Department of English

Our institute, "Cultural Literacies in the Twenty-first Century: The New Roles of Literature," addresses the following questions:

• What roles, purposes, and functions do literature and the teaching of literature serve in our complex, digitized, multicultural and trans-national world?
• Does reading 'great books' merely help one accrue 'cultural capital'?
• Or does reading literature advance crucial literacies and skills?

The provocative presentations of three scholars who explore the intersections between Literature and Globalization, Literature and Technology, and Literature and Ethics will answer these questions. Geared toward middle and high-school English teachers, our institute aims to challenge and provoke -- to spur thought about the new roles that old texts might take in the classroom.

For registration, click on the Literature Institute Registration Form (pdf).

Poster by Alex Taner