Listen. Listen closely. Can you hear it? It’s that ever-looming question of “English major? English… What are you planning on doing with that?” However, you don’t have to feel your stomach drop every time this question is asked, because the English Department is here to help. This coming Monday, February 6th, the UP English…
Why You Should Submit to NUCL 2017
As you finish up those last few final papers or theses, you’ve probably heard about submitting those papers to NUCL, and that the submission deadline is quickly approaching. And that’s all well and good if you know what NUCL actually is. But if you don’t, here is everything you need to know about NUCL and why…
Wordstock 2016 Three Ways
Ah, Wordstock—the Portland-based, literature-themed Comic-Con. Held in our city’s architectural gems and with over one hundred writers to see and hear, Wordstock provides the perfect weekend plan for the genre-curious English student, professors of all disciplines, and the bookworm looking for their next read. Needless to say, the prospect of going to Wordstock for the…
An Interview with Peter Rock
Award-winning novelist Peter Rock is a University of Portland Schoenfeldt Distinguished Writer and our final guest in the Fall Readings and Lectures series. Rock received his BA in English from Yale and has won numerous awards and fellowships for his writing, including Stanford’s Wallace Stegner Fellowship. He lives and writes in Portland, and teaches writing at Reed College. His most…
An Interview with Willy Vlautin
Novelist Willy Vlautin is the next guest in our Autumn Readings & Lectures series hosted by the University of Portland’s English Department. He has published four novels: The Motel Life (2007), Northline (2008), Lean on Pete (2010), and The Free (2014). For all the violence and tragedy that fuels the characters and storylines of his works, Willy Vlautin is one hell of a friendly guy. His band, alt-country…
Professor Spotlight: Elyse Fenton
Last November, Elyse Fenton came to University of Portland to read from her wildly acclaimed poetry book Clamor. Her collection caught literary fire after she was not only the first American author to win the University of Wales’ Dylan Thomas Prize, but also the first poet. She’s been interviewed on NPR and BBC. After her reading at…
Freshman Feature: Cameron Beasley
In preparation for my profile on a first year English major (Class of 2020—remarkable), I scoured past blog posts for inspiration and was nothing short of jarred when I came upon the December 9, 2013 “Featuring First Years,” which, to the surprise of my ever-roaming memory, popped up with a picture of myself clad in…
An English Major’s Guide to Non-English Classes
Literature and writing are my passions—that’s why I chose to major in English. When it was time to take required basics or choose electives in the College of Arts and Sciences, I was at a little bit of a loss. I just wanted to TAKE ALL THE ENGLISH! I was happy to find that…
Lunch Table Preview: Swidzinski and Buck-Perry
This Thursday, October 27 is our next English Lunch Table! Be quick to RSVP and score a free lunch and riveting conversation with Professor Swidzinski and Professor Buck-Perry. I sat down with Swidzinski and Buck-Perry to get a preview of possible discussion for Thursday: Who are they really? What are they reading? What’s up with the Shakespeare authorship conspiracy? What’s…
Spring 2017 Courses: A Preview
With the unveiling of Spring 2017 courses on Self-Serve, and numerous assignments to continue putting off, it seems to be the perfect time to cozy up with a warm pumpkin product and see what the English Department is preparing for next semester. ENG 311 – Advanced Writing TR 12:55 McDonald | TR 2:30 McDonald | MW 4:10 Hannon In the…