Victor Strandberg, beloved English professor with 52 years at Duke under his belt, has earned a singularly positive reputation among students and faculty. One of the first things a prospective English student is sure to hear is, "You've got to take a Strandberg class; he has the voice of God." What they say is true—his speaking voice, which must carry throughout a lecture hall full of hundreds of students, does possess a certain deep, divine quality. But Professor Strandberg also has a voice of reason, creative brilliance,… read more about Strandberg: A Teacher and Legend at Duke University »
“I am most interested in those moments in modernist and contemporary fiction where unachievable dreams of global transformation yield critical insights into the world as it currently exists.”—Aarthi Vadde read more about An Interview with Aarthi Vadde, Author of “Chimeras of Form” »
Would you like to take a course that studies and discusses the world of sports? During the Fall of 2016, a group of Duke University students did just that. Sasha Panaram, a Duke University Ph.D. candidate, selected this topic for her Fall 2016 English 90S course "Sports and Spectacle," which was also cross-listed as African and African American Studies 190S. How does this course differ from the traditional courses taught in English Departments? One way my course differs from the… read more about A Look Inside Fall 2016's English 90S | African and African American Studies 190S - "Sports & Spectacle" »
DURHAM, N.C. -- Vincent Price, provost of the University of Pennsylvania since 2009, has been elected Duke University’s tenth president, announced David Rubenstein, chair of the university’s Board of Trustees, on Friday. In addition to being the chief academic officer at Penn, Price is the Steven H. Chaffee Professor of Communication in the Annenberg School for Communication and professor of political science in the School of Arts and Sciences. Price was selected by Duke’s Board of Trustees Friday morning. He will succeed… read more about Vincent Price Named Duke University 10th President »
Where might you find a lecture on Alfred Hitchcock films at Duke University? On Wednesday, October 26, Professor Michael Valdez Moses and his students discussed and analyzed Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 classic psychological thriller Vertigo starring James Stewart. This fall 30+ Duke University students are in enrolled in English 390S: Hitchcock & Co. a special topics in film course offered by the English Department. What would you like to see students take away… read more about English 390S: Hitchcock & Co. Taught by Michael Valdez Moses »
With deep sadness, we announce the news that Dale B.J. Randall passed away on Sunday, July 24. Dale was a respected scholar in Renaissance literature and an integral part of both the English department and the Theater Studies department. He will be missed by all who knew him. A memorial service will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, August 6, 2016 in the Few Chapel located at Croasdaile Village, 2600 Croasdaile Farm Parkway, Durham, NC. The family will receive friends following the service… read more about In Memory: Professor Emeritus Dale B.J. Randall (1929-2016) »
The English Department would like to congratulate three members of its faculty for accomplishments that have recently garnered professional recognition. Judith Ruderman (English) has won the 2017 Harry T. Moore Award for Lifetime Achievement in D.H. Lawrence Studies, given by the D.H. Lawrence Society of North America. The award recognizes her important contributions to Lawrence studies, especially books on Lawrence’s works on race and identity. Toril Moi is one of 66 scholars elected… read more about Recent Faculty Recognition »
The Executive Committee of the D. H. Lawrence Society of North America (DHLSNA) has named Judith Ruderman, Visiting Professor in the English at Duke University and Paul Poplawski, Senior Lecturer in English at the University of Leicester as recipients of the 2017 Harry T. Moore Award for Lifetime Achievement in Lawrence Studies. The Harry T. Moore Award was first awarded in 1984 to James Cowan and was last presented to Lindeth Vassey at the Gargnano Conference in 2014. This award will be conferred at the 14th… read more about Judith Ruderman Has Been Named Winner of the 2017 Harry T. Moore Award »
Tsitsi Jaji was awarded the First Book Award by the African Literature Association during their annual meeting in Atlanta, GA, this past weekend for her work Africa in Stereo: Modernism, Music, and Pan-African Solidarity. Africa in Stereo analyzes how African have engaged with African American music and its representations in the long twentieth century (1890-2011) to offer a new cultural history attesting to pan-Africanism's ongoing and… read more about Tsitsi Jaji Awarded African Literature Association Prize »
We celebrate the life of Wallace "Wally" Jackson. He was our mentor, colleague, and a former chairman of the English Department. We continue to be inspired by his lifelong pursuit of learning and his passion for teaching. November 23, 1930 – November 29, 2015 Wallace “Wally” Jackson passed away early Sunday. He was attended by his loving partner, Waltraud Bernstein. Dr. Jackson was Professor Emeritus of English at Duke University, where he taught and continued his studies for more than 35 years. He was a… read more about In Memory: Professor Emeritus Wallace “Wally” Jackson (1929-2015) »
In Beyond Reformation? An Essay on William Langland’s Piers Plowman and the End of Constantinian Christianity, David Aers presents a sustained and profound close reading of the final version of William Langland’s Piers Plowman, the most searching Christian poem of the Middle Ages in English. His reading, most unusually, seeks to explore the relations of Langland’s poem to both medieval and early modern reformations together with the ending of Constantinian Christianity. Read more read more about Beyond Reformation? by David Aers »
DURHAM, NC – It’s probably the most famous text ever written about devils and their doings. So it’s fitting that when a bunch of Blue Devils gather Friday for a 10-hour reading, they will read from the pages of Milton’s “Paradise Lost”. The reading, organized by the Duke English department, takes place Friday from 8 to 6 p.m. in Room 328 of the Allen Building and is open to the Duke community, said Charlotte Sussman, associate professor of English and one of the event organizers. Extras include “Milton Bingo” and snacks… read more about Brodhead, Faculty Step Up for a Marathon Reading of 'Paradise Lost' Friday »
Duke professor and acclaimed poet Nathaniel Mackey, left, talks with South African jazz legend Abdullah Ibrahim, right, about his remarkable career in music as part of Duke's "Talking Music: Conversations with Scholars, Writers, Archivists, and Artists" series on Thursday. The event was co-sponsored by Duke Performances, the Forum for Scholars and Publics, and the Duke Africa Initiative. Read more read more about Talking Jazz with Nathaniel Mackey and Abdullah Ibrahim »
Jaji will read her poetry at Flyleaf Books on Friday, October 16 at 6:30 p.m. as a part of the West End Poetry Festival. read more about Tsitsi Jaji Reading at West End Poetry Festival »