English DepartmentCelebrating the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein with Duke University At 9am on October 31, 2019, almost seven hundred organizations partnered with Frankenreads to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Universities from China to South Africa to Columbia took part celebrating this great literary work, as did the Library of Congress, with many universities around the world held these marathon readings and events centered on Mary Shelley and her… read more about Frankenreads and Duke »
Fiction Writing as a Way of Life was an event sponsored by the Blackburn Series at Duke University on Wednesday, November 7. It featured Maria Kuznetsova and Lucy Corin who are left and right, respectively, in the title image. I love the title of the event: Fiction Writing as a Way of Life. Yes, Way of Life. Live it and breathe it. It was an undergraduate event, and the room was full. read more about Fiction Writing as a Way of Life: An Event »
The English Department has released the requirements for majors that will be offered during the Spring 2019 Semester. During the Spring 2019 Semester, the English Department will be offering a variety of courses ranging from English 90S Special Topics in Literature that include "Mad Scientists in Literature," "Law, Ethics, and Power", "Con Artists and Imposters" and "Blacklisted Books." There will be two sessions of "Intro Creative Writing" courses one offered on Mondays and… read more about Spring 2019 Course Descriptions + Requirements for the Major »
Professor Aarthi Vadde's "Chimeras of Form - Modernist Internationalism Beyond Europe, 1914-2016" is now available in paperback. read more about Chimeras of Form - Modernist Internationalism Beyond Europe, 1914-2016 is Now Available in Paperback »
To begin the Fall 2018 semester, the English Department unveiled its long-planned Blackburn Festival: The Mackey Sessions. The product of well over a year of planning, the three-day poetry festival centered on the work of Duke’s own Professor Nathaniel Mackey, a prolific poet whose work spans decades, continents, and generations. The English Department, in an effort to make The Mackey Sessions a university-wide collaboration, partnered with the Vice Provost for the Arts, Franklin Humanities Center, Duke… read more about Blackburn Festival "The Mackey Sessions" in Review »
Jazz threads through the work of prize-winning poet and Duke professor Nathaniel Mackey. The two – jazz and poetry -- come together during this year’s Blackburn Literary Festival, which has been dubbed “The Mackey Sessions.” The three-day poetry festival takes place Sept. 20-22 at venues on campus and off. read more about 'The Mackey Sessions'; Duke Professor Headlines Three-Day Poetry Festival »
Due to potential storm impact from Hurricane Florence, Duke has decided to cancel all classes after 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. In order to ensure essential operations during this time, Duke will activate the severe weather and emergency condition policy beginning at noon on Thursday, Sept. 13. read more about Officials Monitoring Path of Hurricane Florence: Classes Cancelled After 5pm Wednesday »
They Call Me Ms. Hill” and Why You Should, Too: on She Begat This: 20 Years of ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ by Joan Morgan To read Joan Morgan expound upon the significance of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is really to listen to her (and others) unpack two decades worth of artistic influence and creativity that all find their beginnings in the songs, lyricism, style, and intellect of Ms. Lauryn Hill. To read She Begat This is to hear Morgan first-hand delicately and deliberately attend to Ms… read more about “They Call Me Ms. Hill” and Why You Should, Too: on She Begat This: 20 Years of ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ »
After graduating from Duke in May, some alumni now work at Duke read more about From Duke Student to Duke Employee »
Every class, Prof. Aers opens by asking what we thought of the day’s reading, and every time there’s a long pause that follows. I don’t know what’s going through the heads of my classmates, but for me it’s usually something along the lines of “I have no idea what any of this means.” John Milton is not an easy writer to understand, and when reading I often find myself with far more questions and uncertainties than concrete discussion points. So we suffer the silence together until someone summons the courage to speak, and… read more about ENG 338S Milton With Professor David Aers »
Every April, graduate students in the English department elect two of their colleagues – one who has already passed the hurdle of the prelim exams we do in year three, the other who still has them looming ahead – to act as representatives of the Graduate English Association (GEA). read more about Creative Collaboration, or Lessons Learned as a Graduate Student Representative »
Finally, we have arrived at my favorite American poet, Walt Whitman. After a semester navigating the pre-Civil War American literature, I have discovered new loves for Edgar Allen Poe, Washington Irving, Solomon Northup, Henry David Thoreau, and others. Professor D’Alessandro has taken us through works from the oft-read The Scarlet Letter to the more obscure Hobomok and “Hop-Frog.” Being well-informed on the social and political context of this time, Professor D’Alessandro has guided us… read more about ENG 269 Classics of American Lit, 1820-1860 With Professor Michael D’Alessandro »
I shuffle through the crowded chairs, making my way to my usual spot at the back of the classroom. Absentmindedly thumbing through my book, the words of arguably the greatest writer in English history moving beneath my fingers a dozen pages at a time, I wait for class to begin. Prof. Porter sits on the table at the head of the room, his suit and tie juxtaposed with the casual way in which he looks over his class. He begins his lecture by passing around the latest copy of The New Yorker, bruised, battered… read more about ENG 336 Shakespeare through 1600 with Professor Joesph Porter »
Dominika Baran reminds us of the history and value of America’s multilingual past read more about America’s Bilingual Roots »
In the summer of 2018, I worked as a graduate mentor in the Story+ Summer Research Program, specifically in the Allen Building Takeover at 50 project that was sponsored by the Rubenstein Library. read more about Student Movements and Social Histories: A Summer with Story+ »
Explore the role of good arguments in a functioning democracy, the path to a bright green future, China’s ‘green religion’ and the world of a medieval mystic. Here’s summer reading to educate and entertain: A new look at the continuing influence of ancient Roman political thought; a deep look at the clergy health crisis; and the story of how an African-American architect came to design the new campuses for Duke University. read more about Books By Duke Authors to Full Your Summer Tote Bag »
This Fall the English Department is excited to welcome Duke alum, Lucy Corin, as Visiting Blackburn Professor and UC Irvine scholar, Ryan Ku, as Asian American Postdoctoral Associate. Professor Corin will teach creative writing and Professor Ku will teach a course in Asian American Studies. Lucy Corin Lucy has a BA from Duke University and an MFA from Brown. She’s a Professor at the University of California, Davis where she teaches in the English Department and Creative Writing Program. She is the… read more about English Welcomes Visiting Fiction Writer and Asian American Scholar »
As part of its emergency preparedness plans, Duke will test the DukeALERT mass notification system on Wednesday, July 18. Beginning at 10 a.m., all faculty, students and staff will receive a test email, and a text message will be sent to the mobile devices of all students, faculty, and staff who have registered to receive the service. Registering for text messaging is simple for those who have not yet signed up. Duke's information line (919) 684-INFO will also provide a recorded message during the test. read more about Duke To Test DukeAlert System On Wednesday - July 18, 2018 »
Cave Canem and Northwestern University Press congratulate Tsitsi Jaji on receiving the 2018 prize for her second book of poems, Mother Tongues, selected by Matthew Shenoda. The Cave Canem Northwestern University Press Poetry Prize is a second-book award for Black poets of African descent, offered every other year. The award celebrates and publishes works of lasting cultural value and literary excellence. read more about Announcing the Winner of the 2018 Northwestern University Press Poetry Prize »
As the English Department celebrated its graduate ceremony on May 16, 2018, twenty-eight students crossed the stage as they stepped closer to their professional goals and dreams. On April 25, 2018, the English Department emailed a brief survey to the department's graduating class to ask “What’s Next?” Nearly 50% of the graduates took a break from their studies to complete the 10 question survey. Graduates shared what their plans are after graduation and their… read more about And Now What? 2018 Duke English Graduates »
Before the end of the Spring Semester and the Summer Fun began a survey was sent to the class 2019 and beyond English majors, minors, and PhD candidates to get an idea of how they would be spending their summer. read more about Summer 2018 Plans for Duke English Majors, Minors, & PhD Candidates »
Matthew Omelsky, 2018 Duke English Ph.D. graduate, recently sat down and reflected on his time at Duke and the Duke experience. Matthew completed his undergraduate studies in Africana Studies and Politics at New York University. His interest in African diasporic cultures took root during his jazz guitar studies in high school in Cleveland, Ohio and then at the California Institute of the Arts, where he began a longstanding interest in the autobiographies and biographies of legendary jazz musicians. He… read more about Matthew Omelsky 2018 Duke English Ph.D. Graduate Shares His Experience »
Professor Anna Gibson, 2014 graduate of the Duke English Ph.D. program, is currently a tenure-track assistant professor at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, where her work focuses on 19th-century literature and the Victorian novel. During the Spring and Summer of 2018, while on pre-tenure sabbatical, she returned to Duke to work on her current book, as well as the Digital Dickens Notes Project, for which she is the director. Professor Gibson is from the village of Abbotts Ann in Hampshire, England. She… read more about A Moment with Anna Gibson, 2014 Graduate of the English Ph.D. Program »
The English Department at Duke University is honored to announce that Karen Little has been selected as the 2018 Stephen Horne Award for Excellence in Teaching winner. This award is presented annually to a graduate student instructor in the English Department who best demonstrates outstanding commitment and excellence in the classroom. Instructors are nominated by their students, and the winner is selected based on the number of students who nominate a graduate instructor; the nature of the descriptions… read more about Karen Little, 2018 Stephen Horne Award for Excellence in Teaching Winner »
Jake Fox, one of the English majors that will be graduating this weekend, , took a few moments to reflect on what his experience as an English major at Duke University has been like, what is next for Jake after graduation, and he also shared some advice for future Duke English Majors or those considering English as their major or minor. Share with us a little about your experience at Duke and being an English Major? In your opinion, how has your major and minor worked together? What is next for Jake and what are your… read more about Jake Fox Talks About Being An English Major at Duke »
Duke University will expand on its commitment to a strong humanities curriculum and forge new collaborations beyond campus with a $3 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, President Vincent E. Price said Friday. read more about Mellon Grant to Boost Humanities at Duke »
On April 19, 2018, the Creative Writing faculty in the English Department at Duke University sponsored the Inaugural Voices Up: A Creative Writing Student Reading event at the Duke Coffeehouse. Voices Up was designed for students in creative writing courses to share their works. The inaugural event featured eight students that shared their creative writing works with the Duke community. Several of our participants share with us how excited they were to be able to participate in an event like Voices Up,… read more about Inaugural Voices Up: A Creative Writing Student Reading »
The English Department at Duke University is honored to announce the winners of the 2018 Creative Writing Contests and Creative Writing Scholarships. English majors and non-major undergraduates are eligible to participate in creative writing contests in the areas of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry works. Each spring semester the Creative Writing Committee awards the William M. Blackburn, Francis Pemberton and Margaret Rose Knight Sanford scholarship to undergraduate students for work done in one or… read more about 2018 Winners of the English Department’s Creative Writing Contests and Scholarships »
Rachel Gevlin, English Ph.D. candidate recently had the following article published on the Duke Graduate School website. Rachel's article talks about the "Fresh Off the Market" event that was held by graduate students in the English Department on April 6, 2018. read more about Assessing Our Market Value »
Four Duke Ph.D.s, who each received certificates in African and African American Studies, have had books with the central theme of blackness published in the past year. They return to Duke on Tuesday, April 24, for an intellectual reunion highlighting black studies and the importance of women in the production of knowledge. Two of the four speakers at this event are Duke English Ph.D, alumni Alisha Gaines and Britt Rusert. Alisha Gaines, Black for a Day: Fantasies… read more about black women, black studies, knowledge production »