We all use words creatively. We tell stories, true and fictional, we share feelings with metaphoric descriptions, we use language to express opinions and arguments in creative ways, and we hear the arguments, the feelings and the stories of others.  No one makes us do this. No one can stop us from doing this.  It is an essential component of who we are as individuals, of how we think, and of how we see ourselves as a part of human communities.    Literature is not just pages in dusty bindings.  Literature is all around us.

The English programs at James Madison University are motivated by our awareness that studying and questioning the impact of the creative, narrative, metaphoric use of words, as well as examining and evaluating in context literary works from diverse, talented voices, is empowering, enriching, enlightening, and, yes, entertaining.  The process leads to knowledge and intellectual growth that can have an impact on every aspect of one’s life, from preparedness for a wide variety of career options to strengthened personal identity, mental sharpness, and creativity, from heightened understanding of one’s own world view to deeper perspective on the views of others, those alive today and those speaking to us from the past.    

The faculty of the Department of English are scholars and writers dedicated to increasing and sharing their knowledge of a wide variety of literatures and related studies.  Some of us are specialists in historical periods of American or British literature who are interested in relevant, contextualized, often interdisciplinary studies of both traditionally canonical works and contemporary or overlooked works. Others are scholars of various culturally diverse literatures of the world written in or translated into English, and others focus on the literatures of historically marginalized voices – African American Literature, Women’s Literature, Gay and Lesbian literature, etc.  In addition, the department has strengths in creative writing, linguistics and the English language, film studies, and other interdisciplinary fields such as American Studies and Medieval Studies.  As a result, our programs offer structural direction for intellectual development but also encourage students to make choices for themselves about what literary works are most relevant for their own interests and personal development.  

We welcome you to explore your options here.