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Bulletin Archive

This archived information is dated to the 2009-10 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

English

In this section:

English Course Catalog Numbering System

Bachelor of Arts in English

Minor in English or in Creative Writing

Master of Arts in English

Doctor of Philosophy in English

Overseas Studies Courses in English

Up one level:

School of Humanities and Sciences

Emeriti: (Professors) George H. Brown, W. B. Carnochan, George G. Dekker, Charles N. Fifer, Albert J. Gelpi, Barbara C. Gelpi, David Halliburton, Shirley Heath, John L'Heureux, Herbert Lindenberger, John Loftis, Thomas C. Moser, Nancy H. Packer, Marjorie G. Perloff, Arnold Rampersad, Ronald A. Rebholz, Lawrence V. Ryan, Wilfred H. Stone, Elizabeth C. Traugott, Wesley Trimpi; (Associate Professor) Sandra Drake; (Professor, Teaching) Larry Friedlander; (Senior Lecturer) Helen B. Brooks

Chair: Jennifer Summit

Director of Creative Writing Program: Eavan Boland

Director of Program in Writing and Rhetoric: Andrea A. Lunsford

Professors: John B. Bender (English, Comparative Literature; on leave Autumn), Eavan Boland, Terry Castle, W. S. Di Piero (on leave Autumn), J. Martin Evans (on leave Spring), John Felstiner (Autumn, Winter only), Kenneth W. Fields, Shelley Fisher Fishkin, Roland Greene (English, Comparative Literature), Ursula Heise, Gavin Jones, Andrea A. Lunsford, Franco Moretti (English, Comparative Literature), Stephen Orgel, Patricia A. Parker (English, Comparative Literature; on leave Autumn), Peggy Phelan (English, Drama), Robert M. Polhemus, David R. Riggs (Autumn, Winter only), Nancy Ruttenburg, Ramón Saldívar (English, Comparative Literature), Jennifer Summit, Elizabeth Tallent, Tobias Wolff

Associate Professors: Michele Elam, Denise Gigante, Blair Hoxby (on leave), Nicholas Jenkins, Paula Moya, Blakey Vermeule, Alex Woloch

Assistant Professors: Claire Jarvis, Michelle Karnes, Saikat Majumdar, Stephen Sohn, Hannah Sullivan

Senior Lecturers: Judith Richardson, Christopher Rovee

Courtesy Professors: David Palumbo-Liu, Bryan Wolf

Courtesy Associate Professor: Joshua Landy

Lecturers: Molly Antopol-Johnson, Marvin Diogenes, Keith Ekiss, Robin Ekiss, Sarah Frisch, Andrew Goldstone, Danielle Heard, Skip Horack, Maria Hummel, Scott Hutchins, Matthew Jockers, Adam Johnson, Tom Kealey, David MacDonald, Michael McGriff, Jeffrey O'Keefe, Hilton Obenzinger, Linda Paulson, Bruce Snider, Stephanie Soileau, Justin St. Germain, Alice Staveley, Shimon Tanaka, Joshua Tyree, Michael Wyatt, Karen Zumhagen-Yekplé

Consulting Professors: Valerie Miner, Carol Shloss

Visiting Professors: D. A. Miller, Richard Powers, Kay Ryan

Department Offices: 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

The world is saturated with the written word. The English Department studies the culture of the word in its most sophisticated form, literature, with a focus on literary traditions in English across a range of media. The department's courses emphasize interpretive thinking and creative writing, examining the dynamics of literary and cultural history, the structures of literary form and genre, and the practice of reading, writing, and critical analysis. The undergraduate English major provides an excellent background for many professional fields, including law, education, writing, publishing, medicine, and technology. 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 the highest levels.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The department expects undergraduate majors in the program to be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes. These learning outcomes are used in evaluating students and the department's undergraduate program. Students are expected to demonstrate:

  1. an understanding of major theories, methods, and concepts of literary study and critical analysis.
  2. an awareness of how authors and texts develop in relation to their historical contexts.
  3. a comprehension of the formal qualities of key literary genres, forms, and styles. Alternatively, students pursuing the creative writing emphasis can offer a writing sample that develops particular literary genres or forms.
  4. a critical ability to evaluate and appreciate the aesthetic and cultural achievement of literary texts.
  5. an effective style of writing and a powerful use of language.

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 practice of reading, writing, and critical analysis.

GRADUATE PROGRAM 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 English and Humanities—The Department of English participates in the Graduate Program in Humanities leading to a Ph.D. in English and Humanities. The Graduate Program in Humanities is not accepting new students; it will provide courses and advising for students already enrolled. The University remains committed to broad-based graduate education in the humanities; the courses, colloquium and symposium will continue to be offered, and a successor program is under discussion by the faculty of the Division of Literature, Cultures, and Languages.

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 chair 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) 725-1208.

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