Pretty much every student has an anecdote about running into their English TA outside of the classroom. It’s like spotting a snow leopard. The elusive Teaching Assistant may appear at the gym, the grocery store, at a coffee shop obscured by a laptop and stack of papers – and while it’s good news that teaching …
“It’s through language that we can begin to share our brokenness and articulate our feelings in a way that will make others feel less alone.” Winner of the 2018 UW–Madison Letters and Science essay contest, English major Emily Klode talks about discovering uses of language in William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying that reveal the …
On a misty day in May Dr. Katie Schaag, the 2017-18 Mendota Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow, and the students of English 245 hike up Bascom Hill to reflect on a semester that challenged them to read and think deeply about plastic in many of its material and conceptual forms. And also, to build a collaborative American …
If undergrad memories are sorted by genre, one that stands out for Scott Astrada (BA ’06) might be a comedy—at least everyone survived. Professor Jacques Lezra summoned Scott to his office about his paper on George Orwell, “Fight Club,” and violence. “I have no idea what you’re trying to say. And I don’t mean this …
Making Space for Students of Color on Campus Melanin Speaking is no ordinary student publication or campus organization. It’s a phenomenon. Taking campus conversation about race and identity to a new level, Melanin Speaking makes spaces, both virtual and in the flesh, for students to speak about their experiences as people of color on a …
Poet. Scholar. Teacher. Alicia Ostriker has hit all these marks and more since earning her PhD in English from UW–Madison in 1964. Alicia’s first collection of poems, Songs, was published in 1969. Over the intervening decades, she has produced more than a dozen books of her poetry and works of criticism covering topics ranging from …
Please join us for the Department of English Celebration of Graduates Friday, May 11, 2018 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Elvehjem Museum 800 University Avenue (in the Chazen Museum on UW campus) The venue is handicapped accessible. Reception immediately following: On Wisconsin Room Red Gym, first floor Refreshments will be provided. TICKETS: No tickets …
How can English majors help solve problems in the real world? When alumni Chris Houben (then a senior) signed up for the BEST Challenge, he wasn’t quite sure. “I jumped into the cold water not knowing what to expect,” Chris says. “I wanted to turn my weakness, the fear of the unknown, into a strength.” This round …
UW English is kicking off a fundraising initiative to fortify future excellence in teaching and research. The College of Letters and Science has authorized three new faculty positions to form a center of research and teaching excellence in Global Black Literatures. This field includes African American literature, black British literature, and Caribbean and black diasporic …
The Board of Visitor’s discussion group takes us back to the seminar room. “What is it like to read a book written by a dying person?” Talk about an icebreaker. This question initiated this autumn’s Board of Visitors book discussion, led by Russ Castronovo. The BOV, a group of English alumni who serve in an …