CLIC@JDHL Blog

On April 10th, the Writing, Language, and Literature Department hosted a special event in the Jim Dan Hill Library to mark the 100th anniversary of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. The celebration featured a captivating presentation by Dr. Deborah Schlacks and Dr. Joel Sipress, who explored the novel’s rich history and cultural impact.

The event drew an enthusiastic crowd of students, faculty, staff, and community members, sparking a lively discussion about the enduring legacy of Fitzgerald’s iconic work.

A beautifully curated display, created by Jade Jensen, highlighted various copies the novel and related works, while flyers designed by library student worker Hannah Copenhaver promoted the event with trivia and quotes from the book.

It was an inspiring evening that honored a timeless classic and brought literature lovers together in thoughtful conversation.

The following presentation was created by students in Dr. Emilee Howland's ENGL 352 course. Students recently read Silence: A Thirteenth-Century French Romance by Heldris de Cornualles, translated by Sarah Roche-Mahdi. The novel tells the story of Silence, a young woman raised as a man in order to inherit her father’s wealth. As Silence navigates a world that demands conformity to gender roles, the text explores themes of identity, gender fluidity, and societal expectations. In response to the novel, students created projects that examined gender roles in the Middle Ages, reflecting on how historical, religious, and cultural forces shaped the lives of men and women during this time.

Thanks to Natasha Schumacher for contributing today’s post!

Fall and winter holidays are coming, and you know what that means…FOOD! I’ll be enjoying comfort food, fancy food, Friendsgiving food, and simmer-all-day-while-you-try-to-fit-cooking-into-your-hectic-holiday-schedule food. I love it all.

This seasonal turn towards cooler weather also encourages us to spend more time cuddled up in cozy spots with our favorite books. This week I’m combining my love for books with my appreciation of food.

Have you ever read a book which described a meal so deliciously that it made your mouth water and your taste-buds tingle? There are many cookbooks and recipes out there now that are based on our literary loves, such as The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, or The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook. Some authors go the extra mile and list recipes for their narrative vittles at the end of each book (like Diane Mott Davidson and Ellie Alexander).

Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series focuses on a female assassin with a passion for chocolate cake. The description of this decadent, rich, chocolatey goodness reminds me of my mom’s seven-layer chocolate cake. This cake is infamous among our family and friends because my mom only makes it for our Christmas Eve open house (also repurposed for Christmas breakfast). The cake itself is just made from a boxed devil’s food cake mix (putting plastic wrap over it after it has slightly cooled helps keep the cake moist), but the frosting is a secret family recipe. I will say that the original recipe used quite a bit of Parkay, but that brand of margarine no longer exists, so it has been modified over the years. Either way, Celaena Sardothien would definitely approve of this cake after a hard day of assassin’s work.

What is a literary food item or book-inspired recipe you’d like to try?

About the Author:

Natasha is word nerd, bibliophile, and connoisseur of cheesy dad jokes. She likes to pair her trivia with a good local cider.