Department of English
ENGL 2235 - Fantasy: The Lord of the Rings on Page and Screen
Taught by: Alf Seegart
When: Tue/Thurs - 2:00pm - 3:20pm
This class explores fantasy through the writings and legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien and the films by Peter Jackson.
Satisfies the General Education Humanities (HF) requirement.
ENGL 5820 - Disability in Film and Literature
Taught by: Dr.Angela M. Smith
When: Tue/Thurs - 9:10am - 10:30am
Literature and film depend on - and often exploit - representations of physical and sensory disabilities, neurodivergence, chronic illness, facial and limb differences, and many more disability forms. The course explores the meaning and effects of such representation, including their relationships to story, character, emotional effects, and lived disability experience. The course will focus on 20th/21st century American texts, including short stories, feature films, non-fiction essays, critical analyses, and disability theory.
Faculty Bookshelf
View our faculty bookshelf, which features information on and links to purchase faculty publications.
Faculty & Staff
Click here to get familiar with and find contact information for our leadership, faculty, and staff.
Journals
Learn about our journal and other journals and publishing opportunities we provide our students.
“The victim who is able to articulate the situation of the victim has ceased to be a victim: he or she has become a threat.”
James Baldwin
“Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it... it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.”
C.S. Lewis
“...our capacity to generate excitement is deeply affected by our interest in one another, in hearing one another’s voices, in recognizing one another’s presence.”
bell hooks
“Act so that there is no use in a center.”
Gertrude Stein
“Silence creates its own violence.”
Jeff Vandermeer
“Reactionary movements can't sustain themselves unless they find something new to catch and burn on.”
N.K. Jemisin
“I learned to make my mind large, as the universe is large, so that there is room for paradoxes.”
Maxine Hong Kingston
“Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital.”
Oscar Wilde
“All novels are fantasies. Some are more honest about it.”
Gene Wolfe
“The only true measure of success is the ratio between what we might have done and what we might have been on the one hand, and the thing we have made and the things we have made of ourselves on the other.”
H.G. Wells
About the Department
The English Department is a community of readers and writers dedicated to critical and creative approaches to a complex world. We are students of story, lovers of language, scholars of the many worlds recorded and imagined in fiction. At the core of English is the work—and the play—of creativity: discovering new worlds, exploring new ways of thinking, and developing new ways of expressing yourself.
Learn More About the Department of EnglishWhy English?
U Belong
We believe that the interactions between literary texts and the broad multifaceted cultural contexts that surround them are paramount. Accordingly, we excel at instilling in our students an outstanding knowledge of literary and cultural analysis, and we are dedicated to cultivating a shared set of values that recognizes and celebrates the rich tapestry of human experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. Moreover, we are committed to ensuring that all members of our community have equal access to a sense of belonging and welcome; that they enjoy myriad opportunities to grow as scholars, teachers, and learners; and that, perhaps most importantly, they are allowed the dignity, space, and grace to participate in the free exchange of ideas.
Questions? Contact us to learn more about our programs.
English News
-
Anne Jamison featured on GHB's "How We Love"
Professor Anne Jamison, fanfiction expert and scholar, appeared on WGBH’s segment 'How We Love: Exploring the spicy, imaginative world of romance fanfiction.' “As [fanfic] becomes more and more and more global, I just think more and more people will be writing and reading for the joy of it, and for the value of it and for the meaning that it brings to their life." Follow the title to access the rest of the episode!
-
Professor Jeremy Rosen Publishes "Genre Bending"
Out today! Professor Rosen publishes "Genre Bending." "Genre Bending" explores how critically acclaimed writers of literary fiction are adopting popular genres such as detective, fantasy, romance, science fiction, and westerns. “My new book 'Genre Bending' explores one of the most prominent phenomena in contemporary literature: the boom in writers of literary fiction who have been adopting popular fiction genres since the turn of the millennium. For most of the twentieth century, so called “serious” writers avoided detective plots, fantasy, romance, science fiction, spy novels and westerns—to say nothing of werewolves and zombies! But today, the most critically acclaimed and bestselling writers of literary fiction—think of Margaret Atwood, Jennifer Egan, Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McEwan, Viet Nguyen, Sally Rooney, and Colson Whitehead—have been playing with these genres with spectacular effects. My book explains how and why this happened and what it means for readers and writers today.”
-
Brooke Newson Presents at the Undergraduate Research Symposium
Brooke Newson recently presented "Farcical Feminists: Unreasonable Reason in Nineteenth-Century Literature" at the Fall 2025 Undergraduate Research Symposium. Follow the link to view her virtual presentation and join us in congratulating her on this impressive work!
-
Dr. Angela Marie Smith awarded Tobin Siebers Prize for Disability Studies in the Humanities
Smith was awarded this prestigious prize by the University of Michigan Press for her manuscript Affecting Disability on American Screens.
Stay Connected
Follow us on social media for English department updates, events, and features
