Welcome to The Next Chapter: News from Clark’s English Department!

Professor Lisa Kasmer, Associate Professor and Chair of English

As the Chair of the English Department, I want to welcome everyone to the Department’s new blog—The Next Chapter: News from Clark’s English Department! Turn to this blog for in-depth news about the English Department’s faculty, students, and events. Our first few posts touch upon a subject that’s dear to all of our hearts—the value of studying English at Clark. The former director of the National Endowment for the Humanities has said that “the arts and humanities are vastly more important in troubled times.” I think that most of us would agree that these are troubled times. I believe studying literature engenders a cultural understanding and innovative vision that is essential for negotiating socially and politically complex moments like these.

One of the first posts on our blog is a great piece on Scott Zimmerman’s talk at the English Department’s Open House. Scott is the epitome of the successful English major with a fantastic career in marketing in a field he loves—sports—who believes it was his ability to create and understand narratives that allowed him to thrive. You’ll also find a post discussing a recent article that argues studying English promotes active citizenship through building the ability to analyze complex texts. You’ll also see a blog post on our Global Cultures Alumni Conference, which featured many English alums, currently in fields ranging from architecture to teaching to academics, who came together to speak on diversity and inclusion.

In general, these posts also speak to the intellectual and social community we maintain at Anderson House—the home of the English Department. In Anderson House, students and faculty continue conversations begun in classrooms and lectures in a more informal setting.

Now, join our virtual community by checking out our blog each week and finding out what’s going on in the English Department and in literary studies.