For most, quarantine has meant disconnection, disruption to normal life, and isolation. Quarantine has been arguably difficult for pretty much everyone, affecting education, salaries, unemployment, and connection with family members and friends—especially older and/or more vulnerable ones. As a less extreme but still upsetting situation, us bibliophiles are in the position of not being able to browse bookstores for hours, picking up any books that interest us and leaving the bookstore with several books that will sit on our shelves, likely … [Read More...] about Quarantine Reads
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A Distanced Introduction to the Freshman Cohort
This past year has been a challenge for us all—navigating a pandemic so isolating, nerve-wracking and labyrinthine it seems impossible to capture its essence in words while still in the midst of it. Instead of writing about an experience we’ve all endured, I thought it more important to try and build some semblance of the community we have temporarily lost at UP this year, especially the Freshman who have not yet been able to partake in the full college experience. Instead of welcoming the Freshman cohort to campus in typical fashion, more … [Read More...] about A Distanced Introduction to the Freshman Cohort
Course Preview for Spring 2021
What a wild ride this semester has been! Daily life is feeling increasingly stressful and existential: a global pandemic, a national election, and a whole host of pressing social issues that our community is facing. Despite this, it is a great time to take an upper division English course, because they have the unique ability of placing current times in context and providing fresh perspectives on many issues that are affecting us today. Included in this course preview are detailed personal responses from our phenomenal English Department … [Read More...] about Course Preview for Spring 2021
The Place I Know – An Exploration of the Music of Arthur Russell
The current pandemic may be keeping us from attending live events, but that doesn't prohibit us from listening to and writing about the music and lyrics that move us. What follows is an exploration of Arthur Russell's work, along with a consideration of the tangible effect music can have on our lives, written by contributing editor Murphy Bradshaw. When I turned seventeen, I got into my first relationship. When I used to think about dating I’d imagine all of the small things I would do for that person: make them little notes with cut-out … [Read More...] about The Place I Know – An Exploration of the Music of Arthur Russell
A Digital Discussion: Cancel Culture
This digital discussion on cancel culture occurred Friday, September 10th, and is the first in a series of Zoom-powered lectures that will be held this semester. What follows is a thoughtful write-up of the event by contributor Lucy Mackintosh. Cancel culture is something that pervades the modern psyche; as readers, we have a hard time figuring out where cancel culture fits in with our favorite books and authors. Several English majors and professors planned and attended this digital lecture in order to have the most educational and … [Read More...] about A Digital Discussion: Cancel Culture
Professor Cheri Buck-Perry: What’s in a Metaphor?
Way back in mid-February--before toilet paper started flying off the shelves, we all started mask-wearing, and graduating students tuned in to a virtual commencement ceremony--15 new members were inducted into UP's Sigma Tau Delta Honor Society. Though it's hard to imagine now, students and faculty from the English Department gathered to share a meal and celebrate their love of literature with one another. Near the evening's end, those in attendance also had the pleasure of hearing keynote speaker Professor Cheri Buck-Perry's closing … [Read More...] about Professor Cheri Buck-Perry: What’s in a Metaphor?
Q&A with G. C. Waldrep
G. C. Waldrep is a poet and historian. He currently teaches at Bucknell University and serves as the editor for Bucknell's literary magazine West Branch. Waldrep's most recent poetry collection is Feast Gently. Waldrep was scheduled to be visiting UP tonight in the Brian Doyle Auditorium; however, due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 virus, the Garaventa Center will instead be recording a conversation with him this evening along with readings of his poems, so that students and staff will have the opportunity to have a “virtual” … [Read More...] about Q&A with G. C. Waldrep
Job Opportunity: The Graide Network
Sometimes, it can feel like there's a dissonance between being an English major and deciding what to do with that major. It's rare that you'll get to analyze literature for the rest of your career. There are also so many different experiences that the major opens up. So what's an English major to do? One opportunity out there, which you can easily do as a student, is called The Graide Network. It's an online network through which college students score and give feedback on high school and middle school essays. Becoming a graider might be a … [Read More...] about Job Opportunity: The Graide Network
Q&A with Luis Alberto Urrea
Later this week, University of Portland will have the pleasure of welcoming distinguished author, poet, and essayist, Luis Roberto Urrea to campus as a part of the Schoenfeldt Distinguished Speaker series. Luis Roberto Urrea is a Mexican-American best-selling and critically acclaimed author of poetry, fiction, and essays. Born in Tijuana, Urrea now lives in Naperville, IL, with his family. Some of his notable achievements include being a Pulitzer Prize finalist for nonfiction in 2005, a member of the Latino Literature Hall of Fame, and … [Read More...] about Q&A with Luis Alberto Urrea
Humans of the English Department
Jordan Ducree '23 “I had an ‘aha!’ moment about a different major when I was really little—I’m a double major in biology and English. When I was little I would watch documentaries about forensic science, and I wanted to do work like that, so I knew I needed to study biology in order to pursue that. But in the background, my love of writing and reading was always there, and in high school I became more passionate about it. So that was something I was really into and wanted to study as well. English was something I wanted to learn more … [Read More...] about Humans of the English Department