Dr. Dennis F. Bormann
Biography
Having just finished my 27th year at Claflin University, I still feel privileged to interact with such a fine group of colleagues, and more importantly, the fine young minds attracted to the experience of Claflin University.
For many years I served as Claflin’s FAR (Faculty Athletic Representative) to the NCAA, from its inception into the NCAA until last year. I also coached Claflin’s Honda Campus All-Star Challenge Team for over a dozen years, including a televised game for making it to the Elite Eight.
My passion in teaching has always been Creative Writing. Through a core of passionate writing teachers we instituted a concentration in Creative Writing for the English Major, as well as a Minor in Creative Writing. Over the years I have had some fine individual writers cross my path, and this last year was no exception—in fact, the two Advanced Workshops in Fiction and Poetry respectively were the best group of writers I’ve ever had in an undergraduate class. WRITERS! Please come to Claflin University!
Here’s the rest of my information:
Dr. Dennis F. Bormann started teaching in the English Department at Claflin in the Fall of '94. His degrees are a BA in Literature (School of American Studies) from Ramapo College of New Jersey, an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) from Vermont College, and a Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University (Creative Writing & Postmodern American and British Literature).
Dr. Bormann is also a published fiction writer (novel: Airboat), a Fiction Editor for Main Street Rag, a literary journal, and has won "The Hunter Award" for best teacher of the year. As an editor Bormann published two titles of literary anthologies, Suicidally Beautiful (w/Stephen Taylor) a collection of fiction about sports, and stories and poems about dogs, To Unsnare Time’s Warp (w/Gaynell Gavin.)
Education
Academic Degrees
Ph.D. Oklahoma State University 1994 Post-Modern Brit. & Amer. Literature
And Fictional Rhetoric & Poetics
(Creative Writing)
MFA Vermont College 1985 Creative Writing (Fiction)
BA Ramapo College 1975 Literature—School of American Studies
Experience
1994—Present Claflin University
1987—1994 Oklahoma State University, Teaching Graduate Associate
1986 -- Vermont College, Graduate Workshop Assistant
1985—1987 Daytona CC, Instructor of English
1976 Suffern H.S., English Teacher
Other Collegiate Assignments
Academic Calendar Year:2020--2021
Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) to NCAA (until Jan.)
Chair: NCAA Self Study Committee
Chair: Athletic Committee
Chair: NCAA Compliance Committee
Co-Chair: Claflin’s English Pedagogy Conference
Faculty Advisor—Claflin Literary, Art and Film Society
Faculty Advisor –The Edisto River Review (student Literary Journal)
Advisor—English Majors
Writing coordinator—Humanities Festival
Head Judge—Creative Writing/Humanities Festival
Curriculum Review Committee—English Department
1st Year composition Oversight Committee
Activities and Honors
Current Professional and Academic Assoc. Memberships
Associated Writing Programs
Sigma Tau Delta
NCAA
South Carolina Writers Workshop
Current Professional Assignments and Activities (non-teaching)
Associated Writing Program National Virtual Conference. March 2021
Associated Writing Program National Conference. San Antonio, TX. March 5-7, 2020
NCAA National Convention. Anaheim, CA. Jan. 22-25, 2020.
NCAA FARA Convention. Bellevue, WA. Nov. 7-9, 2019
CIAA Spring Meeting. Baltimore, MD. 5/12—5/15 2019
Associated Writing Program National Conference. Portland, Oregon. March 28-31 2019
NCAA National Convention. Orlando, FL.. Jan. 23-227, 2019.
17th Annual Pedagogy in English Conference at Claflin University. Fall 2018. Keynote Speaker: Alison Joseph.
NCAA FARA Convention. Baltimore, MD. Oct. 31-Nov. 3, 2018
Associated Writing Program National Conference. Tampa, Fl. March 8-11 2018
NCAA National Convention. Indianapolis, IN. Jan. 16-20, 2018.
16th Annual Pedagogy in English Conference at Claflin University. Fall 2017. Keynote Speaker: Chris Anson
Associated Writing Program National Conference. Washington DC. Feb. 8-11 2017
NCAA National Convention. Nashville, TN Jan, 2017
15th Annual Pedagogy in English Conference at Claflin University. Fall 2016. Keynote Speaker: Christina Friend, Director of Center for Teaching Excellence, USC
Associated Writing Program National Conference. Los Angeles, CA. April 2016
NCAA National Convention. San Antonio, TX. January 2016.
Fourteenth Annual Pedagogy in English Conference at Claflin University. Fall
2015. Keynote Speaker:, Stephanie Vanderslice, Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction Writer.
Associated Writing Program National Conference. Minneapolis, MN April 9-11, 2015
Reading at James & Mary Laurie Booksellers (April 10th)
Thirteenth Annual Pedagogy in English Conference at Claflin University. Co-Chair. Fall
2014. Keynote Speaker:, Phillip Gerard, Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction Writer.
NCAA Regional Rules Seminar. San Diego, CA. Summer 2014
Associated Writing Program National Conference. Seattle, WA. Feb. 27-March 1, 2014
NCAA National Convention. San Diego, CA. January 2014.
Twelfth Annual Pedagogy in English Conference at Claflin University. Co-Chair. Fall
2013. Keynote Speaker:, Fiction Writer
NCAA Regional Rules Seminar. Indianapolis, Indiana. Summer 2013
Associated Writing Program National Conference. Boston, MA. March 2013.
NCAA National Convention. Dallas, Texas. January 2013.
Eleventh Annual Pedagogy in English Conference at Claflin University. Co-Chair. Fall
2012. Keynote Speaker: Thomas E. Kennedy, Fiction Writer
NCAA Regional Rules Seminar. Atlanta, GA. Summer 2012
Associated Writing Program National Conference. Chicago, Il. Feb./March 2012.
NCAA National Convention. Indianapolis, Indiana. January 2012.
Tenth Annual Pedagogy in English Conference at Claflin University. Co-Chair. Fall
2011. Keynote Speaker: Mark Cox, poet
NCAA Regional Rules Seminar. Tampa, FL. Summer 2011
Associated Writing Program National Conference. Washington, DC. Feb. 2011.
NCAA National Convention. San Antonio, TX. January 2011.
Associated Writing Program National Conference. Denver, CO. April 2010.
NCAA National Convention. Atlanta, Georgia. January 2010.
NCAA Regional Rules Seminar. Atlanta, Georgia. Summer 2009.
SIAC Spring Meeting. Atlanta, Georgia. Summer 2009.
Main Street Rag Fiction Reading. August 2009.
Algonkian Writer Conference. Novel Workshop. Algonkian Park, VA. April 1-5, 2009.
NCAA National Convention. Washington, DC. January 2009.
UNC at Wilmington Writer’s Week—Nov3-8. Fall 2008
NCAA Regional Rules Seminar. Miami, FL. Summer 2008
NCAA CSI Workshop, Spring 2008
Reading: Main Street Rag Press, Charlotte, NC. Spring 2008
South Carolina Book Fair, Columbia, SC Spring 2008
NCAA National Convention. Nashville, Tennessee. January 2008.
SCWW 17th Annual Writer’s Conference. Myrtle Beach, SC. Fall 2007
“Promoting Ethics in the Classroom.” Miriam Rosalyn Diamond. Fall Institute Workshop. Claflin University. Fall 2007
Fifth Annual Pedagogy in English Conference at Claflin University. Fall 2007
AWP Writing Program National Conference. Thomas E. Kennedy Panel. Atlanta,
Georgia. March 2007.
NCAA National Convention. Orlando, Florida. January 2007
Fourth Annual Pedagogy in English Conference at Claflin University. Fiction
Reading Coordinator. Fall 2006.
NCAA Regional Rules Seminar. Dallas, Texas
Associated Writing Program Conference. Teaching Creative Writing to Non-Majors
Panel. Austin, TX. Spring 2006.
NCAA National Convention. Indianapolis, Indiana. January 2006
Third Annual Pedagogy in English Conference at Claflin University. Poetry Reading
Coordinator. Fall 2005.
Associated Writing Program Conference. Gordon Weaver Panel. Vancouver,
Canada. Spring 2005.
Furious Flower Poetry Conference. James Madison University. Faculty Advisor for
Claflin University creative writing students. Fall 2004.
Second Annual Pedagogy in English Conference at Claflin University. Panel on
Teaching Grammar. Spring 2003.
Chair: Fiction Panel Presentation. 2002 Conference of the Society for the Study of
The Short Story. New Orleans.
“Using Wayne C. Booth’s The Rhetoric of Fiction in the Literature Classroom.”
Presentation at 1st English Pedagogical Conference at Claflin University. Spring
2002.
Bread Loaf Writer’s Conference. Refereed Selection—Contributor. 12 day
Residency Writing Workshop. Vermont. Summer 2001.
The Society for the Study of the Short Story Conference (SSSS) Interview with Moira
Crone (fall 2000)
Panel Discussion at Claflin University: The Use of Myth in African American
Literature (spring 2000)
Lilly South Conference on College and University Teaching
Presenter: "Grassroots Faculty Development to Enhance Student Learning"
(spring 2000)
Front Page Workshop--Development of Faculty Web Site
Powerpoint Workshop
Fiction Editor—Short Story, a literary magazine (since 1998)
Fact finding tour, UNC at Chapel Hill, J.C. Smith—for Curriculum Review Committee (fall 1998)
Irish University Tour (Feb.1998)—Claflin Representative
Vermont College MFA Program’s Post-Graduate Fiction Writing Workshop (eight
day Residency) Summer 1997.
Recent Publications
“Where I Paint a Perfect Line” & “I Wasn’t There” Main Street Rag Magazine. Spring 2018.
“The Pistol in My Closet” Main Street Rag Magazine. Fall 2017.
To Unsnare Time’s Warp.(an anthology of poems ,fiction and non-fiction about Dogs) Eds. Dennis F. Bormann and Gaynel Gavin. Main Street Rag Publishers, October 2016.
“Fish Hawk.” (short story in) Running Around. Eds. Thomas E, Kennedy and Walter
Cummings. Serving House Books, March 2014. (Nominated for a Pushcart Prize)
Suicidally Beautiful (an anthology of sports fiction) Eds. Dennis F. Bormann and
Stephen Taylor. Main Street Rag Publishers, March 2012.
Airboat. (a novel) Main Street Rag Publishers, August 2011.
“Fish Hawk.” Main Street Rag Magazine. Winter 2010.
“Baseball Blues.” Claflin Review: Literature, Language Arts, and Pedagogy. 1:1.
March 2003.
“Deliquescence.” Claflin Review: Literature, Language Arts, and Pedagogy. 1:1.
March 2003.
“They Know.” Claflin Review: Literature, Language Arts, and Pedagogy. 1:1.
March 2003.
James E. Hunter Award: annual award in teaching excellence at Claflin University (May 2000)
“From the Ensign to Iago: Blood Changes in Othello.” U of Oklahoma P., 1998. (Won 1st prize for best Graduate Critical Essay—David Shelly Berkley Award 1993.)
“The Hand-plow and Whetting Wheel.” New Voices. 1994.
“The Pistol in My Closet.” Midlands Review. 1992. Winner—1st prize OSU Fiction Contest.
“Crop Duster.” Runner-up Academy of American Poets Prize, 1994.
“Harvest.” Runner-up Academy of American Poets Prize, 1993.
“I Wasn’t There.” Winner of the Academy of American Poets Prize, 1991.
Book Review—Nancy Lord’s Survival. 1991. In The Cimarron Review.
Book Review—W.D. Wetherell’s Hyannis Boat. 1989. In The Cimarron Review.
Recent Presentations
- Conferences--Papers Presented
Associated Writing Program Conference. Reading at Bookfair. Los Angeles, CA 2017
Associated Writing Program Conference. Reading at James & Mary Laurie Booksellers. Minnneapolis, MN April 2015
Associated Writing Program Conference. Teaching Creative Writing to Non-Majors
Panel. Austin, TX. Spring 2006.
Third Annual Pedagogy in English Conference at Claflin University. Poetry Reading
Coordinator. Fall 2005.
Associated Writing Program Conference. Gordon Weaver Panel. Vancouver,
Canada. Spring 2005.
Furious Flower Poetry Conference. James Madison University. Faculty Advisor for
Claflin University creative writing students. Fall 2004.
Second Annual Pedagogy in English Conference at Claflin University. Panel on
Teaching Grammar. Spring 2003.
Chair: Fiction Panel Presentation. 2002 Conference of the Society for the Study of
The Short Story. New Orleans.
“Using Wayne C. Booth’s The Rhetoric of Fiction in the Literature Classroom.”
Presentation at 1st English Pedagogical Conference at Claflin University. Spring
2002.
Bread Loaf Writer’s Conference. Refereed Selection—Contributor. 12 day
Residency Writing Workshop. Vermont. Summer 2001.
Society for the Advancement of the Short Story Conference. Interview of fiction
writer Moria Crone, Fall 2000.
Panel Discussion at Claflin University: "The Use of Myth in African American
Literature", spring 2000
Lilly South Conference on College and University Teaching
Presenter: "Grassroots Faculty Development to Enhance Student Learning"
spring 2000
Post-graduate Conference/Workshop at Vermont College's MFA Program-- Reading
1997
Fiction Reading at OSU, 1994.