'The mythical allure of "Ithaca" reminded me of Odysseus’ epic return home'
Sarah Young is an English major.
Read moreWelcome! 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.
Sarah Young is an English major.
Read moreRebecca Sparacio is an English and government major.
Read moreJulia Nagel is an English major.
Read moreHannah Drexler is a College Scholar and English major.
Read moreThe creative team have worked for decades across music, text and visual art to explore complex histories and social tensions.
Read moreProfessor of Africana studies Riché Richardson says reclaiming country music for the Black community and rebranding the genre as an inclusive space are triumphs of Beyoncé’s new album, “Cowboy Carter.”
Read moreOrganized by trans Cornellians, the event will address issues and harms facing the community from a trans perspective.
Read moreSpeakers at “Dissident Writers: A Conversation” explored how writers keep freedoms open for others by taking risks to criticize governments or societies in environments where there is a cost.
Read moreDepartment faculty continually publish important works of criticism, fiction, poetry, and essays. Visit Literatures in English Faculty: Recent Books to learn more.
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.
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.