Your April 2025 reads
This month’s featured titles include poetry, a Creative Writing Program prof’s neo noir novel, and a memoir about working for two celebrity chefs
Read more
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
Apr
15
Tuesday
09:00 AM
The Right on, Write In Workshop
Rockefeller Hall
190
Apr
17
Thursday
05:00 PM
Reading by Jayne Anne Phillips
Rhodes-Rawling Auditorium, Klarman Hall KG70
Apr
24
Thursday
05:00 PM
Reading by Charlie Green
English Lounge, GS 258
Apr
29
Tuesday
04:30 PM
Coffee & Chat with Profs: Adhy Kim
English Lounge
258 Goldwin Smith Hall
Apr
30
Wednesday
05:00 PM
The Spring 2025 Ammons Reading
Klarman Hall
Groos Family Atrium
May
01
Thursday
04:00 AM
Gardeners’ Labyrinths: On Plants, Poetry, and the Printed Book
Brian C. Nevin Welcome Center
May
01
Thursday
05:00 PM
Recent Highlights from the Department
Ask an Ambassador: Explore all of your interests
"My experiences with exploration pushed me to uncover new interests."
Read more
French university honors Jonathan Culler for literary contributions
On March 26, the University of Paris 8 on March 26 recognized Culler for his contributions to literary and theoretical studies and his close ties with French intellectual movements.
Read more
Rosenberg named Poet Laureate of Tompkins County
“I believe poetry offers us valuable opportunities to slow down, to reflect, and to extend our empathy, and I’m excited to share these gifts with our whole community,” Rosenberg said.
Read more
Alumna’s book wrestles with society’s expectations of women
From Kate Chopin to Maya Angelou to Shakespeare, Nicole Lipson ’98 uses literature to grapple with gender roles.
Read more
Your March 2025 reads
This month’s featured titles include a debut novel and a nonfiction book about the comedy troupe Firesign Theater, both by A&S authors.
Read more
War, love and loyalty: The ‘Iliad’ in Ithaca on March 12-13
A virtual event with translator Emily Wilson and a daylong community reading of portions of Homer’s epic poem highlight the spring Arts Unplugged event.
Read more
Your February 2025 reads
This month’s featured titles include books by A&S faculty and alumni: poetry, a kids’ book about Bali, and a short story collection.
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.