http://www.denisegrollmus.com www.denisegrollmus.com Mon, 21 Feb 2011 06:04:07 +0000 http://www.denisegrollmus.com en http://www.denisegrollmus.com/The-Value-of-Ruins http://www.denisegrollmus.com/following/denisegrollmus.com/The-Value-of-Ruins Mon, 21 Feb 2011 06:04:07 +0000 www.denisegrollmus.com 1084209 is the "memoir" I'm currently writing. I use the term "memoir" with scare quotes because, while the story is told from the first person perspective, which is mine, the book is not necessarily about me. It's about family secrets, inherited trauma, personal memory vs collective memory, the Holocaust, ancestry, matriarchs, music, and the fear of disappearing. More to come soon...until then, please visit my old Poland travel blog, Czesc, Polska!, which contains a healthy dose of the research that will by synthesized into the book. http://www.denisegrollmus.com/Links http://www.denisegrollmus.com/following/denisegrollmus.com/Links Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:41:39 +0000 www.denisegrollmus.com 1082631 My PSU page Einstein Thompson Literary Agency (Literary Agent) Czesc, Polska! (my Poland Blog) My author's page on GoodReads.com The Ohio Knitting Mills True Crime Report (a Village Voice Media blog run by the illustriously awesome Pete Kotz) The MFA in Creative Writing @ Penn State Blog The Wall Between Us (my grandma’s book, my travel guide to Warsaw, the premise for my novel, The Value of Ruins) Modern Funnies (Ted Mallison's graphic novel rumpus) Rompe Los Moldes (the creative work of artist Elizabeth Gallardo) Rachel Mennies' Blog (poet with her finger on the pulse of writing and technology) Anne Trubek (essayist; academic; mother; book reviewer; author of "A Guide to Writer's Houses"; she does it all!) .project_index { display: none !important; } http://www.denisegrollmus.com/Web-Design http://www.denisegrollmus.com/following/denisegrollmus.com/Web-Design Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:38:21 +0000 www.denisegrollmus.com 1082594 Are you a writer? Looking to create a website to display your work? Don't have a clue how to get started? I happily do web design for writers and academics looking to build professional sites in order to display their work for prospective employeers/publishers/readers/students/family/pets. If you are interested in my services, email me. Let's talk about what you want aesthetically and structurally and we'll see if I can help you out. My prices are reasonable! Aside from designing this site here (with the awesome help of Cargo Collective), I have also designed the following sites: Jessica McKenna (coming soon) Figg Band, 2010 Other web design: The Black Keys Official Website and Online Store, 2002-2004 .project_index { display: none !important; } http://www.denisegrollmus.com/Contact-Me http://www.denisegrollmus.com/following/denisegrollmus.com/Contact-Me Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:31:23 +0000 www.denisegrollmus.com 1082317 email me at denise.grollmus@gmail.com follow me on twitter find me on facebook .project_index { display: none !important; } http://www.denisegrollmus.com/Pedagogy http://www.denisegrollmus.com/following/denisegrollmus.com/Pedagogy Sun, 20 Feb 2011 20:30:49 +0000 www.denisegrollmus.com 1081972 Since I've started teaching, it's been quite natural for me to incorporate technology into the classroom. Not only am I a fan of blogging, web design, online publishing, etc, but I find it to be the most useful tool in my writerly arsenal with regard to everything from networking to issues of audience. Furthermore, as a freelance journalist, I found more and more of my work being published solely online. In fact, online publications tend to be the bulk of my bread and butter. For that reason, I encourage my students to familiarize themselves with the art of writing online. Of all the places in which they can see their work doing work -- that is, communicating with the larger world around them -- the blogosphere seems to offer them just such an experience. The past two semesters, I've set up Blogspot blogs for my English 15 and 50 classes. I have also made it mandatory that each student create their own unique blog. Our class blog is used as a sort of virtual classroom -- where they check in for assignments, grading rubrics, supplementary readings, and additional information related to their lessons. Their personal blogs are the place from which they voice their opinions and ideas. I find that students are much more engaged when encouraged to write in such a public space. It is a bit jarring for them at first, but they soon embrace the format. My students last semester even stated that the blog assignments were one of the most useful parts of the class. Here are links to my class blogs: Spring 2012 Fall 2011 Spring 2011 Fall 2010 __________________________________________ Other writing on Pedagogy: "Pedagogical 'In Loco Parentis': Reflecting on Power and Parental Authority in the Writing Classroom" JoAnne Podis and Leonard Podis College English Vol. 70, No. 2 (Nov., 2007), pp. 121-143 Published by: National Council of Teachers of English Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25472257 My writing and research on the effects of In Loco Parentis relations between students and their professors was quoted and discussed within this piece. It was work I did while taking Len Podis' Pedagogy and Writing Course at Oberlin College, 2002. .project_index { display: none !important; } http://www.denisegrollmus.com/The-Ohio-Knitting-Mills-Book http://www.denisegrollmus.com/following/denisegrollmus.com/The-Ohio-Knitting-Mills-Book Sun, 20 Feb 2011 20:30:47 +0000 www.denisegrollmus.com 1081931 .project_index { display: none !important; }<img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/86972/1081931/ohio-knitting-milljpg-88139f57aad11327_large.jpg" border="0" width="432" height="345" width_o="432" height_o="345" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/86972/1081931/ohio-knitting-milljpg-88139f57aad11327_large_o.jpg" align="left" /> From the OKM website: "The Ohio Knitting Mills Knitting Book is a colorful trip through four decades of American style and culture as told through the remarkable OKM sweater collection. The book offers knitting patterns of 26 favorites from our archives: from Classic 40's and Fabulous 50's to Swinging 60's and Funky 70's. There are projects for men to wear, plenty of women’s sweaters, and other stylish knitwear, like the Mondrian Skyline pictured on the front cover. Working from the vintage patterns, we’ve updated the fit, fibers, colors, and styling. The result is a collection of projects, with something for every level, from beginning knitter to experienced pro. Join us in the fun of creating your very own Ohio Knitting Mills sweaters, hats, scarves, and bags!" From Book Page: "Fortunately, The Ohio Knitting Mills Knitting Book: 26 Patterns Celebrating Four Decades of American Sweater Style, by Steven Tatar with Denise Grollmus, does not require an interest in regional factory lore; this book is really a celebration of sweaters. I don’t even knit, yet found myself reading the whole thing, ogling the groovy garments of yesteryear and wishing someone would knit a few for me." John Petkovic's write up in The Plain Dealer An academic perspective from Worn Through. A really nice review from The Statesman Check out our five-star reviews on Amazon.com A really fun review from a native Clevelander who simply stumbled across the book in one of his favorite stores http://www.denisegrollmus.com/Published-Work http://www.denisegrollmus.com/following/denisegrollmus.com/Published-Work Sun, 20 Feb 2011 17:51:00 +0000 www.denisegrollmus.com 1081677 Books The Ohio Knitting Mills Knitting Book. Artisan/Workman Publishing, 2010. Buy it HERE. The Best American Crime Writing 2006, ed. Mark Bowden. Harper Perennial. Buy it HERE. Selected Clips "The Danger of Making Gods Out Of Men," LA Weekly (and other Village Voice Media Papers), November 11, 2011. Read it here. "The Drunkalogues," The Rumpus, May 17, 2011. Read it here. "Snapshots from a rock 'n' roll marriage," Salon.com, March 3, 2011. Read it here. “Jesus For Sale,” Cleveland Scene, October 31, 2007 Meet the real Rex Humbard, the father of televangelism fraud. Read here. “Hollow Victory,” Cleveland Scene, October 2, 2007 Bands accuse the “anti-corporate” label of being corporate at its worst. Read here. “The Tomato Can Man,” Cleveland Scene, August 8, 2007 Jim Holley produced America’s worst fighters, and he’s proud of it. Read here. “Amish Girls Gone Wild,” Cleveland Scene, March 14, 2007 Behind the bonnet is a girl who just wants to have fun -- and another beer, please. Read here. “The Great Pretenders,” Cleveland Scene, November 1, 2007 They’re defrauding the legends of soul -- and it’s perfectly legal. Read here. “To Rob a Predator,” Cleveland Scene, September 20, 2006 For one Iraq vet, Dateline inspired the perfect crime. Read here. “The Wrong Crowd,” Cleveland Scene, April 12, 2006 Steven Spade was beheaded by his friends. Not even the killers know why. Read here. “All The President’s Men,” Cleveland Scene, October 19, 2005 Meet the biggest predatory lender in Cleveland -- America’s new ambassador to the Netherlands. Read here. “Sex Thief,” Cleveland Scene, September 14, 2005 Over 25 years and six dropped rape cases, Hy Doan has perfected the art of stealing sex. This story was selected by Mark Bowden for The Best American Crime Writing 2006. Read here. “Suicide Bridge,” Cleveland Scene, June 8, 2005 Where bodies fall from the sky. Read here. “Kill Bill,” Cleveland Scene, March 30, 2005 Microsoft’s army of lawyers was no match for a kid from Kent State. Read here. “Sound Savior,” Wax Poetics, December 2004 If Radio Is Sound Salvation, Billy Bass Is Its Shaman. Read here. .project_index { display: none !important; } http://www.denisegrollmus.com/About http://www.denisegrollmus.com/following/denisegrollmus.com/About Sun, 20 Feb 2011 17:29:06 +0000 www.denisegrollmus.com 1081652 Denise Grollmus is a writer whose work has appeared in the 2006 Best American Crime Writing anthology, Salon, The Rumpus, Wax Poetics, Spin Magazine, The Akron Beacon Journal, The Cleveland Free Times, The Cleveland Scene, True Crime Report and other Village Voice Media papers. Born in Los Angeles, California, Denise was flung far from the West Coast to Akron, Ohio in 1992, where she learned to love Devo. Really Love DEVO. And pierogies. In 2003, she graduated from Oberlin College (where she wrote her honors thesis on, ehem, Devo). Before being hired by the VVM Empire in 2004, Denise attended the Academy for Alternative Journalism at Medill, where she stopped writing about Devo and started writing literary journalism about drunk Amish girls, mercenary boxers, bad politicians, and true crime. She is now working on her MFA in Creative Nonfiction at Pennsylvania State University, where she also indoctrinates the youth of the Midwest (and beyond) with her writing philosophy: namely supplementary readings from Gay Talese and Ann Lamott’s Bird by Bird. Denise is also the co-author of The Ohio Knitting Mills Knitting Book on Artisan/Workman Publishing. It’s not just a book for knitters, but anyone who can appreciate American cultural history, fashion, Mid-Century Modern design, and industrial history. It’s a colorful yarn through the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s! .project_index { display: none !important; } http://www.denisegrollmus.com/Curriculum-Vitae http://www.denisegrollmus.com/following/denisegrollmus.com/Curriculum-Vitae Sun, 20 Feb 2011 16:45:30 +0000 www.denisegrollmus.com 1081527 Areas of Interest Creative Writing: Craft of Creative Nonfiction; Literary Journalism; Memoir and the Personal Essay; Essay of Ideas; Narrative Nonfiction Scholarship: Post-1900 American Literature and Culture; Narrative Nonfiction; Memoir; Memoirs of Addiction and Recovery; Jewish American Literature; Holocaust Narratives; Trauma Theory; Identity; Cultural and Critical Theory; Contemporary Jewish Identity in Polish Culture; Production and Reception of Popular Culture Education 2012 M.F.A. in Creative Writing/Nonfiction, Pennsylvania State University 2003 B.A. High Honors in English with a Concentration in Contemporary Culture and Media, Oberlin College Publications Books The Ohio Knitting Mills Knitting Book, New York: Artisan, 2010. With Steven Tatar. Anthologies “Sex Thief,” The Best American Crime Writing 2006. Ed. Mark Bowden. New York: Harper Perennial, 2006. 293-307. Periodicals (selected list of essays and narrative journalism) “The Danger of Making Gods Out of Men,” LA Weekly, November 11, 2011 "The Drunkalogues," The Rumpus, May 17, 2011 "Snapshots from a rock 'n' roll marriage," Salon, March 3, 2011 “Jesus For Sale,” Cleveland Scene, October 31, 2007 “Hollow Victory,” Cleveland Scene, October 2, 2007 “The Tomato Can Man,” Cleveland Scene, August 8, 2007 “Amish Girls Gone Wild,” Cleveland Scene, March 14, 2007 “The Great Pretenders,” Cleveland Scene, November 1, 2007 “To Rob a Predator,” Cleveland Scene, September 20, 2006 “The Wrong Crowd,” Cleveland Scene, April 12, 2006 “All The President’s Men,” Cleveland Scene, October 19, 2005 “Sex Thief,” Cleveland Scene, September 14, 2005 “Suicide Bridge,” Cleveland Scene, June 8, 2005 “Kill Bill,” Cleveland Scene, March 30, 2005 “Sound Savior,” Wax Poetics. December 2004. 28-30. Academic/Scholarly Publications “Navigating Coterritorial Identity in Alfred Kazin’s A Walker In The City," Under Consideration, 2011 “The Truth Can Now Be Told: The Deconstructive Possibilities of Devo,” BA, 2003, Oberlin College Honors Theses. Work Under Consideration "Exhibit A," an experimental essay exploring the tensions of family history. "No Safe Distance," a first-person account of writing True Crime. "Dinners Done," humor/flash fiction. Work in Progress The Value of Ruins. A Memoir. Teaching Experience 2010-present Teaching Assistant, Department of English, Pennsylvania State University English 15: Rhetoric and Composition English 50: Introduction to Creative Writing Writing Tutor, Undergraduate Writing Center, Pennsylvania State University One-on-one weekly tutor for students enrolled in ENGL15, ESL15, ENGL4 2001-2002 Writing Tutor, Department of English, Oberlin College Freshman Colloquium: Shakespeare and Memory Freshman Colloquium: Contemporary American Fiction Awards and Distinctions 2011 Bunton-Waller Award, Pennsylvania State University Full tuition, paid teaching assistantship, summer research grant Travel Grants, Pennsylvania State University Funding awarded by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Department of English, as well as funding awarded by the Jewish Studies Program for travel expenses to both the 2011 Sirenland Writers Conference in Positano, Italy and the 2011 Jewish American and Holocaust Literature Symposium in Miami Beach, FL. John Woods Scholarship, Prague Summer Program Award towards tuition for 4-week intensive program 2010 Bunton-Waller Award, Pennsylvania State University Full tuition, paid teaching assistantship, summer research grant 2007 Ohio SPJ Awards, 1st Place, Arts Reporting Ohio Excellence in Journalism, 2nd Place, Features Ohio Excellence in Journalism, 2nd Place, Sports 2006 Best American Crime Writing (edited by Mark Bowden) Ohio SPJ Awards, 1st Place, Best Consumer Reporting Ohio SPJ Awards, 2nd Place, Best Coverage of Minority Issues Ohio Excellence In Journalism, 1st Place Public Service Ohio Excellence In Journalism, 2nd Place Community/Local Coverage Ohio Excellence In Journalism, 2nd Place Technology Writing Ohio Excellence In Journalism,1st Place Community/Local Coverage 2005 Ohio Excellence In Journalism 2005, Best in Ohio: Essays Ohio SPJ Awards, 2nd Place, Best Social Justice Reporting 2004 Fellowship, The Academy of Alternative Journalism, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University Workshops, Lectures and Conference Presentations 2011 “Navigating Coterritorial Identity in Alfred Kazin’s A Walker In The City," Jewish-American and Holocaust Literature Symposium, Miami Beach, FL, November Participant, Sirenland Writer’s Conference and Workshop, March-April Guest Lecture, English 415: Creative Nonfiction, Penn State University, March Talk on the Memoir Writing Process 2010 Panelist, “Jewish Culture in Maira Kalman’s Work,” Institute of Contemporary Art, April University of Pennsylvania 2007 Panelist, “Literary Journalism Panel Discussion,” English Department, Oberlin College 2006 Guest Speaker, "Literary Journalism," Rhetoric 202: Advanced Composition, Oberlin College Editorial Experience 2009-2010 Contributor, Village Voice Media, Truecrimereport.com 2004-2008 Staff Writer, Cleveland Scene 2003-2004 Reporter, The Akron Beacon Journal 2003 Newsroom Intern, The Akron Beacon Journal 2002-2003 Pop Music Critic, The Cleveland Free Times Languages Spanish (native language) and German (1999-2000: worked as an au pair in Vienna, Austria, studied German at the Universität Wien). Four years of Latin and one year of Ancient Greek. Currently studying Polish. References email me for references .project_index { display: none !important; }