Toni Morrison Collective hosts book talks, giveaways during December
"The project makes Ithacans aware that this Nobel writer lived in Ithaca for two years."
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A history of critical and methodological openness
Welcome to Literatures in English
Welcome! Literatures in English as a department teaches students how to read and write about literary cultures. Supported by excellent libraries and in connection with a number of interdisciplinary programs at Cornell, Literatures in English invites students and scholars to engage in conversations about global cultures as they develop skills for the future.
Upcoming Events
Feb
15
Thursday
05:00 PM
Reading by Ishion Hutchinson
Klarman Hall
Rhodes-Rawlings Auditorium, G70
Mar
14
Thursday
05:00 PM
Reading by Natasha Trethewey
Klarman Hall
Rhodes-Rawling Auditorium, G70
Apr
11
Thursday
05:00 PM
Reading by Colm Tóibín
Klarman Hall
Rhodes-Rawlings Auditorium, G70
Apr
11
Thursday
05:00 PM
Apr
25
Thursday
05:00 PM
Reading by Colin Channer
Klarman Hall
Rhodes-Rawlings Auditorium, G70
Recent Highlights from the Department
From pages to pixels: Writers offer literary take on video games 
In “Critical Hits,” a new essay anthology co-edited by J. Robert Lennon, writers explore their own experiences with video games, and how those simulated worlds connect to real life.
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Alum’s book gleans inspiration from Black American trailblazers
From Oprah and the Obamas to lesser-known heroes, Joseph Holland ’78, MA ’79 finds words to live by.
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A. R. Ammons Reading Series: Reviving a beloved tradition
Over two decades since Ammons’s passing, an open mic tradition is being revived thanks to a gift from his student Beverly Tanenhaus ’70.
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Humanists have the power and the tools to fight climate change
Humanities scholars have an important role to play in the current political struggle to stave off environmental collapse, Caroline Levine argues in her new book.
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Poet & Memoirist Garrett Hongo to read Oct 26
Poet and memoirist Garrett Hongo will read from his work on October 26 in the Rhodes-Rawlings Auditorium.
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‘Desdemona’ celebrates Morrison’s Nobel Prize anniversary
The performance will feature singer-songwriter Rokia Traoré, who wrote the music for the original production.
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Performance and conference honor Viramontes
Held Oct. 20-21, “Lest Silence Be Destructive" will feature readings, discussions and the first public performance of a musical album based on Viramontes' work.
Read moreLiteratures in English Destinations
Recent Books by Department of Literatures in English Faculty
Department faculty continually publish important works of criticism, fiction, poetry, and essays. Visit Literatures in English Faculty: Recent Books to learn more.
Land Acknowledgment
Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. The Confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York state, and the United States of America. We acknowledge the painful history of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' people, past and present, to these lands and waters.
This land acknowledgment has been reviewed and approved by the traditional Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' leadership.
Statement from the Department of Literatures in English
We, the faculty and staff of the Cornell Literatures in English department, pledge to support and do our utmost to protect members of our community who are discriminated against, unjustly treated, or otherwise targeted because of race, religion, gender identification, sexuality, immigration status, ability, and other forms of difference.
Recognizing that words and symbols can be manipulated into violence, we renew our commitment to direct the force of language toward large and small acts of learning, alliance, imagination, and justice.