English
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
English majors will gain insight into the complexities of human experience, appreciation of our cultural heritages, openness to different ways of thinking and feeling, and understanding of how language shapes reality. They’ll also hone their abilities to think critically and to communicate their views and visions.
The literature curriculum is designed to provide students with a broad-based foundation in English and American literature as well as in-depth inquiry into focused areas of literary study. Within this curriculum, students are encouraged to read creatively and to discover what others have not seen. Students are asked to present these discoveries in writing in a persuasive way that allows others to see their importance.
Most classes are small and writing-intensive; students get to know one another and their professors through lively discussion. Our curriculum covers a range of literature from Chaucer to avant-garde fiction. In addition, every student develops an expertise in analytical writing, creative writing or professional writing. Many English faculty and students participate in the Honors College, and top students may train to work as peer tutors in our nationally recognized Writing Center.
We are devoted to literature as a living tradition and a dynamic contemporary enterprise, and to writing as a way of knowing, a means of connecting and one of the most powerful inventions in human history. In addition to studying classic and contemporary literature, English majors can pursue interests in writing, theory, multicultural studies and gender studies. Every year, our department hosts visiting poets, fiction writers and scholars who teach classes, meet informally with students and give readings. The department is also home to the National Poetry Foundation, which is internationally known for its publications and conferences on modern and postmodern poetry. With these resources to support and guide them, our students gain a sophisticated understanding of the contemporary literary scene, which carries over into their own creative and critical work.
The department sponsors contests in poetry, fiction, playwriting, professional writing, and the academic essay. Students in professional writing courses and internships help to secure grants for their community and campus clients. The Student Writers’ Studio offers advanced design software for students in the Professional Writing Program and for the editors of student-run literary magazines, The Open Field and Ursus.
Steven Evans
Associate Professor, Department Chair
Neville Hall, Room 304
207.581.3822 | steven.evans@maine.edu
English
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Neville Hall, Room 304
207.581.3822 | english.umaine.edu
UMaine Writing Center
With a mission is to create a lasting and positive relationship between writers and their writing through peer-to-peer collaboration, the UMaine Writing Center has provided supported face-to-face and online consultations free of charge and open to all members of the university community since 1978.