English
We are a community of scholars and artists dedicated to the study and creation of literature in English. Faculty work closely with students to hone their skills as readers and writers, and to make meaningful connections between literature, their lives, and the world beyond the classroom. We are proud to be part of a vibrant arts community at L&C and in Portland--home to the world’s largest independent bookstore, Powell’s Books!
Why Choose a Degree in English?
We choose to immerse ourselves in the English language’s rich and varied literary tradition, its long history and expansive present, because we believe literature is synonymous with good—ethical and pleasurable—living. Reading, we encounter other people and ideas across time and space. Writing, we give clarity and shape to the world and our experiences of it. A degree in English will make you a more creative thinker, perceptive reader, and lucid writer. It will also prepare you to critically discern, express, and navigate complexity in ways that will serve you well in life and in any career.
What You’ll Study
We offer both a major and minor, as well as a concentration in creative writing with a focus on poetry, fiction, or nonfiction. Our curriculum invites students to explore and extend a literary tradition that spans over 1,000 years, emerging from Britain, the United States, and English-speaking communities around the globe. We offer introductory surveys, topics courses on a wide range of literary themes, upper-division courses devoted to a single author or historical period, and creative writing workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. In the classroom, our faculty draw upon a variety of approaches and techniques, but we all emphasize close attention to textual detail, collaborative discussion, genuine inquiry, and thoughtful, effective communication–both on the page and in real time.
Literature happens outside the classroom, too! The English department’s celebrated Visiting Writers Series brings nationally recognized authors on campus to present their work, speak with the L&C community, and lead workshops with students enrolled in English classes. Our students frequently showcase their own scholarship and creative work in a variety of venues, including the student-run Lit Review, the Gender Symposium, the Ray Warren Symposium on Race & Ethnicity, the Festival of Scholars, and other events organized by Arts@LC. The annual Senior Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction Readings, in which students in our creative writing capstone courses read from their portfolios, are some of the most keenly anticipated events that we host.
Many of our students earn course credit while on an overseas program. In addition to general cultural programs that are open to all students, the England humanities program is designed and led by an English faculty member.
Complement Your Education With One of These Minors
English pairs beautifully with many other disciplines. The flexibility of our requirements also makes it likely that students can pursue a minor or even a double-major with English. The most popular minors for our English majors are Classics, political economy, and rhetoric and media studies.
What Students Are Saying About Lewis & Clark
Niels Truman BA ’22More about NielsCreative writing has always been a source of joy in my life. Both of my majors (theatre and English) are based in stories, so learning how to write a good story will contribute well to the academic disciplines I’m invested in.
Aubrey Roché BA ’23More about AubreyMy favorite class has been Major Figures: James Joyce with Professor Rishona Zimring. It was the perfect opportunity to explore both Ulysses and the Modernist era of literature.
What Can You Do With a Degree in English?
Our alumni use their BA in English to pursue a wide range of careers within academia, nonprofits, government, marketing, publishing, education, and law. . Some of our alumni pursue MFAs and other advanced degrees. Others put their critical thinking, research, and writing skills to work directly after graduation. Our recent alums have held the following professional titles: Senior Marketing and Communications Specialist; Artistic Director; Director of Planning and Community Development; News Assistant at the New York Times; Senior Political Strategist; Fine Art Consultant.
Dedicated Faculty
Our faculty members are active scholars and creative writers who have been recognized for excellence in teaching and have won some of the country’s most prestigious awards, including the National Book Award, The Graves Award in the Humanities, and The Pushcart Prize.We continue to broaden and deepen our expertise through fellowships and other sponsored learning opportunities through the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, and The New York Public Library. Above all, we pride ourselves on bringing our expertise, discoveries, and questions into our classes where we work directly and closely with all of our students (no teaching assistants!) in intimate settings with lots of opportunity for individual feedback. Students interested in collaborating with faculty on research projects beyond the classroom have opportunities to do so in the English department. English faculty also assist students in finding and securing internships in Portland and beyond.
Invest in Yourself
A private liberal arts education is often more affordable than you think. Last year, Lewis & Clark distributed over $74 million in assistance from institutional, federal, state, and private sources. Additionally, we’re so confident that our first-year students will graduate with their bachelor of arts degree in four years that if you don’t, we’ll cover the extra semester of tuition.
Find Your People
The completely student-run Literary Review gives students hands-on experience generating submissions, working on an editorial board, and laying out a magazine. English majors are also frequent contributors to the student-run college newspaper, The Mossy Log, and serve as peer tutors at the Writing Center.
Sydney Owada BA ’19More about SydneyL&C prepared me for my graduate studies by offering multiple opportunities to conduct research and develop enriching relationships with faculty.
Corey Van Landingham BA ’08More about CoreyThe interdisciplinary possibilities at L&C opened new worlds for my poetry, and have greatly informed how I write to this day. I learned how to pay exquisite attention to the world around me, and how to see structures and form all around me.
Tuse Mahenya BA ’21More about TuseThe most important thing I learned at L&C is that anything is possible if you work hard enough, but kindness is the ultimate superpower.
English Events
Write Around Portland: Fostering First Year Belonging
A Center for Community and Global Health Colloquium
The Center for Community and Global Health in collaboration with community partner Write Around Portland, is offering writing workshops to First Year students at Lewis & Clark.
The two-hour workshop is an interactive, fun and nourishing way to fulfill a Words or Numbers colloquium requirement and build your community on campus. This event is open to all First Year students.
All you need to bring is yourself. Workshops are great for new and experienced writers. There will be snacks!
Interested? We’d love to have you! The event is open to all First Year students and space is limited.
Civic Engagement and the Determined Hope of the Humanities; Mellon Foundation Invitation
A Mellon Foundation Event:
The humanities—literature and philosophy, history and languages, ethnic studies and the arts—all have something to teach us about civic engagement in the United States. This October is National Arts and Humanities Month, an opportunity to celebrate and explore the crucial role of culture and humanities in our everyday lives.
Join Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Mellon Foundation, for a discussion about what the humanities can offer us in the upcoming presidential election and the crucial role they play in driving civic engagement in American communities. Guests for this livestream include Juan Felipe Herrera, former US Poet Laureate, performer, and activist; and Carol Anderson, professor of African American Studies at Emory University.
Gender Studies Symposium community meeting & Call for Proposals
All current CAS students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend our community meetings this semester to plan the 43rd annual Gender Studies Symposium, scheduled for March 2024.
We invite submissions for panel discussions, individual papers, interactive workshops, and artistic productions, especially those focused on gender and sexuality in relation to digital technologies.
Please review the Call for Proposals for complete guidelines.
Pauls Toutonghi in Conversation with Jon Raymond at Powell’s City of Books
Join LC Professor of English Pauls Toutonghi when he discusses his new novel THE REFUGEE OCEAN (Simon & Schuster, October 2023) in conversation with Jon Raymond, at Powell’s City of Books. All are welcome to attend and celebrate.
Gender Studies Symposium community meeting & Call for Proposals
All current CAS students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend our community meetings this semester to plan the 43rd annual Gender Studies Symposium, scheduled for March 2024.
We invite submissions for panel discussions, individual papers, interactive workshops, and artistic productions, especially those focused on gender and sexuality in relation to digital technologies.
Please review the Call for Proposals for complete guidelines.
BANNED: A Teach-In About the Attack on Ethnic Studies and Gender Studies
An opportunity for students to have conversation with L&C faculty in Ethnic Studies and Gender Studies.
Gender Studies Symposium 2024: Call for Proposals Deadline is Nov. 3
We invite submissions for panel discussions, individual papers, interactive workshops, and artistic productions, especially those focused on gender and sexuality in relation to digital technologies.
Please review the Call for Proposals for complete guidelines.
Featured News
Literary Review Wins National Magazine Prize
The 2022 edition of the Lewis & Clark Literary Review, now called the Palatine Hill Review, earned the Association of Writers & Writing Programs National Program Directors’ Prize for Content.
