A Digital Humanities project developed by Professor Martin Foys is changing what is possible in medieval studies—and beyond. The project, an open-access software platform called Digital Mappa, can be used for editing, annotating and publishing collections of digital images and texts, and is available to anyone with access to a computer and the internet. “The …
Did you ever procrastinate on an essay, forcing you to stay up all night writing? This November, the Writing Center celebrated its 50th anniversary of undermining the continued existence of that collegiate rite of passage. The day-long celebration began at 9:00 AM on November 8th with a write-a-thon; students spent five continuous hours—with the help …
A recent book on the experiences of high school-age immigrants and their families includes the work of several UW–Madison English students. Mark Salamone (’19), Elizabeth Wahmhoff (’20), and Sam Wood (’22) were among the Badgers who teamed up with Green Card Voices, a non-profit organization based in Minneapolis, to help bring these stories to the …
The English Department mourns the loss of Teju Olaniyan, Louise Durham Mead Professor of English and Wole Soyinka Professor of the Humanities. Professor Olaniyan was a visionary thinker, a dedicated mentor, and a most beloved colleague and friend. A world-renowned expert in the study of Anglophone literatures and cultures of Africa and the African Diaspora, he was instrumental …
While an undergraduate at UW–Madison, Emily Brix (’16) co-majored in English and Spanish and participated in the Undergraduate Writing Fellows Program. Following graduation, Emily worked as a paralegal in Madison before returning to UW as an Admissions Counselor in the Office of Recruitment and Admission. Although her current office is all the way on …
How do you decolonize African literary culture? In 1962, a group of prominent African writers gathered at Makerere University, Uganda, to answer that question. They agreed that the project of decolonizing African literary culture required a vital tool: the creation of a “new” English able, in the words of Chinua Achebe, “to accommodate African thought-patterns.” …
We have been lucky enough to welcome so many new people into the department this year that we have to split up our introductions over two newsletters! Look for another round of intros in the Spring issue. Professor Ralph Grunewald—Literary Studies We recently met up with Prof. Grunewald for a cup of coffee and a …
When you think about “grammar,” are you plagued by childhood memories of learning a complicated series of rules about where to put commas, how semicolons work, or when to put an apostrophe in “its”? Knowing this might be the case, students in Professor Anja Wanner’s English 413 wanted to change the average Wisconsinite’s conception of …
The increasingly diverse student populations on university campuses around the country provide educators with exciting opportunities to innovate their teaching methods. To understand how professors in the English Department have responded to changing student needs, we turned to Professor David Zimmerman, the Department’s Director of Undergraduate Teaching and Learning. With the Learning Support Services of …
Day of the Badger is coming this Spring! What is Day of the Badger? Well, it’s an 1848-minute event for all alumni, students, and friends throughout Badger nation to give to their passion, show their pride, and stay connected to the university. Everyone who loves UW–Madison is welcome and encouraged to participate. The goal is …