English
Working closely with dedicated faculty members, students in this department hone their ability to think and read critically, reason persuasively, and write eloquently. Through exploring a constantly evolving range of course offerings, English majors learn the methodologies and vocabularies appropriate to literary study; contemplate the forms and purposes of literary art in a variety of periods and cultures; and investigate the intersections between English and many other disciplines. The English department also fosters a culture of curiosity and intellectual endeavor, as well as respect for a variety of cultures and intellectual approaches, through advising, internships and service learning, study abroad, and extracurricular programming. Students who pursue optional creative writing courses balance critical study with creative endeavor, learning the history and forms of literary art as apprentice practitioners.
News
Winter 2009 Edition of Shenandoah Features Barry Vance Paintings
The Winter, 2009 issue of Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee University Review (Vol. 59, No. 3) features both a seasonal cover and a portfolio of paintings of Blue Ridge landscapes and culturescapes by Winchester (Virginia) artist Barry Vance, each in dialogue with an Appalachian literary passage chosen by the author.
W&L English Professor Attends National Book Awards; Alumna is Finalist
Marc Conner, professor of English at Washington and Lee University, attended the National Book Awards on Nov. 18 as a guest of novelist Charles Johnson, who received an honorary degree from W&L in June and was the Martin Luther King Jr. Day speaker at the university in 2008.
Shenandoah Editor’s New Short-Story Collection Spotlights Southwest Virginia
In his new short-story collection, The Calaboose Epistles, R.T. Smith, W&L's Writer-in-Residence and editor of Shenandoah magazine, gives a voice to the criminal types who fascinated him as a boy.
Award-winning Playwright Teaches his Art to W&L Students
Chris Gavaler, visiting assistant professor of English at Washington and Lee University, has won the outstanding playwright award at the Pittsburgh New Works Festival for the fourth year in a row for his one-act play "Vows."