Contacts
Office: Building 460, Room 201
Mail Code: 94305-2087
Phone: (650) 723-2635
Web Site: http://english.stanford.edu
Courses offered by the Department of English are listed under the subject code ENGLISH on the Stanford Bulletin's ExploreCourses web site.
Mission of the Department of English
To study English at Stanford is to explore, deeply and rewardingly, the rich legacy of literature written in English, past and present. The department offers a wealth of courses on individual authors, the history of literary genres, literary theory, new media, and creative writing. Given the emphasis on critical thinking and interpretation, the English major is in turn an excellent preparation for many professional fields, including teaching, journalism, law, publishing, medicine, and business. The graduate program features rigorous training in the research and analysis of British, American, and global literary histories and texts, preparing students to produce scholarship of originality and importance, and to teach literature at the highest levels.
Bachelor of Arts in English
In the undergraduate program, students explore the traditions of literature in English. Courses emphasize interpretive thinking and creative writing, examining the dynamics of literary and cultural history, the structures of literary form and genre, and the practices of reading, writing, and critical analysis.
Doctor of Philosophy in English
The graduate program features rigorous training in the research and analysis of British, American and Anglophone literary histories and texts, preparing students to produce scholarship of originality and importance, and to teach literature at advanced levels.
Other Programs in English
Ph.D. in Modern Thought and Literature
Stanford also offers a Ph.D. degree in Modern Thought and Literature. Under this program, students devote approximately half of their time to a modern literature from the Enlightenment to the present, and the other half to interdisciplinary studies. Interested students should see the "Modern Thought and Literature" section of this bulletin and consult the director of the program.
Creative Writing Fellowships
The Creative Writing Program each year offers five two-year fellowships in poetry and five two-year fellowships in fiction. These are not degree-granting fellowships. Information is available in the Creative Writing office, 650-723-0011.
Faculty
Emeriti: (Professors) John B. Bender (English, Comparative Literature), George H. Brown, W. B. Carnochan, W. S. Di Piero, Kenneth W. Fields, Albert J. Gelpi, Barbara C. Gelpi, Shirley Heath, Andrea A. Lunsford, Franco Moretti, Stephen Orgel, Nancy H. Packer, Marjorie G. Perloff, Robert M. Polhemus, Arnold Rampersad, David R. Riggs, Lawrence V. Ryan, Elizabeth C. Traugott, Tobias Wolff; (Associate Professor) Sandra Drake; (Professor, Teaching) Larry Friedlander; (Senior Lecturer) Helen B. Brooks; (Lecturer) David MacDonald
Chair: Ato Quayson
Director of Graduate Studies: Mark Algee-Hewitt
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Denise Gigante
Director of Creative Writing Program: Nicholas Jenkins
Professors: Terry Castle, Margaret Cohen, Michele Elam, Shelley Fisher Fishkin, Denise Gigante, Louise Glück, Roland Greene (English, Comparative Literature), Blair Hoxby, Adam Johnson, Amaud Jamaud Johnson (as of Jan. 2023), Gavin Jones, A. Van Jordan, Chang-rae Lee, Mark McGurl, Paula Moya, Patricia A. Parker (English, Comparative Literature) (on leave spring), Peggy Phelan (English, Theater and Performance Studies) (on leave), Patrick Phillips (on leave), Ato Quayson, Nancy Ruttenburg, Ramón Saldívar (English, Comparative Literature, Elizabeth Tallent, Elaine Treharne, Blakey Vermeule, Alex Woloch
Associate Professors: Mark Greif, Nicholas Jenkins, Vaughn Rasberry
Assistant Professors: Mark Algee-Hewitt, Michaela Bronstein, Roanne Kantor, Esther Yu (on leave)
Senior Lecturer: Judith Richardson, Alice Staveley
Courtesy Professors: Joshua Landy, Bernadette Meyler, David Palumbo-Liu, Kathryn Starkey
Lecturers: Georgina Beaty, William Brewer, Kai Carlson-Wee, Keith Ekiss, John Evans, Sarah Frisch, Richard Hofmann, Sterling HolyWhiteMountain, Scott Hutchins, Tom Kealey, Mark Labowskie, Sara Michas-Martin, Hieu Minh Nguyen, Brittany Perham, Ryan Perry, Edward Porter, Shannon Pufahl, Nina Schloesser Tarano, Michael Sears, Michael Shewmaker, Austin Smith, Shimon Tanaka, Ruchika Tomar, Jennifer Alandy Trahan, Rose Whitmore
Adjunct Professor: Valerie Miner
Visiting Professors: Laleh Khadivi, Diane Seuss