Humans of the English Department – Students

Hi all! I’m Cameron Beasley and I want to welcome you to our first Humans of the English Department post, where Wes Cruse and I will be reporting monthly on of your fellow English majors and giving you insight into their literary worlds.

This month, I had the opportunity to sit down with Brendan Foley, a junior English and Communications Major, to talk with him about his journey as both a reader and a writer. He and I have had the pleasure of sharing several English Surveys together, first Dr. Orr’s American Literature I, and now Dr. Larson’s American Literature II. He and I love to swap papers before they’re due to give advice and feedback on our writing. I chose him for this first post of Humans of the English Department because I think his incorporation of his communications major into his literary analysis is incredible, and can be a lesson for all of us studying literature. I prompted him with a few questions, asking why he chose to study English, and how he views himself as both a reader and a writer. Here is Brendan’s response:

“I love how I can find connections between different realms of my life, especially between video games and literature. I have always found myself deeply affected by both mediums, and can identify with characters in both. I became a Communications major so that I could learn more about unique mediums and how their messages can span to others. I chose English in order to hear more stories that inspire me, and to learn how to maybe inspire someone else one day. I always call myself the “worst-read” English major, because I feel like my wheel-house of reading is so different from my peers, but I often find myself reading in order to be social with other people. Being able to talk about a communal piece of literature not only helps me connect with others but also helps me to see what interests other people. As a writer, I aim to hold both academic integrity and merit, while still being entertaining for my readers. I remember in high school struggling with dry and monotonous readings, and I want to be the kind of writer that can be informative as well as enticing.”

(Photo courtesy of Cameron Beasley)