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Because we teach the arts of rhetoric, English faculty have a special obligation to defend and promote the open exchange of ideas, and to expose and resist deliberate misrepresentations of the past. We honor the right to free speech and will oppose the intrusion of hate speech and hateful symbols of oppression on our campus. Since we recognize that the College of Charleston, like the rest of the country, has yet to shed the vestiges of our racist history, we stand committed to working toward a fully diverse and inclusive educational environment. Read More.

Read our faculty and staff's Statement of Solidarity and Commitment to Antiracism here

Why English?

If you are a student reading this page, you probably already know why you want to study English.

You already feel the pull of the word and the image. You already know the pleasure afforded by language shaped into stories, poems, memoirs, and essays. You already experience the thrill of entering other worlds, adopting other perspectives, and grappling with big questions. You already experience the satisfaction of getting a sentence just right, expressing your idea, articulating your vision.

What you might not yet know is that English represents a pragmatic course of study as well as a fulfilling one. After all, there are some widespread misconceptions about how English majors fare on the job market. When you tell friends that you want to study English, some of them might have asked, “what are you going to do with that – teach?”...[Read more...]

ANNOUNCING A New Departmental History Podcast

Episode 1: Prof. Eugene Hunt 

As part of Black History Month, the Department of English is pleased to announce the first entry in a newly-launched multimedia series focused on neglected departmental history. The podcast, which English major Tony Jackson (Lit & Film concentration) produced, shares the story of Prof. Eugene Hunt, the first Black professor in the English department. Prof. Hunt (1916-1994), who joined the college in 1972, was the second Black faculty member at the College and the second tenured Black professor at CofC. As Jackson's podcast explains, Prof. Hunt began his career teaching for many years at Burke High School (1941-72), and he retired from the College in 1992. The 24-minute podcast shares material from interviews Tony conducted with Dr. Larry Carlson (CofC English professor 1979-2009), Dr. Caroline Hunt (CofC English professor 1976- 2008, current Emerita Adjunct Instructor), and Dr. Millicent Brown (who played a direct role in desegregating SC state schools, in part through “Millicent Brown, et al v. School District 20” [Charleston, SC, 1963]). Please take a listen! Thanks go to Prof. Valerie Frazier and Prof. Joe Kelly—and especially to Tony Jackson. The department honors Prof. Eugene Hunt's ground-breaking service to the College (including his role in the development of the African American Studies Program) and to the Department of English.

Study Abroad

Find out about study abroad opportunites within the English Department and beyond. 

Have you heard about the new concentration Literature and Film?

The concentration inLiterature and Film provides a rigorous education in writing and analysis through the study of a wide variety of literary and cultural texts, from medieval manuscripts to modern films. Strong writing and incisive thinking are increasingly specialized skills that are in demand in a wide variety of professional fields. Graduates of this program have gone on to careers in education, academia, journalism, marketing, publishing, copywriting, law, and medicine.

FILM PROFESSORS OFFER UP THEIR TOP 10 FILMS FOR SELF-ISOLATION on REEL NEWS CofC's Film Studies Blog. 

English Department “In the news”

CofC Celebrates Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ and Q&A with Prof. Susan Farrell in The College Today! 

Former College of Charleston studio arts major Lance Miccio put brush to canvas to create 50 oil paintings depicting scenes from the novel for his exhibit, Slaughterhouse Fifty, at the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library in Indianapolis, Indiana. The exhibition originally debuted in 2019 in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the publication of Slaughterhouse-Five in 1969. And now – thanks in large part to English Professor Susan Farrell – 23 of those paintings are on display in the Addlestone Library rotunda through March 15, 2021.

“As a Vonnegut scholar who is currently writing a book about the history and writing of Slaughterhouse-Five, I was delighted to help bring the exhibit to CofC,” says Farrell, who not only wrote the Critical Companion to Kurt Vonnegut: A Literary Reference to his Life and Work (New York: Facts on File Press, 2008), but also founded the International Kurt Vonnegut Society. “I love the variety of Mr. Miccio’s paintings, their colorful and outgoing nature, and of course, the deep connection to Slaughterhouse-Five.”

Professor Valerie Frazier has been appointed the director of the 1967 Legacy Program, a multi-year initiative that aims to improve the recruitment, retention, graduation and workplace success of African American students through scholarships, enhanced and extended education support, and professional preparation, as well as research experiences around African Americans’ contribution to the College.  See more in The College Today!

Professor Bret Lott's 1991 novel Jewel was featured February 10th in New York Times book section "50 States of Love: From sea to shining sea, here’s a tour of unforgettable fiction that explores matters of the heart."

Professor Anthony Varallo featured in Charleston City Paper!

Professor Gary Jackson on the Academy of American Poets, “Poem-a-Day"!

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Faculty Spotlights: Bill Russell & Scott Peeples

Congratulations to Prof. Bill Russell on the publication of his book, Inventing the Critic in Renaissance England, last Friday! Published by University of Delaware Press, it "reveals that the critics of the English

Renaissance did not passively absorb their practice from Continental and classical sources but actively invented it in response to a confluence of social and intellectual factors" (book jacket). Bill will discuss his book at January's Teacher-Scholar Tuesday.

Prof. Scott Peeples' new book is out, The Man of the Crowd: Edgar Allan Poe and the City!" Read about how four American cities shaped Poe's life and writings.

"Scott Peeples has plumbed the deep psychic landscape of Poe with passion and skill, bringing us back to his writings again and again with fresh insights. The Man of the Crowd is beautifully written and remarkably adroit. A major accomplishment."—Jay Parini, author of Robert Frost and Empire of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal

 Alumni Spotlight: Derrick Williams

After graduating, pursuing a law career, and starting a family, Derrick Williams received a call from fellow alumni in 2013 and was offered a position on the Alumni Association Board. He reentered the College of Charleston community and has been an active member ever since, even joining the Advisory Board to the Honors College and becoming a charter member of the English department’s new Alumni Advisory Board. “Seeing all the progress the College has made, especially infrastructurally and in the different departments and programs, is amazing,” says Williams. His dedication to CofC and work ethic led to his newest role as the President of the Alumni Association. 

Read the rest of Derrick's feature article in Folio where you'll find more feature stories about alumni in our ongoing "Sequel" series.

Student Spotlight: Patrick Wohlscheid

Meet Patrick! He is a double major in English and Philosophy, with LFCS concentration. Patrick is also the President of the CofC Philosophical Society, Managing Editor of Miscellany, and involved with the English Student Advisory Group and undergraduate research. His favorite English class at the College is ENGL 202 with Dr. Carens!

Meet more of our majors on our Instagram!

Folio: The Department Blog

The Department of English's department blog, Folio, features stories on alumni, current students, new professors, department events, and faculty accomplishments. If you would have an accomplishment, event, or information that you would like the department to share through Folio, tell us about it.