Renate Eigenbrod Mentorship Lunch
The Renate Eigenbrod Mentorship Lunch is held every year at ILSA’s annual gathering. This event provides an opportunity for mentorship in varying “literary” capacities, as defined and requested by you. Each year, we ask interested presenters and attendees what kind of mentorship they are seeking, then pair them with enthusiastic mentors.
Mentors and mentees come in all walks of life! If you have knowledge to share, we encourage you to sign up to be a mentor. If you’re seeking guidance in something you’re new at, we encourage you to sign up as a mentee.
Lunch is on us, we provide optional ice-breakers and activities to fill awkward silences, and while we encourage our mentors and mentees to stay in touch, it’s a low-stakes way to meet new people, share knowledge, and strengthen the ILSA community.
FAQs:
Q: What kinds of “literary” mentorship are available?
A: Because this event depends on mentors’ availability and their attendance at ILSA’s annual gathering, it varies each year. However, in past years, we’ve had mentors offer advice in creative writing, scholarship, tenure and promotion, peer review, job applications and job talks, monographs and working with an academic publisher, writing a dissertation, community-engagement, comprehensive exams, etc.
Q: Do I need to be a student to sign up as a mentee?
A: Absolutely not! We welcome anyone seeking guidance in something specific to sign up as a mentee. For example, if you’re an established scholar but new to writing poetry and are seeking guidance, we can pair you with a more experienced poet. If you are an Associate Professor preparing to submit your file for promotion to full professor, we can find someone who has gone through that process to chat with you.
Q: Do I need to be an “established” scholar to be a mentor?
A: Absolutely not! If you feel able to provide guidance to someone in any specific field, please do consider becoming a mentor with ILSA! If you’re not sure, we encourage you to reach out to the graduate student representative, here.
Q: How do I sign up?
A: Those wanting to volunteer as mentors for this event can click the “Become a Mentor” button on our Renate Eigenbrod Mentorship Lunch Registration Page. Those seeking mentorship can click “Become a Mentee.” Please be sure to identify the area in which you feel comfortable mentoring or for which you’re seeking mentorship.
