's "Lolita." The discussion and Book Club information session will be held on October 28th at 6 PM in the Donovan Lounge. Hope to see you there!

Today's Oscar Wilde/English Major party will be held from 3:30 PM and 5 PM in Donovan Lounge. Come meet other English Students, learn about the major, and CELEBRATE OSCAR WILDE! There will be readings, videos, and food!

Our first event of the year will be held Monday, September 28th, between 4 PM and 6 PM in Donovan Lounge. Bring a mix CD that will matter for literary types, if you want to join in the exchange. Or just catch up with returning SOUL members and meet the new folks- all while enjoying awesome literary music AND delicious coffee and food. See you there!

So, Chuck Palahniuk wrote Fight Club. Everyone has heard of it. Most people have seen the movie, but the book is a different story. It's sort of hard to read, every sentence is packed, and it's one of the few times I've found the movie to be better than the book.

But Invisible Monsters is just completely different. Different from anything I've read, actually, and possibly different from anything written. Strange is an understatement...

It starts off with a super model who has just had her jaw blown off, and then she meets a transsexual, currently undergoing surgery to become a woman. Add in an ex-fiance, a trip across country, and one confusing plot twist after another, and you can enjoy one of the weirdest books of your life.

It'll also explain the lyrics to Panic! at the Disco's song "Time to Dance"...Possibly leading to a more disturbing ending than just not know what the song means.

Here is the link to the Wikipedia summary:

DO NOT READ IT IF YOU DON'T WANT TO RUIN IT FOR YOURSELF!
You might see the ending coming, but you definitely will if you read the summary!

Give it a try, the only downside is you might have to buy it, since it doesn't seem to be in either our libraries, or in the Chapel Hill Public Library. If you hate it, you could always donate it to the library, and then it would have a copy!

Enjoy!

To be such a well known novel, I found it really hard to find a good intro to put up here. It's a novel that most people have heard of but now I've got to wonder how many have really read it. Here's my lame attempt to give you a tiny version of what you could find on the book jacket.

Alex, our anti-hero, leads a small gang in a futuristic society...And they are up to no good. After some very disturbing and graphic scenes, Alex ends up in prison and is forced to undergo the Ludovico Technique, which is essentially hardcore aversion therapy.

Things you might want to know:
1. The book was published in 1962 by Anthony Burgess.
2. If you're too lazy/busy/cool to read it, here's a sparknote summary: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/clockworkorange/summary.html
3.This book does what it wants with the English language. There is a set of made up slang, called Nadsat. there's a good chance there's a glossary in the back of the book, but there's also a good chance there isn't. Here's a link to a dictionary http://soomka.com/nadsat.html but you don't need it. It just takes a little practice. It can be frustrating, but if you give it a chance you'll probably realize it's pretty cool.
4. It's a movie by Stanly Kubrick, and a fairly celebrated one at that. Yes, it's graphic. Yes, it's disturbing. Yes, you should definitely see it. The IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066921/combined and 65-DVD6451 is the number if you want to check it out of the MRC (It's free!)

Most of all, just try to enjoy it. It's not for class or anything, you don't even have to take notes!

On January 22nd we will hold our first Writers Resurrected film festival. The idea is not to show entire films but to have people give brief presentations showing bits of a film and having some discussion. Leave a comment if you want to present something. So far we have:

No Country for Old Men--Dan Anderson
Something TBD--Jake Clayton

Here are some links and resources for advising for Fall 09 registration:

There will be two online advising sessions where you can come to the SOUL Web site and get advice about classes. Here are the dates and times:

• Monday March. 30th from 9-11pm
• Monday April. 6th from 9-11pm

To join the advising chats, follow this link to the chat room.

You can also post to the advising forum

In addition there will be walk-in advising hours on Monday March 30th 22 from 10-12 in Greenlaw 533 and Monday April 6th from 11-1 in Greenlaw 533. Tyler Curtain also has office hours--check the door in Greenlaw 211. You can also speak with Mark Richardson in Greenlaw 210 most anytime or contact Mark Richardson, Tyler Curtain, or Daniel Anderson about advising issues.

Here are some helpful resources:

Fall 09 Course Descriptions

The Registrar's Calendar

The Arts & Sciences Academic Advising Resources

So at our reading/get-together on Wednesday (great turnout, by the way, thanks everyone for coming out!) a few people had mentioned wanting to see this.

I thought I'd throw it back out there. I'm not sure how long it's going to be at the Varsity, but I think it's definitely a good idea! Thoughts?