Greetings from the Chair:
It was wonderful to see the English department fully emerge from its lockdown dormancy this year. We celebrated seeing each other face-to-face, while still taking advantage of Zoom’s capacity to bring us together across continents and time zones. Faculty and students mingled convivially at outdoor parties marking the beginning and end of the academic year. Graduate students enjoyed the Armstrong Graduate Professional Suite, a space newly dedicated to their use. Two of our most exciting in-person events were organized by the Creative Writing Committee, which brought Marlon James and Rebecca Solnit to campus where they spoke to packed rooms. Creative writing faculty also hosted two open houses for aspiring undergraduate writers.
Faculty also celebrated a number of milestones this year. Professor Julianne Werlin was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure—congratulations, Julianne! 2022-23 also saw the publication of books by Professors Michael D’Alessandro, Nathaniel Mackey, Robert Mitchell, and Kathy Psomiades. We held virtual events to honor the work of our retiring colleague, Len Tennenhouse, and our late colleague, Joe Ashby Porter.
We look forward to welcoming two new colleagues next year; Professor Christopher Ouma will be joining us from the University of Cape Town, and poet Toby Martinez de las Rivas will be the Blackburn Distinguished Artist in Residence for 2023-24.
Thanks, everyone, for a year filled with scholarship and collegiality! Have a great summer, and we’ll see you in the Allen building at the end of August.