English Department
Twenty-four Duke students received a Benenson Award in the Arts this year to support and sustain their work over the summer months and help launch the graduating seniors into the next phase of their life. read more about Announcing the 2022 Benenson Award Winners »
Do you read crime novels, find yourself scanning the daily newspaper crime report, or love watching true crime television shows? During the 2022 Spring semester, Professor Michael D'Alessandro introduced an updated version of English 290S-2.01, "American Crime, 1800-1914: Fiction and Film." The concept for this course developed from research that Professor D'Alessandro conducted about nineteenth-century American crime, including some "eye-opening" statistics that left him horrified. He knew right away that, when the… read more about American Crime: Fiction & Film 1800-1914 Taught by Professor D'Alessandro »
We are excited to announce the winners of the 2022 Creative Writing Contests and the Creative Writing Scholarship awardees. Each year the English Department administers writing contests to recognize fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry by English majors and non-major undergraduates. Congratulations to the following students! Anne Flexner Memorial Award for Fiction Sascha Seinfeld, '23 Download Mint-Ting-A-Ling (pdf - 141.98 KB… read more about 2022 Creative Writing Award Winners »
This spring, Duke English has had the honor of hosting Kenyan author and journalist Peter Kimani as its Blackburn Artist in Residence. His novel, Dance of the Jakaranda – a New York Times "Notable Book of the Year" – was nominated for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and the inaugural Big Book Award in the UK. Kimani currently writes a weekly column for The Standard. During his time with the department this semester, Kimani taught two fiction writing courses: English 221S: Introduction to… read more about Blackburn Artist in Residence, Peter Kimani »
In a Wednesday night ceremony in New York City, the Whiting Foundation announced the honorees of its 2022 Whiting Award, which is presented annually to ten emerging writers in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. Awards are $50,000, one of the most substantial awards sums to exist for emerging writers. read more about Two Triangle Writers Named Recipients of Prestigious Whiting Award (Including English PhD Alum Alexis Pauline Gumbs) »
Almost a decade ago, Grace Li, Trinity ‘17, read Weike Wang’s elegant, witty look at science and the soul, “Chemistry.” “It was the first time I felt like a book had been written just for me. It’s what made me realize I could write deeply personal, honest books, and that maybe other people would read them.” What Li didn’t realize at the time was that her own literary canvas of the Chinese-American experience, “Portrait of a Thief”, would leap off the page and onto the Netflix screen. Inspired by the true story… read more about Grace Li to speak at Duke’s first Medicine, Literature, & Culture Celebration »
Assistant Professor of English Jarvis McInnis and Assistant Professor of Biology Gustavo Silva founded Duke's "Black Think Tank" to create a community for Duke's Black faculty scholars. read more about Fostering the Advancement of Black Faculty »
George Williams October 10, 1922 - February 25, 2022 Durham, North Carolina - George Walton Williams was born in Charleston, South Carolina, the son of Ellison Adger Williams and Elizabeth (Simonton) Dillingham Williams on October 10, 1922. He died on February 25, 2022 at the Forest at Duke. read more about In memoriam: Emeritus colleague George W. Williams »
Ph.D. candidate Carolina Benack shares her thoughts on how being an instructor of record has enhanced her graduate school experience at Duke University. read more about Reflections on Being an Instructor of Record (IOR) »
English Alum Robin Sindler shares insight into the world of broadcast journalism in her Q&A session with Duke Arts. read more about Q&A with Robin Sindler ’94, Special Projects Producer, NBC Today »
A new program for Duke sophomores – which launched earlier this year – will include two English courses this fall: “Power, Theater, Politics” (ENG 278S) and “Moral Literacy: An Introduction” (ENG 290-7 Section 2). The two courses are part of the new “Transformative Ideas” program that is designed to promote open and civil cross-disciplinary dialogue on questions and big ideas that change lives, link cultures and shape societies around the world. “Power, Theater, Politics” – taught by Douglas Jones of English and Theater… read more about English Courses Among Fall “Transformative Ideas” Offerings »
Raucous drag shows, dazzling Broadway performances, a smorgasbord of food: Duke in New York: Arts, Culture and Performance isn’t just a study away program, it’s a feast for the senses. Falling in love with the city is a familiar American story, and New York didn’t hold back on the charm for these program alumni. “My favorite part of the city overall is how creatively rich it is with opportunities (especially in fashion) at every corner,” said Sydney Reede, a sophomore who participated last semester. Hoping to work in… read more about Experiencing New York's Arts Culture for Credit »
Congratulations, Emma Davenport, English Ph.D. candidate, on receiving the 2022 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching! read more about 2022 Dean's Awards: Emma Davenport »
This semester's David L. Paletz Creative Writing Guest Series kicked off with a visit from psychiatrist, poet, and fiction writer, Dr. Joanna Pearson, to Professor JP Gritton's "Intro to the Writing of Fiction - Great Artist Steal" class. Before her visit, Gritton's class read Pearson's short story "Riding," which primed students for a discussion of Dr. Pearson's approach to writing, especially the writing of fiction. In undergrad, she was a pre-med English major and has always felt drawn to writing. Due to her pre-med… read more about Spring 2022 David L. Paletz Creative Writing Guest Series »
In this interview with the Duke Entertainment, Media & Arts Network (DEMAN), Charlie McSpadden '10 offers advice for students pursuing a career in the film industry. “Becoming a quick study, anticipating problems, and being reliable and communicative were crucial skills for the world of film production,” he shares. read more about Duke Arts' Q&A with 2010 English Alum, Charlie McSpadden, VP of Levantine Films »
In this interview with the alumni network DukeJournos, Riley Griffin '18 shares insights from her career in journalism, from the challenges of reporting during the pandemic to the rewarding aspects of storytelling. “It’s an honor to be able to bring my readers into the room with me,” she says. read more about Q&A with Riley Griffin ’18, Bloomberg U.S. Healthcare Reporter »
Recording of "Computation Across the Disciplines" panel discussion held on February 2, 2022 during Duke Research Week 2022. read more about Recording of Computation Across the Disciplines – Duke Research Week 2022 »
Sophomore Milla Surjadi was elected Friday as the editor-in-chief of The Chronicle’s 118th volume. In a staff-wide election, members of the student newspaper chose Surjadi to succeed junior Leah Boyd as editor-in-chief of The Chronicle and president of the Duke Student Publishing Company, Inc., the publisher of the independent, student-run daily newspaper. Surjadi, who is from Forest Hills, N.Y., is an English major with a certificate in policy journalism and media studies. read more about Milla Surjadi Elected Editor-in-Chief for Chronicle Vol.118 »
One of downtown Durham’s most memorable landmarks, the Chesterfield building looks like it was aesthetically designed to maintain the country’s morale during World War II. On the former cigarette factory’s roof rests a brilliant red sign that’s visible from miles away: read more about Hidden in Plain Sight: The Growing Role of Computation in Science »
Kenyan author and journalist Peter Kimani will be reading from his latest work of fiction this Friday, February 11, 2022. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Ruby Lounge in the Rubenstein Arts Center. Peter Kimani Reading and Q&A Date: Friday, February 11, 2022 Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: Rubenstein Arts Center (The Ruby) at Duke University, … read more about Join Us for the "Peter Kimani Reading and Q&A" »
From China to modern Palestine, from Renaissance Europe to Reagan’s America of the 1980s, new books by Duke faculty will take you on a fascinating journey through time and space. We present a selection of books published in late 2021. Many of the books, including new editions of previous titles, can be found on the “Duke Authors” display shelves near the circulation desk in Perkins Library. Some are available as e-books for quick download. Most can also be purchased through the Gothic Bookshop. [Duke Today will… read more about Dance, Spirituality and Black Art: Books by Duke Authors Warm This Winter »
Check out Professor Akhil Sharma's article "A Passage to Parenthood" in the January 31 issue of The New Yorker. One of the reasons I began thinking about I.V.F. was that I was overflowing with love for my wife and wanted a place to put that love. read more about A Passage to Parenthood »