WWU English Department

Amy Salinas Wesmoreland, our beloved Director of the Office of Multicultural Student Services, is living the English major's dream: SHE HAS A POP UP/ONLINE BOOK STORE that centers marginalized voices. Please visit this Black Latina owned bookstore!

Big Bad Bookstore - Be bold. Be brave. Be big bad.

We think our MFA Program is pretty fabulous. Students get attention for their writing and one one-on-one time with profs in a way that is rare. Please spread the word if you know of someone interested.

Our colleague, writer José Roach Orduña, has written a potent piece appearing in _The Normal School_.

Place of the Shades, or: Letter to Your Laughter by José Orduña — The Normal School You stood in our living room just after your first birthday as the television played aerial footage of prisoners in hazmat suits lowering caskets into mass graves. Mercifully, you’ll have no memory of it, but your early life unfolded as death felt just there, right outside the front door, delivere...

On May 7th from 5-6:30 at Miller Hall 152, you are invited to the English Department's second installment of the Synergies Lecture Series. We are incredibly excited to host a vivid conversation between Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo and Professor Renee Hudson!

You're invited to attend a Symposium on Reproductive Justice on March 11, 2025, 4-5:50 in HU 103. Students from ENG 321 will be sharing their research covering Black midwifery, criminalizing Black parenting, trans and pregnant immigrants at the US border, trans nonbinary representation, feminist disability studies, and interpretations of Gayle Jones' novel, _Corregidora_. For more information or disability accommodations, please contact Jean Lee at [email protected].

The English Department's own Dr. Bill Lyne's latest essay about two recent prominent student protests on campus: the recent strike by Western Academic Workers United (WAWU), the newly formed union that represents undergraduate and graduate student employees, and the WWU Divest Apartheid Coalition. Check it out!

A tale of two student uprisings - Salish Current Commentary: The larger issue of disinvestment in educating students is yet to be dealt with

CANCELLED: Village Books has a new reading series for speculative lit!! The dark and the weird! It starts this Friday.

Our own wonderful Professor Emerita Donna Qualley in April at the 2024 Conference on College Composition and Communication (the 4C's!) reunited with some of our fantastic past graduate students.

In the photo below, Kiera Squires (2014), DQ herself, LeAnne Laux Bachand (2013), Heidi Aijala (2013), and Lauren Hatch (2014). Donna also saw many other former grads including (but not limited to!) Lisa Bernhagen, Liona Tannison, Lauren Peterson, Joanna Gordon, and Chiam (Kaidan) McNamee. 👩‍🎓 💙💙

Alumna Parisa Akhbari will be visiting the Bellingham Public Library on April 6 for an all-ages event co-sponsored by Northwest Youth Services (Q***r Youth Services) and Whatcom Youth Pride. https://bellinghampubliclibrary.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails?EventId=58020

She will be talking about her debut novel, Just Another Epic Love Poem. She'd love to see some members of the WWU community there! Then she'll be returning for a poetry workshop for youth ages 14-22 at Make.Shift Art Space on April 12, again co-sponsored by Northwest Youth Services.https://makeshiftartspace.org/shop/astorytolivein

Please join the English Department's celebration of Black History Month with our 2024 BHM Reading list. It is a compilation of titles across genres solicited from students, staff, and faculty.

A Black History Month Reading List 2024 Check out this US Letter designed by Jean.