Department Overview

"Out of the quarrel with others we make rhetoric; out of the quarrel with ourselves we make poetry."

-William Butler Yeats

The English Department’s rigorous curriculum introduces students to a shared literary tradition while encouraging intellectual independence. Students build close relationships with a dynamic faculty of active scholars and creative writers who share a passion for literature. Professors challenge students to argue thoughtfully and communicate effectively, both on the page and in real time. Small class sizes ensure that students receive individual attention in and out of the classroom.

The Department is a community beyond its classes, sponsoring literary events throughout the year. In addition to hosting nationally recognized authors and critics, the Department showcases the scholarly and creative work of its own faculty and students in colloquia and readings. Many students are involved with the Lewis and Clark Lit Review, a student-produced literary magazine sponsored by the English Department.

Examples of Recent Graduate Study

Harvard University, Ph.D. program, African-American Studies, with a Ford Foundation Fellowship.

• Princeton University, Ph.D. program in literature, funded by an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship.
• Rutgers University, Ph.D. program in literature and critical theory, supported by a teaching fellowship.
• University of Iowa, Writers' Workshop, M.F.A. program in creative writing.
• University of Chicago, Ph.D. program in humanities.
• Mills College, Ph.D. program in literature and M.F.A. program in creative writing.
• Brooklyn Law School.