Department of English

In the English Department at Appalachian State, our work begins with incisive analysis of British, American, and World literature, but we also offer a broad array of courses that focus on film, creative writing, English education, professional writing, rhetoric and composition, critical theory, folklore, and other aspects of English studies. Our faculty publish scholarly books and articles on subjects ranging from Renaissance drama to contemporary cinema and edit academic journals. Our strongest commitment, however, is to outstanding work in the classroom, based on enthusiastic interaction with students and dynamic engagement with cultural history.

Our talented, highly motivated English majors and master's degree candidates work hard to sharpen their ability to think critically about works of literature and to understand how those works influenced and were influenced by the cultural contexts in which they were produced. They also develop interpretive skills that will help them to thrive in any career they choose after graduation. More specifically, our students learn to analyze complicated texts, to speak about them with confidence, and to write detailed, persuasive essays that support their conclusions about the works they have studied with carefully chosen, logically arranged evidence. These skills are, of course, necessary for students who aspire to teach or to earn graduate degrees in English, but they are equally valuable for students who choose to pursue careers in business, medicine, entertainment, publishing, broadcasting, advertising, journalism, government, and the law.

Our Statement on Diversity

Education is transformative, and open intellectual inquiry is the foundation of a university education and a democratic society.  In the spirit of shared humanity and concern for our community and world, the Department of English faculty celebrate diversity as central to our mission and affirm our solidarity with those individuals and groups most at risk. In line with our departmental goals, we disavow all racism, xenophobia, homophobia, sexism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, classism, ableism, and hate speech or actions that attempt to silence, threaten, and degrade others.

As educators, we affirm that language and texts, films and stories help us to understand the experiences of others whose lives are different from ours. We value critical reasoning, evidence-based arguments, self-reflection, and the imagination. Building on these capacities, we hope to inspire empathy, social and environmental justice, and an ethical framework for our actions. We advocate for a diverse campus, community, and nation inclusive of racial minorities, women, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, and people of all religious faiths.