November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)—the goal is to actually write an entire novel in one month! National Novel Writing Month is also a nonprofit organization that “…believes in the transformational power of creativity. We provide the structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds—on and off the page.” Thousands of writers across the nation and the world get together in libraries, bookstores, community centers and/or virtually to support one another’s writing. Hundreds of novels written during NaNoWriMo have been traditionally published such as Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants, Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, and Hugh Howey’s Wool. In honor of all the novel writers out there, we offer you a short list of novels about novelists for your reading pleasure! Check out our WU Reads Reading Guide.
Library News
Hallie Ford Literary Series: Jasmin Darznik
Please join us for the third and final event of the Fall 2018 Hallie Ford Literary Series at Willamette University, a reading by Iranian-American memoirist and novelist Jasmin Darznik. The reading will take place on Thursday, November 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the Hatfield Room of Willamette’s library. The event is free and open to the public, and books will be for sale courtesy of the Willamette Store.
Jasmin is the author of a New York Times bestselling memoir, The Good Daughter: A Memoir of My Mother’s Hidden Life, about her discovery of her mother’s teenage marriage and a half-sister left behind in Iran following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. This past spring, she published her first novel, Song of a Captive Bird, which fictionalizes the real-life story of Farough Farrokzhad, a trailblazing poet who is considered the godmother of Iranian feminism.
Born in Tehran before coming to America at five years old, Jasmin holds an MFA in fiction from Bennington College and a Ph.D. in English from Princeton University. Now a professor of English and creative writing at California College of the Arts, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.
Here’s what the New York Times Book Review has to say about her novel: “Song of a Captive Bird is a complex and beautiful rendering of [a] vanished country and its scattered people; a reminder of the power and purpose of art; and an ode to female creativity under a patriarchy that repeatedly tries to snuff it out.”
Need more enticement? Read one of Jasmin’s essays here or listen to her discuss her memoir on NPR here.
Hatfield Halloween Hunt
The Hatfield Halloween Hunt… (Oct 29-31st)
Five clues have been hidden in the library and on its website. Complete a specific task to discover a hidden word. Collect all five words and then arrange them to solve the riddle below. Drop off this completed form at the circulation desk by midnight on October 31st for a small prize and a chance to win a $15 Bistro gift card! 
Clue #1: Blitz’s Prof. Mustard placed the book “Ketchup and Mayo” on reserve. Find it.
Clue #2: Blitz found a historical photo of Waller Hall’s fire. Find it in the Archives (2nd floor).
Clue #3: Blitz loves books by Edgar Allan Poe. Find books by Poe (2nd floor stacks).
Clue #4: Blitz has an online Library Guide (LibGuide) for his College Colloquium course. Find it.
Clue #5: Blitz wrote the biology thesis “Binturong of Willamette.” It is online in the Academic Commons. Find it.
The riddle: Why was Blitz late to Willamette’s Hauntcert?
(University Chamber Orchestra/Wind Ensemble concert on Sunday, Oct 28th, 3:00 p.m., Hudson Hall)
____________ ____________ a ____________ ____________ ____________
Your name & email: ________________________ ___________________________
Copies of the entry form are also available at the circulation desk. For questions or comments, contact John Repplinger (jrepplin@willamette.edu)
Hallie Ford Literary Series: Gary Soto
Please join us for an evening with Gary Soto; Wednesday October 24, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hatfield Library. 
Gary Soto is a celebrated poet, essayist, memoirist, and children’s author best known for his reflections on the Chicano experience. The author of more than twenty books, his most recent titles are the poetry collection “You Kiss By Th’ Book: New poems from Shakespear’s Line” and the essay collection “Why I Don’t Write Children’s Literature“. His “New and Selected Poems” was a finalist for the National Book Award.
Contact Information:
Name: Scott Nadelson
Phone: 503-370-6290
Improvements, One Step at Time
By Craig Milberg, Mark O. Hatfield Library Director
It is hard to believe that the MOHL is over 30 years old, which is middle-aged for an academic library. As the building and its furnishings age, we continually strategize about how to improve the student experience when using the library. Improvements to the building and furnishings should be evident, but are they? How many of the following have you noticed?
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– New rolling white boards (summer 2017)
– New rolling tables, chairs, & alcove paint color, first floor of library (summer 2017)
– New seating styles (2017)
– Additional seating due to the popularity of new seats (2018)
– Additional mini laptop tables (2018)
– New white boards on table tops and group study room walls (2018)
– Replaced 40 old wood chairs with cushioned chairs, first floor of library (2018)
Several of the improvements came from feedback from ASWU and individual students, but there is always more that can be done. The library and WITS staff spent a considerable amount of energy last year developing a first-floor renovation plan that would move the WITS help desk into the library, greatly expand student seating options, and improve the 24-hour space.
While this renovation has been placed on hold while the University deals with more pressing projects, we want to continue to make progress until a major renovation can be done. We really want student feedback on our next project.
Should we improve access to electrical outlets on the first floor (summer 2019)? What other ideas do you have? Stop by the library and tell Craig your ideas, or drop him an email (cmilberg@willamette.edu).
Faculty Colloquium: Caroline Davidson
Please join us on Friday, October 12th, at 3 p.m. in the Carnegie Building for our fifth Faculty Colloquium of this semester.
Presenter: Caroline Davidson, Associate Professor of Law
Title: Nunca Mas Meets #NiUnaMenos — The Path to Justice for Victims of Sexual Violence Under Pinochet 
Abstract:
International criminal courts have voiced a commitment to fighting gender-based and sexual violence. Although the ICC has been roundly criticized for its Appeals Chamber’s reversal of the court’s first conviction for sexual violence, the ICC prosecutor has made prosecution of these crimes a top priority. The ad hoc tribunals1 and other internationalized courts likewise made significant strides in acknowledging and punishing sexual violence and raising awareness of the gendered dimensions of violence.
The attention given sexual violence and gender in the international courts however is not necessarily indicative of the attention given it in domestic trials of international crimes. This article examines one example of this disconnect—the Chilean human rights trials for dictatorship-era violence. At the very same time that the ad hoc tribunals and the ICC revived the field of international criminal law, Chilean courts have seen a massive wave of cases for dictatorship-era violence, with some 150 cases adjudicated and some 1500 former officials facing charges. Unlike in the international system, however, sexual and gender violence have been largely ignored in these cases. To date, though sexual violence occasionally has been mentioned in passing in a judgment, there has not been a single conviction based on rape as a crime against humanity or torture. Recently though, Chilean courts have begun investigating cases centering on sexual violence.
This article seeks to explain reasons for the delay in justice and what we can learn from the Chilean example. If accountability for sexual and gender violence is a priority for international justice, and the ICC regime is premised on decentralized enforcement though complementarity principle, then a greater attention to the forces at play in domestic justice systems is needed. Chile, a nation whose courts have heard among the greatest number of atrocity crimes of any jurisdiction worldwide, offers some useful lessons for addressing sexual violence on the domestic level.
Part I describes the well-documented phenomenon of sexual violence under Pinochet, the Chilean transitional justice trajectory, and the current (early) stage of proceedings relating to sexual violence.
Part II explores reasons for the delay in judicial attention to sexual violence. Potential causes include: 1) the “pacted” Chilean transition, which led to a preference for truth commission over court cases; 2) the truth commissions’ gendered framing of the issues which then provided the template for prosecutions (consistent with a culture that deprioritized gender and sexual violence); 3) the lack of lawyers for cases other than disappearance or executions, including sexual violence; 4) Chilean domestic legal barriers (insufficient crime definitions coupled with low penalties, narrow definitions, and high standard of proof for rape); 5) victims’ reluctance to come forward (given likelihood of success low, stigma, and traumatic process). It also attempts to understand the changes that are leading to greater attention to these cases now. Possible explanations include: 1) a greater acceptance of international law; 2) an increased focus on crimes against survivors in the Chilean justice system; 3) shifting views on gender, violence against women; and, critically and relatedly, 4) a vocal, internationally-connected feminist movement.
Part III explores possible reasons for the recent attention to dictatorship-era sexual violence in Chile. These include: shifting views on violence against women, increased receptivity of Chilean courts to international law, political mobilization of feminist groups and survivor groups (and support for one another), and an increased willingness on the part of survivors of sexual violence to speak about their experiences, prompted in part by recent events (in particular the use of sexual violence against female student demonstrators in 2011) and by a sense that time is running out due to the age of perpetrators and survivors.
Part IV suggests implications of the Chilean experience for international criminal justice. First, even if prosecution of sexual violence is a priority for ICC, it does not necessarily mean that it will be a priority for domestic jurisdictions, including those that are actively adjudicating human rights cases. This understanding has implications for the ICC’s complementary framework. A country’s failure to address sexual violence may render it “unwilling” or “unable” under the Rome Statute and thus give ICC jurisdiction over these types of crimes. The prosecution of sexual violence also may be an opportunity for fruitful “positive complementarity”2 actions—whereby the ICC can assist national jurisdictions through trainings of lawyers and judges. This support could include not only briefings on substantive international criminal law,3 but also training in the latest investigative techniques. Finally, the Chilean experience with the movement seeking recognition of the crime of “political sexual violence” suggests that ICL is a useful tool, and likely more so for crimes committed after a state incorporates the Rome Statute in its domestic law, but it may not adequately capture victims’ experiences or even the perpetrators’ mental state. ICL may bolster demands for an expanded understanding of crimes, but it should not be seen to limit domestic legislative innovation.
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1. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
2. William Burke-White, Positive Complementarity (arguing for a complementarity model that involves ICC actors proactively supporting domestic prosecutions).
3. Although the Chilean prosecutions are technically based on domestic crimes, courts make clear that the underlying facts amount to international crimes, particularly “lesa humanidad” (crimes against humanity) and “crímenes de guerra” (war crimes). This international characterization of the crimes is critical for avoiding application of the statute of limitation and the amnesty.
Note: there will also be a special TGIF reception following the lecture that will be open to faculty from all three schools. This is the second TGIF event this semester with Colloquium speakers from across the University. These opportunities for cross-University gathering and conversation are sponsored by the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President.
Bill Kelm and Daniel Rouslin
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators
Search the Archives!
Thanks to a recently implemented system, it’s now possible to search the descriptions of collections held by Archives and Special Collections. Archival collections usually consist of various kinds of original documents, records, and other historical material. It’s possible to find diaries, photographs, letters, video and audio recordings, memorabilia, and any number of other interesting items in archival collections.
These materials either come in, or are organized into, collections. They are stored in protective boxes and folders then described to make it easier for anyone doing research to find something of interest. The Archives at Willamette usually provides a listing of folder titles and sometimes even descriptions of individual items like videos and photographs to help students with their research. Our new system allows anyone to search, browse, and filter these descriptions so they can more easily explore the Archives. If there is a digitized item (like a video, diary, or photograph) available online, a link is also provided through this system.
Anyone who would like to learn more about using this system or who would like to see what’s in the Archives can make an appointment by emailing archives@willamette.edu. Appointments are available Monday through Friday from 9-12 and 1-4.
The Beauty of Book Groups
The weather is getting cooler, which means it is the perfect time of the year to curl up with a good book! And when you’ve finished reading the book, why not have a great discussion about it with your book group? National Reading Group Month is an initiative of the Women’s National Book Association (WNBA) and is celebrated each year in October. According to the WNBA, “Reading groups are proving that good books bring people together. National Reading Group Month salutes reading groups. It fosters their growth and promotes the love of literature.” So how about starting or joining a book group? You can find information about local book groups at public libraries or bookstores such as the Salem Public Library or the Book Bin. And join us in celebrating National Reading Group Month by checking out one of the titles related to book groups listed on our WU Reads Reading Guide.
Faculty Colloquium: Stephen Patterson
Please join us Friday, October 5th, at 3 p.m. in the Kremer Board Room in Ford Hall for our fourth Faculty Colloquium of this semester.
Presenter: Stephen Patterson, George H. Atkinson Professor of Religious and Ethical Studies 
Title: Here Come the Androgynes, Again!
Abstract:
Some may recall Steve Patterson’s first installment on androgyny in early Christianity–where the androgyne symbolized love. Now the second installment: androgyny also symbolized power. Masculine sexuality in the ancient world was all about masculine power. Virility and power are still linked in the construction of masculinity today. But what if a woman could have male power? Believe it or not, early Christians were toying with the idea… and he’s got (more) pictures! This material is part of Patterson’s new book, The Forgotten Creed (OUP), due out on October 1.
Students are welcome and coffee and treats will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there.
Bill Kelm and Daniel Rouslin
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators
Sufism and Islamic Law Lecture
Sufism and Islamic Law: Tempering Legal Decision Making with the Jurist’s Knowledge of God
A lecture by Fareeha Khan
Thursday, October 4, 5 pm
Hatfield Room
Mark O. Hatfield Library
Sufism was as much a part of the life and blood of Muslim societies as Islamic law in pre-modern times. On a daily basis, it was what reminded both the lay and scholar Muslim what the point was in following Islamic legal rulings: to worship and submit oneself to God. Unfortunately, due to various modern intellectual trends, Sufism no longer holds such a central level of importance among many of today’s Muslims. This lecture will examine a prominent modern-day case of Islamic legal reform in which the motivating factor was the jurist’s deep spirituality and practice of Sufism. I argue that a revival of such spiritually-inspired jurisprudence is necessary for the holistic survival of Islam in the modern day.
Fareeha Khan is an independent scholar affiliated with Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. Her research interests include Islamic law, gender, and the place of traditional Islamic scholarship in the modern day. She is the author of several academic articles, is currently serving as Advisory Editor for the Oxford Encyclopedia of Islamic Law, and is preparing her first book-length manuscript for publication, entitled The Ethical Contours of a Fatwa: Gender, Sufism and Islamic Law in Late Colonial India. Dr. Khan currently resides in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The Facebook event page is here. This event is sponsored by Willamette University’s Religious Studies Department, and is free and open to the public.
