English DepartmentEnglish Department faculty specialize in a range of historic periods, areas and genres. Learn what sets English faculty apart in their field and how their research and creative works inform their courses.
We sat down for an interview with Kevin Hart, the newly appointed Jo Rae Wright University Distinguished Professor at Duke Divinity School, who also has a secondary appointment in the Department of English. We asked him about the layers of his scholarly work, his involvement with Catholic initiatives at secular universities, and the themes from his latest book. read more about An Interview With Kevin Hart, Theologian and Poet »
Professor Thomas Pfau was the keynote lecturer for the A.I. & Theology seminar. read more about Graduate Students Synthesize AI, Ethics, and Theology »
The author reads his story from the August 26, 2024, issue of the magazine. read more about Akhil Sharma Reads “The Narayans” »
Earlier this year, The Atlantic published its most recent list of "The Great American Novels." This list includes great American authors like James Baldwin, Judy Blume, and Ralph Ellison, well-known novels such as The Grapes of Wrath, The Catcher in the Rye, and Family Life written by Duke English's Akhil Sharma, Adele Schiff Professor of the Practice. The Atlantic's list places Sharma's Family Life in the company of literary giants like F… read more about The Atlantic Magazine's The Great American Novels List Includes Professor Akhil Sharma's "Family Life" »
read more about Appalachian Teens Navigate Identity and Addiction in Mesha Maren's New Book ‘Shae’ »
Embark on an intellectual odyssey with Professor Christopher Ouma, our distinguished guest, who delivers a masterclass on African literature's profound role in crafting Pan-African identity. As a newly minted associate professor at Duke University, Christopher traces his journey from the vibrant heart of Kenya to the halls of academia, offering us a window into the soul of a continent through its stories. Together, we reminisce about the transformative power of education and the written word in shaping identity,… read more about Shaping Pan-African Imagination and Solidarity: A Conversation with Literary Critic and Professor Christopher Ouma »
Congratulations to Professor Aarthi Vadde, the 2024 E. Blake Byrne Chair. Professor Vadde is among the four Duke faculty members inducted into the Bass Society of Fellows this year. read more about Bass Society of Fellows Awards Its 2024 Chairs »
Spring’s crop of books from Duke authors includes a history of grievance in the United States, an up-close look at the camaraderie at Durham Bulls games, and a guide on understanding sex and gender. Below is a roundup of some of the most recent and upcoming published titles. 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… read more about Spring Books in Duke Authors: Meditations, Baseball, Rebels and Stomach Pains »
Musical collisions, living monuments, immersive choreography and celebrations of tradition are all part of the performance experience at Duke. The arts and humanities faculty in Trinity College of Arts & Sciences are gifted creatives, as well as respected educators and researchers. This month, several of them have joined with Duke Arts Presents to present four performances across multiple art forms.Aaron Shackelford, the director of programming for Duke Arts says, “Duke Arts Presents brings world-class… read more about Duke Arts Presents Collaborates with Trinity Faculty for Four Performances in April »
The Caribbean Philosophical Association is pleased to announce that Nathaniel Mackey is one of the 2024 recipients of the Nicolás Cristóbal Guillén Batista Lifetime Achievement Award. The selection of recommended recipients is made annually by the Caribbean Philosophical Association’s Awards Committee, which consists of all prior recipients of the Frantz Fanon, the Nicolás Guillén, and the Stuart Hall Awards, two appointed senior scholars, and two appointed junior scholars. For more information, please consult:… read more about The Caribbean Philosophical Association’s 2024 Nicolás Cristóbal Guillén Batista Lifetime Achievement Award Goes to Nathaniel Mackey »
When we think of style, we usually think about the clothes a person wears, how they act, how they choose to present themselves to the world. In his new book "Style: A Queer Cosmology," Taylor Black, assistant professor of English, looks at icons of American culture who figured out how to express style in what he calls a “non-typical way.” The book is divided in three parts. Part One, “The Mystery of Personality: Queerness as Style” revolves around Quentin Crisp and Flannery O’Connor. Part Two, “The Arrow of Time… read more about Style: A Queer Cosmology — Redefining Expression and Identity »
The Palgrave Handbook of European Migration in Literature and Culture, edited by Professors Corina Stan and Charlotte Sussman, was released in November 2023."The Palgrave Handbook of European Migration in Literature and Culture engages with migration to, within, and from Europe, foregrounding migration through the lenses of historical migratory movement and flows associated with colonialism and postcolonialism. With essays on literature, film, drama, graphic novels, and more, the book… read more about "The Palgrave Handbook of European Migration in Literature and Culture” Edited by Stan and Sussman »
Congratulations to Chris Kuo, ’23 alum, for being selected as one of the George J. Mitchell Scholarship winners. He is among the 12 Americans chosen this weekend for the program, supporting a year of graduate study in Ireland. read more about Duke Senior, Alumnus Win Mitchell Scholarships »
Brown University Professor Tim Bewes presented "Lukács and Baldwin: A Conversation Between Novel Theory and Black Studies" for the inaugural Len Tennenhouse Lecture. A capacity crowd joined Bewes for his lecture focused on the first of a projected three essay study of "Race and the Novel."Students, faculty, Duke community members, and literary arts supporters were eager to hear Bewes discuss his work. Bewes began his lecture by thanking the department for the honor of being selected for the inaugural Len Tennenhouse Lecture… read more about Inaugural Tennenhouse Lecture »
A group of students recently joined the Duke English Creative Writing faculty for an Open House. The Open House allowed students to chat with faculty informally about creative writing from all facets, ranging from course offerings to advice on how creative writing can continue beyond the classroom. Among the students in attendance was a local high school senior who has applied to Duke and is interested in majoring in English and minoring in Creative Writing. “I thought it was a super great opportunity to meet creative… read more about Fall ’23 Creative Writing Open House »
New reads from Duke authors include a take on what it takes to be successful in the job market today (hint: it’s a lot of luck), a history of racial identity among Latinos in the South and the science behind being a good neighbor. read more about Good Reads for the Fall: New Books from Duke Authors »
A packed crowd joined Duke English for a reading and an opportunity to meet and chat with poet Toby Martinez de las Rivas, the 2023-24 Blackburn Distinguished Artist in Residence. Martinez de las Rivas joined the department for the 2023-24 academic year and is teaching two sections of an “Introduction to Creative Writing” this semester, a multi-genre course designed to allow students to experience imaginative literary texts. The "Read & Greet" allowed the Duke community to hear Professor Martinez de las Rivas… read more about "Read & Greet" With Poet Toby Martinez de las Rivas, Blackburn Distinguished Artist in Residence »
Poet Toby Martinez de las Rivas will join the Duke English Department this Fall as the 2023-24 Blackburn Artist in Residence. He recently joined sophomore English major Trisha Santanam via Zoom to discuss the course he is teaching this Fall, English 290S.4.01: "Word & Image." English major Trisha Santanam interviews Poet Toby Martinez de las Riva, 2023-24 Blackburn Artist in Residence read more about Meet Poet Toby Martinez de las Rivas, Blackburn Artist in Residence »
In the Fall of 2023, Professor Chris Ouma will join the Duke English faculty. Recently Prof. Ouma sat down, via Zoom, with sophomore English major Trisha Santanam to discuss the course he will be teaching this Fall, "Small Magazines & African Literary Modernity." His course is one of English's 101S - "Art of Reading" gateway courses taught this Fall. English major Trisha Santanam interviews Professor Chris Ouma read more about Meet Professor Chris Ouma »
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 »
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" »
Upon reaching milestones of 10, 15, 20 or more years, staff and faculty reflect on their paths read more about Celebrating Staff and Faculty Career Milestones at Duke »
17-year-old Amin Ahmad might’ve been surprised by the trajectory of his life, three decades later. “It’s very strange where my life has taken me,” Ahmad says. “I didn’t expect to be in North Carolina—and I certainly didn’t expect to be teaching writing!” Last fall, Ahmad joined Duke’s faculty as a professor of English. While he’s new to Duke, Ahmad is no stranger to crafting an engaging story. In addition to his critically acclaimed novels, Ahmad’s work has appeared in a litany of… read more about Writing Across Borders and Genres: Amin Ahmad Brings Scaffolding to Creative Writing Faculty »
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Kathy Psomiades works on Victorian literature and culture. She is the author of Beauty's Body: Femininity and Representation in British Aestheticism (Stanford, 1997), and co-editor, with Talia Schaffer of Women and British Aestheticism (Virginia, 1999). She has been the recipient of an NEH fellowship, and a Kaneb award for undergraduate teaching at the University of Notre Dame. Her current book project,… read more about Victorian Lit, Dinner Parties, and Nuns: Q&A With Kathy Psomiades, PhD »
Duke University professor Priscilla Wald used to have a recurring dream about learning how to fly. The R. Florence Brinkley Distinguished Professor of English said that in her dream, people all around her realized they could tap into this new ability, buried deep in their brains. One by one, they took off. Wald learned how to fly too, and she woke up with a realization. “This dream, in a small way, is what teaching is,” she said, “Teaching and learning are about realizing something new about the world, about… read more about Priscilla Wald uses Literature to Track the Outbreak Narrative »