Oakland University
Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Authors at OU 2011: Celebration of the Journal Article


 Authors at OU 2011: Celebration of the Journal Article


On March 23, 2011, the Senate Library Committee and Kresge Library welcomed faculty to the sixth annual Authors at Oakland. This event gives the community a chance to honor authorship among the OU faculty by displaying and featuring their works. By drawing a large audience every year in March, the Authors at Oakland event has become an anticipated tradition.

In the spirit of alternation, books and book excerpts are the focus one year while journal publications will take the stage the following year. The 2011 event honored journals, and over 100 people were in attendance as two of OU’s authors presented and discussed the content of their research. In doing so they represented all of the authors who submitted articles this year.

Jeffrey Insko, Associate Professor of English, discussed his work “The Logic of Left Alone: The Pioneers and the Conditions of U.S. Privacy,” (published in American Literature in 2009). In his publication, Professor Insko analyzes the thematic role of privacy in James Fenimore Cooper’s The Pioneers (1823), and the unlikely similarities in the violent event that transpired at Ruby Ridge, Idaho in 1992.

His work reveals insight on how we define privacy in the U.S., and how our varied ideas of privacy have created societal paradoxes in the last 200 years. Professor Insko enthusiastically presented his work, expressing the humor and ambiguity that continues to shape privacy in the U.S. through an array of historical events and literary anecdotes.



Laura Pittiglio, Assistant Professor of Nursing, presented her research and findings in “Coping with HIV: Perspectives of Mothers,” (published in Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care in 2009). Her study explored how HIV-infected mothers cope with the virus. Professor Pittiglio’s research reveals how these courageous women find strength, happiness, and renewed vigor for life. Her interest on the subject dispelled mainstream misconceptions about HIV, and how being diagnosed with it has shifted from ‘death sentence’ to a ‘renewed lease on life.’

Both speakers engaged in dialog with the audience in question-and-answer sessions after their presentations. Before and after the presentations, attendees surveyed the many books on display.


Join us for future events like this at Kresge Library.
 For detailed information see Kresge Library News.





Created by Sarah Brooks (sjbrooks@oakland.edu) on Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Modified by Sarah Brooks (sjbrooks@oakland.edu) on Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Article Start Date: Wednesday, February 23, 2011