On January 27th, 1832, Lewis Carrol was born! His given name at birth was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, but he began using the pseudonym around 1856, nine years before he published Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. He studied both Mathematics and Writing at Christ Church College and published several mathematical writings. Many of his writing philosophies were based on…
By Wes Cruse Hi, friends! It’s the start of a fresh semester here on the Bluff, and do you know what that means? That’s right, there’s a new slew of accomplished writers lined up to come to campus and share their work and wisdom with us literature-lovers. First up is Elena Passarello who will be…
The turbulent year of 2018 is finally coming to a close! As we journey into winter break, the English Department wants to offer a few book recommendations for you to peruse on the plane and curl up with on the couch. Get ready to update your Goodreads page! The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon The Education…
On December 3rd, 1926: Agatha Christie disappeared from her car a few miles outside of her home in Surrey, England. She was missing for around ten days before she was recognized in a hotel in Harrogate. It was reported that she was experiencing amnesia, following a suicide attempt in her car caused by a quarrel…
Finals week is just around the corner, which means English majors are swamped with (more) essays (than usual). And while this might seem daunting, a reminder: anything that you are working on right now – be it an analysis of plants in Shakespeare or psychological realism in Pamela – has the potential to be submitted…
By Wes Cruse Happy Tuesday, my friends! If you’re a senior English major (like me) who’s eyeing graduation with more than a pinch of anxiety surrounding that dreaded ‘what’s next?’ question, this post is especially for you. For the third profile of the Humans of the English Department series, I caught up with Laura Misch,…
Hey blog browsers! It’s Tayler, back with another installment of my Fantasy Leisure Reading series. Last month, I chose a title that walked the line between fantasy and realism in an attempt to ease in new fantasy readers, but this month I’m going all in. Full on fantasy. The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin,…
On November 25, 1952: Agatha Christie’s murder-mystery play The Mousetrap opened at the Ambassadors Theatre, London. Over sixty years later, it is still running – making it the longest-running theatrical production in history. It’s twist ending came as a shock to most viewers, and show attendees were asked to keep the twist a secret after leaving the theatre….
On November 18, 1865: The New York Saturday Press published “Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog,” by Mark Twain. This story is considered to be Twain’s first great success as a writer, bringing him attention nationwide. Following the mission of the narrator to learn about a man named Jim Smiley, the reader is taken through several tall…
Mark your calendars: this Wednesday evening, November 14th, at 7:30 pm in the UP bookstore, Portland poet and Adjunct Instructor Matthew Minicucci will treat us to a selection of his prize-winning poetry. Minicucci is the third and final visiting author of our Fall Reading and Lecture series here on the Bluff, and you won’t want…