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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.
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