W&L Adds New Creative Writing Major
Washington and Lee's new creative writing major helps students hone their craft.
English Archive (463 Stories)
W&L’s Lesley Wheeler to Host Writing Workshop
The Jan. 29 workshop is open to the public and designed for writers of any genre.
Emily L. King Featured on Connecticut Public Radio’s ‘The Colin McEnroe Show’
The visiting assistant professor of writing and English appeared on the weekday radio program to discuss her expertise on the interplay of honor and vengeance in literature.
Jane Harrington is the Next Speaker in the Anne and Edgar Basse Jr. Author Talk Series
Harrington will talk about her new book, “Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance,” on Nov. 13.
Meet Reagan Reiferson ’26
Reiferson has found her "homes" on campus in her sorority and the Outing Club.
Lesley Wheeler Featured in Best American Poetry 2025 and Publishes Book Chapter
The English professor’s poem “Sex Talk” and essay “Talkin’ New York” were highlighted in larger collections.
Author Matthew Gavin Frank to Give Glasgow Endowment Reading at W&L
Frank will read from his new book “Submersed: Wonder, Obsession and Murder in the World of Amateur Submarines” at the Oct. 2 event.
Meet Ryan Doty ’26
Doty's many creative pursuits range from research in the chemistry lab to taking photos around campus.
Domnica Radulescu Headlines First Beyond the Page: Milestone Works by Faculty Event
The Edwin A. Morris Professor of Comparative Literatures will discuss her forthcoming book, “My Father’s Orchards.”
‘W&L After Class’ Podcast Releases New Episode Featuring Lena Hill
The Washington and Lee University provost and professor of English speaks to serendipitous opportunities of the liberal arts.
Former Shenandoah Contributors to Give Annual Shannon-Clark Lecture at W&L
The Sept. 25 lecture will feature Ukrainian poet Julia Kolchinsky and poet and essayist Jaswinder Bolina.
In Memoriam: Heather Ross Miller, Thomas H. Broadus Jr. Professor of English Emerita
The famed author worked for Washington and Lee University for 11 years.
Saluting A Masterful Mentor: W. Dabney Stuart
James McLaughlin ’86, author of the novels “Panther Gap” and “Bearskin,” salutes W. Dabney Stuart, S. Blount Mason Professor of English Emeritus.
Freddy Fuentes Presents Paper at the Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies Conference
The visiting assistant professor of English lectured on Magical Realism as Eco Writing.
W&L Outcomes: Alaina Pastore ’25
This fall, Pastore will enter a one-year master's program at the Shakespeare Institute at the University of Birmingham in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England.
Introducing Austin Term
A creative new Spring Term course brought students to Austin, Texas, for alumni mentorship, career exploration and literary analysis.
W&L’s Abby Moore ’25 Selected for Fulbright to Australia
Moore will conduct biomedical research at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Australia.
W&L’s Lily Nannini Awarded Fulbright to Germany
Nannini was selected for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English in Germany.
Poetry in Motion
Aby Joyner ’28 believes in the power of photography and poetry, publishing two books, with another in progress.
Meet Martha Greer Walker ’27
At W&L, Walker discovered a passion for English and its focus on learning how to think critically, creatively and empathetically.
Chris Gavaler to Debut One-Act Play at the Live Arts Waterworks Festival
The professor of English’s show will screen on May 21 and 23 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Author Erin Crosby Eckstine to Give Glasgow Endowment Reading at W&L
Eckstine will read from her debut novel, “Junie,” at the May 6 event.
Meet Nona David ’26
David serves as head intern of the Burish internship program that connects local schools with student volunteers.
‘W&L After Class’ Podcast Releases New Episode Featuring Beth Staples
In this month’s episode, Staples speaks of the power of imagination and storytelling and the continuous, and evolving, legacy of the Shenandoah literary magazine.
Authors Athena Dixon and Matthew Vollmer to Give Reading at W&L
The April 3 reading by the former Shenandoah contributors is part of the literary magazine’s 75th- anniversary celebrations.
Leah Naomi Green to Hold Reading and Conversation on Language and Narrative
The April 7 event is part of the Museums at W&L’s ‘Lunch and Learn’ series.
Tricia Miller ’93 Featured in Insider Athens Magazine
Miller was named one of the most inspiring women in Athens, Georgia.
W&L’s Lesley Wheeler Publishes New Book
The English professor’s poetry collection explores natural and human transformation.
Authors DW McKinney and Sylvia Jones to Give Glasgow Endowment Reading at W&L
The public reading by the former Shenandoah editorial fellows will take place Feb. 11 in Northen Auditorium.
‘W&L After Class’ Podcast Launches New Season With Episode Featuring Holly Pickett
In the podcast’s first episode of season six, Pickett, professor of English, discusses the power of humanities in a rapidly changing world and the life lessons that can be continuously unearthed in Shakespearean text.
In Memoriam: Rod Smith, Editor of Shenandoah and Adjunct Professor of English
Smith served as the literary magazine’s editor for 23 years.
Twelve W&L Students Awarded Gilman Scholarships to Study Abroad
The Gilman Scholarship Program offers awards of up to $5,000 to U.S. undergraduate students who are Pell Grant recipients.
Poet Matthew Zapruder to Give Glasgow Endowment Reading at W&L
The public reading will take place Nov. 12 in Northen Auditorium.
Poet Yahya Ashour to Give Glasgow Endowment Reading at W&L
The public reading will take place Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium.
Meet Darnell Pelzer Jr. ’25
Pelzer has enjoyed connecting with others with shared interests through the Gaming Club, University Singers, SABU and the Office of Sustainability.
Chris Gavaler and Nathaniel Goldberg Publish Paper in the Canadian Journal of Philosophy
The professors co-authored an article that investigates the different ways comics are ordered.
Professors Chris Gavaler and Nat Goldberg to Discuss Their New Book, ‘Revising Reality’
The discussion will be held Wednesday, Oct. 2 in the Harte Center Gallery.
W&L Alumni Receive Omicron Delta Kappa Scholarships
Three Washington and Lee University graduates received scholarships from the National Leadership Honor Society to support graduate and professional study.
From Shakespeare to Sci-Fi
While exploring the connections between “Station Eleven” and William Shakespeare, professor of English Holly Pickett and her crew of summer research students examined the foundational value of the humanities to society.
University of Chicago’s Professor Kaneesha Parsard to Give Annual Shannon-Clark Lecture at W&L
Parsard’s lecture on Sept. 26, titled “The Friending Plot: Sexual & Economic Freedoms in Early 20th Century Caribbean Fiction,” is free and open to the public.
W&L Outcomes: Kathryn Cover ’24
Cover is working as a public relations apprentice at Prosek Partners in New York City.
English Professor Named 2024 Wells College Press Chapbook Award Winner
K. Avvirin Berlin was recognized for her manuscript ‘Obsidian.’
W&L Outcomes: Lillie Taylor ’24
Taylor is moving to Niigata Prefecture, Japan, to work as an assistant language teacher for the JET Program.
Roots Pilgrimage
Ryan Doty’s summer passion project explored his family lineage through poetry and photography.
Diego Millan Receives the Jack Rosenbalm Prize for American Humor
The assistant professor of English and Africana studies was cited for his article on Chester Himes’ book ‘If He Hollers Let Him Go.’
Chris Gavaler and Nathaniel Goldberg Collaborate to Publish Third Book Together
The W&L professors’ latest publication uses pop culture concepts to untangle real-world histories.
‘The Big Picture of Life’
As one of the first Spring Term abroad classes offered at W&L, The Play’s the Thing: Shakespeare in Performance continues to impact the cohort of alumni who took that initial trip to England.
W&L Professor Awarded the David and Rosalee McCullough Research Fellowship
Edward Adams will use the funds to research decline narratives in West Virginia.
W&L’s Gillian Holloway ’24 Earns Fulbright to Spain
Holloway was selected for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English in Spain.
W&L Hosts 19th Annual Tom Wolfe Weekend
The weekend’s seminar will feature Tess Gunty discussing her debut novel, “The Rabbit Hutch.”
W&L Presents Senior Recital with Annie Thomas ’24
Thomas’s piano recital will be held on March 29 at 8 p.m.
Sybil Prince Nelson is the Next Speaker in the Anne and Edgar Basse Jr. Author Talk Series
Nelson will deliver a lecture on “Where Math Meets Imagination” on March 19.
Author Kaveh Akbar to Deliver Public Reading
Akbar will read from his debut novel “Martyr!” at the March 14 event.
W&L English Professor Publishes New Book
Holly Pickett’s book explores the stories of several serial converts in early modern England.
Meet Katherine Hudson ’26
Environmental humanities classes introduced Hudson to new ideas on how humans interact with the world.
Poet and Memoirist Jan Beatty to Give Glasgow Endowment Reading at W&L
The public reading will take place March 6 at 6 p.m. in Northen Auditorium.
Wan-Chuan Kao Hosts Virtual Book Launch Event
‘White before whiteness in the late Middle Ages’ will launch via Zoom on Jan. 25 from 5-6:30 p.m.
W&L to Host “Slices of Research” Program at Salerno Wood Fired Pizza & Taphouse
Newly promoted faculty members will present their research in a PechaKucha format on Jan. 30.
W&L’s Julie Kane Earns Prestigious Book Review Award
Professor and collection strategist named a Library Journal Reviewer of the Year 2023.
Sandberg to Present Nobel Prize Symposium Talk
Stephanie Sandberg, assistant professor of theater, will discuss this year’s Nobel Prize in literature on Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 12:15 p.m.
An Empathetic Writer
After graduating with a double degree in English and studio art, Gabriela Gomez-Misserian ’21 took her talents to Garden & Gun Magazine.
Author Qiana Whitted to Give Annual Shannon-Clark Lecture at W&L
Whitted’s lecture on Oct. 19, titled “All-New, All-Negro: Orrin C. Evans and the Golden Age of Comics,” is free and open to the public.
W&L English Professor Published in The Hopkins Review
Lesley Wheeler’s essay “Ghost Tour” was featured in a guest-edited folio for the Summer 2023 issue.
W&L Professor Featured by Graywolf Press in 50th Anniversary Anthology
Leah Naomi Green’s essay on Kaveh Akbar’s poem “The Miracle” is anthologized in “Raised by Wolves.”
Author Florence Gonsalves and Poet Robert Wood Lynn to Give Glasgow Endowment Reading at W&L
The public reading will take place Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. in Northen Auditorium inside Leyburn Library.
W&L Outcomes: Tahri Phillips ’23
Tahri Phillips ’23 will be pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.
Author Shruti Swamy and Poet Kelly Hoffer to Give Glasgow Endowment Reading at W&L
The public reading will take place May 1 at 7 p.m. in Northen Auditorium inside Leyburn Library.
W&L Hosts 18th Annual Tom Wolfe Weekend
The weekend’s seminar will feature Amor Towles discussing his latest book, “The Lincoln Highway.”
W&L’s Maggie Hawley ’23 Selected for Fulbright to Spain
Hawley has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English in Spain.
W&L Visiting Professor Featured in Orion Magazine
Leah Naomi Green’s essay titled “Mourning Songs Are Love Songs” was excerpted from the anthology “Solastalgia: An Anthology of Emotion in a Disappearing World.”
W&L’s K. Avvirin Gray Awarded Jean Feldman Poetry Prize
Avvirin Gray, assistant professor of English at Washington and Lee University, is the winner of the 2023 Jean Feldman Poetry Prize.
Annie Thomas ’24 Earns Prestigious Beinecke Scholarship
The Beinecke Scholarship Program provides funds for post-graduate study to students of unusual promise.
Author Kevin Quashie to Give Annual Shannon-Clark Lecture at W&L
Quashie’s lecture on March 30, titled “Sentences and (Black) Beauty,” is free and open to the public.
CBL’s Faculty Collaborative Creates Connection Across Campus
CBL’s new initiative is an opportunity for faculty development, student collaboration and deepening partnerships with the surrounding community.
Edward Adams to Deliver Endowed Professorship Lecture
Adams’s talk “Ozymandian Histories: Monuments, Ruins, and Landscapes of Decline in America” will be held on March 14.
Meet a Colleague: Beth Staples
Beth Staples is an assistant professor of English and she serves as the editor of Shenandoah.
Writer and Poet Camille Dungy to Give Glasgow Endowment Reading at W&L
Dungy’s public reading will take place Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. in Northen Auditorium inside Leyburn Library.
Catching up with Kassie Scott ’18
Scott's advice for current students: "There is no one way to do college. Do it your way and make it count."
W&L’s Department of English Presents a Film Screening of NOPE
The March 1 screening of Jordan Peele’s film will be followed by a discussion facilitated by W&L English professors.
W&L English Professor Receives Prestigious Article Prize
Professor Genelle Gertz teamed with former student Pasquale Toscano ’16 to author “The Lost Network of Elizabeth Barton.”
W&L English Professor Published in the Cincinnati Review
Beth Staples’ fictional short story “Leaf Peepers” appeared in the publication’s Fall 2022 edition.
Leslie Wingard Cunningham Named W&L’s Associate Provost for Faculty Development
Wingard Cunningham joins W&L from College of Wooster, where she is the Mildred Foss Thompson Professor of English and dean for faculty development.
Meet a Colleague: Leah Naomi Green
Leah Naomi Green serves as visiting assistant professor of English and environmental studies.
W&L Professor Publishes Journal Article in Studies in American Humor
Diego Millan’s recent article analyzes the centrality of jokes in the Chester Himes book “If He Hollers Let Him Go.”
W&L’s Tahri Phillips Among 2023 Class of Rhodes Scholars
Phillips '23 is the university’s 18th Rhodes Scholar.
Genelle Gertz to Deliver Lecture in Honor of Endowed Professorship
Gertz’s talk “Thinking with the Mystics” will be held on Oct. 18.
Washington and Lee Names Seven Faculty Members to Endowed Professorships
These faculty have been recognized for their outstanding teaching, scholarship and service to the university.
Author Malika Booker to Give Glasgow Endowment Reading at W&L
Booker will give a lecture on Sept. 27 at 5 p.m. in in Leyburn Library’s Northen Auditorium.
Author GennaRose Nethercott to Give Glasgow Endowment Reading
She will read from her widely anticipated new novel, “Thistlefoot.”
Finding the Allure of Paris
Students in Michael and Lena Hill’s Spring Term course are discovering what inspired writers of past generations.
Faces of W&L: Rose Hein ’22
"W&L’s small classes and dedicated professors made sure I never missed an opportunity to dive deeper into something that interests me."
W&L’s Wheeler Publishes New Book
A local book launch for the collection, “Poetry’s Possible Worlds,” will be held at the Reeves Museum of Ceramics on the W&L campus on May 17 at 4:45 p.m.
Author Nancy Bradley Warren to Give Annual Shannon-Clark Lecture at W&L
Warren’s lecture on March 24, which is free and open to the public, is titled "New World Nuns and the 'Old Religion’: The Afterlives of Medieval Female Spiritualities in the Early Modern Americas."
Journalist Brittany Hailer to Give Glasgow Endowment Reading at W&L
Hailer will give a public lecture on March 31 at 6 p.m. in Northen Auditorium inside Leyburn Library.
Poet January Gill O’Neil to Give Glasgow Endowment Reading at W&L
O'Neil will give a public lecture on March 14 at 6 p.m. in the Hillel House sanctuary.
Office Hours with Genelle Gertz
The professor of English and associate dean of strategic initiatives champions the liberal arts as the best preparation for postgraduate success.
W&L Professors Brock and Pickett Awarded Harte Center Faculty Teaching Scholar Grant
Michelle Brock and Holly Pickett are the Harte Center Faculty Teaching Scholar Grant recipients.
Author Valencia Robin to Give Glasgow Endowment Reading
Valencia Robin, an artist and author, will give a public lecture on March 7 at 5 p.m. in the Hillel House Sanctuary.
Poet Sarah Matthes Presents Glasgow Endowment Reading
Poet Sarah Matthes will give a public poetry reading on March 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Hillel House Sanctuary.
W&L Presents Public Poetry Reading on Feb. 2
Poets Julie Phillips Brown and Brenna Womer will present a public poetry reading on Feb. 2 at 12:15 p.m. in the Science Center Atrium.
Community Foundations
Craig Jones has been an active volunteer in his community, particularly the KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools.
W&L’s Radulescu Publishes Memoir
Lexington's Downtown Books will host W&L Professor Domnica Radulescu for a book launch on Jan. 27 at 4:30 p.m.
‘The Honor of Learning’
Lauren Hoaglund '22 has parlayed her passion for medieval and Renaissance history, literature, classics and theater into a busy but rewarding four years at W&L.
W&L’s Deborah Miranda Awarded VFIC Harris Award
Miranda was recently awarded the H. Hiter Harris III Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching for 2021.
Author Jessie van Eerden to Give Glasgow Endowment Reading
Jessie van Eerden, an award-winning author, will give a public lecture on her latest novel on Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. in Leyburn Library’s Northen Auditorium.
W&L Presents Public Reading by Visiting Poet
Eric Tran, a Vietnamese poet and author, will give a public lecture on Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. in Northen Auditorium on the W&L campus.
W&L Presents Public Lecture with Historian Karen L. Cox
Cox is an award-winning historian and a distinguished lecturer for the Organization of American Historians.
W&L’s Wheeler Gives Public Reading
Professor Lesley Wheeler will give a public author talk on Sept. 22 as part of Randolph College’s Pearl S. Buck Writers in Residence experience.
W&L’s Gavaler Debuts Play
Professor Chris Gavaler’s play “The Zombie Life” will open at Firehouse Theatre in Richmond, Virginia on Aug. 18.
‘One More Song’
Paige Anderson '22 is spending the summer recording an album of classical violin music in memory of her grandmother.
W&L’s Miranda Honored with New Library Collection
The Miranda Collection for Native American Library Acquisitions will feature books by Native American and Indigenous authors and literature on relevant topics.
W&L’s Diego Millan Named 2021-22 Career Enhancement Fellow
The Career Enhancement Fellowship seeks to increase underrepresented junior and other faculty members by creating career development opportunities.
Green Receives Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize
Leah Naomi Green was recognized for her new poem, "Origin Story."
W&L’s Ball to Give Anne and Edgar Basse Jr. Public Reading
Gordon Ball will read from his recent book, "My San Francisco," on May 13.
W&L’s James Ricks ’21 Earns Fulbright to Study in Nepal
James Ricks ’21 has received a Fulbright creative grant to Nepal to photograph patients and healthcare providers at a one-of-a-kind health clinic.
W&L Hosts Public Reading with Professor Deborah Miranda
Miranda, who retires from W&L this year, will present a public reading titled “How to Love the Burning World” on April 26.
Legal Eagle
Life has been a series of firsts for Rita Davis ’93, who now serves as counsel to Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam.
W&L’s Rosalie Bull ’20 Earns Fulbright to Ecuador
In September 2021, Bull will leave for a 10-month stay in Ecuador to develop a co-creative anthology of stories covering resistance and resilience networks in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
W&L’s Ramonah Gibson ’20 Awarded Fulbright
Ramonah Gibson '20 has received a Fulbright United Kingdom (U.K.) Partnership Award to complete her master's degree in creative writing scriptwriting at the University of East Anglia.
W&L’s Kathryn Hensler ’21 Earns Fulbright to Spain
Her project, “Age and Growth of Fan Mussel (Pinna nobilis) in Mar Menor,” will take her to Calpe, in Spain this fall.
W&L’s Muensterman Awarded Prestigious Beinecke Scholarship
Kathryn Muensterman ’22 has won a $34,000 Beinecke Scholarship to help fund her graduate studies.
W&L’s Kharputly Publishes Article in Society & Animals
Nadeen Kharputly recently published an article titled "Whose Best Friend? Muslims, Dogs, and the Making of American Humanity."
Museums at W&L Present Gallery Talk
The community is invited to a virtual talk on April 7 titled "Women in the Arts: Out of the Margins, Into the Light."
W&L Hosts 15th National Symposium of Theater and Performance Arts in Academe
Highlights include live performances of works written from artists and scholars nationwide.
W&L’s Deborah Miranda’s Work Highlighted by American Academy of Poets
Miranda's new poem, "Torch," was selected as the American Academy of Poets' "Poem-a-Day."
W&L’s Master Class in Poetry Students Give Public Reading
The university will host an online poetry reading by eight students in Heid Erdrich’s Master Class in Poetry course on March 15 at 6 p.m.
W&L’s Ball Writes Personal Memoir
In “My San Francisco,” Gordon Ball, visiting associate professor of English, recounts experiences of his time spent in the city.
W&L’s Walle Pens Journal Article on Unpublished Manuscript
Taylor Walle, assistant professor of English, recently published an article titled "Boswell's Dictionary and the Status of Scots Dialect in the Eighteenth Century."
W&L’s Leah Naomi Green Receives Lucille Clifton Legacy Award
Green will receive the Lucille Clifton Legacy Award from St. Mary’s College of Maryland on March 1.
W&L Hosts 2021 Glasgow Distinguished Writer-in-Residence
Poet Heid Erdrich will give a public poetry reading on Feb. 8 at 6 p.m.
W&L Professors Beavers and Gavaler Publish Textbook
Professors Leigh Ann Beavers and Chris Gavaler recently published a textbook titled “Creating Comics: A Writer’s and Artist's Guide and Anthology.”
W&L’s Laura Brodie Publishes Article in MoMA Magazine
In the article, Brodie discusses Confederate monuments' complex history and how an American contemporary artist is working to change how others view them.
W&L Celebrates Tu b’Shevat with Poetry Reading Night
In honor of the Jewish "New Year of the Trees," W&L Hillel, the Native American Cohort and other campus community members will share poems about beloved lands on Jan. 27.
W&L’s Lena Hill Interviewed in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
In the interview, Hill discusses her new appointment as W&L provost, effective July 1, 2021.
W&L’s Shenandoah Literary Magazine Hosts Public Launch Party in December
The Shenandoah magazine team will host a virtual launch party on Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. to celebrate the newest edition of the magazine, which will be available to the public on Dec. 11.
W&L’s Domnica Radulescu Publishes Book on Refugees
Domnica Radulescu, the Edwin A. Morris Professor of Comparative Literature at W&L, presents her newest co-edited book, “Voices on the Move: An Anthology by and about Refugees.”
W&L’s Wheeler to Deliver Author Talk on New Book ‘Unbecoming’
Lesley Wheeler, Henry S. Fox Professor of English at Washington and Lee University and poetry editor for Shenandoah magazine, will give a “spooky-themed” author talk on Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.
Poet Craig Santos Perez to Give Annual Shannon-Clark Lecture
The lecture, which is free and open to the public to view via Zoom, is titled “Climate Change and Pacific Islander Eco-Poetics.”
Waging the Hog Wars
Farmer and conservationist Bill Holliday ’65 spent his career fighting to preserve and protect South Carolina’s environment.
Gavaler Pens Article about ‘Cancel Culture’
Gavaler’s opinion piece is entitled “The problem with 'cancel culture'”
Professors Co-author Second Book
Chris Gavaler and Nathaniel Goldberg have published “Revising Fiction, Fact, and Faith: A Philosophical Account”
Professor Deborah Miranda Interviewed on Radio Show
Miranda was invited on radio station KPFA’s UpFront to discuss Junipero Serra, the myth of California missions, and the colonization of native people.
Brodie Op-Ed Addresses Toxic Masculinity in Monuments
The piece appeared in the June 19 edition of The Washington Post.
English Professor Lesley Wheeler Publishes New Books
Wheeler’s first novel, “Unbecoming,” was recently published just two months after the release of her latest poetry collection, “The State She’s In.”
The Creative Type
Working in Italy, starring in theater productions and being involved in Generals' Unity are just a few of the experiences that have made W&L a great fit for Win Gustin '20.
W&L’s Colin Berger ’20 Awarded Fulbright Grant to Spain
Berger has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Spain starting January 2021.
W&L’s Leah Naomi Green Talks to NPR About Debut Book
Green was recently interviewed on NPR’s All Things Considered to discuss “The More Extravagant Feast.”
W&L’s Wheeler Talks Distance Learning with the Chronicle
Wheeler discusses tailoring remote instruction to best serve her students.
‘Crossings’ Brings W&L and Lexington Community Together
A new play by Professor Domnica Radulescu gives voice to local immigrants.
W&L Hosts Memoirist Bob Rosenthal on Poet Allen Ginsberg
The event is free and open to the public, and books will be available to purchase following the reading.
Canceled – Kevin Quashie Presents Shannon-Clark Lecture at W&L
Quashie teaches black cultural and literary studies at Brown University.
Poetry Night Kicks Off Black History Month at W&L
A student-led annual celebration of black literary culture opened the Student Association for Black Unity’s programming for Black History Month at Washington and Lee University.
W&L Hosts Public Reading with Author Zeyn Joukhadar
Joukhadar will read from and discuss his new novel, “The Thirty Names of Night.”
W&L’s Conner Co-Edits ‘The Selected Letters of Ralph Ellison’
Provost Marc Conner worked with John Callahan, the literary executor of the Ellison estate, to co-edit and publish the collection.
Writing for Tweens
Suzanne LaFleur ’05 keeps it real for her young readers.
Quick Hit: Creative Writing at Boxerwood
Students in Leah Green's Intro to Creative Writing course took inspiration from the environment at Boxerwood Nature Center and Woodland Garden.
Life in the Fast Lane
How Mock Con General Secretary Layne Smith '20 stays sane under the pressure of academics, Mock Con 2020 and acting as head hearing advisor for the W&L Honor System.
W&L Hosts Public Book Launch
“A Literary Field Guide to Southern Appalachia” contains poems from three W&L faculty members.
Lessons from Lenfest
Allie Jue '20 has learned how to keep her studies in music and pre-med in perfect harmony with a job and extracurricular activities at W&L.
Public Author Talk Scheduled for Poetry Night 2019 at W&L
The public reading is free and open to the public.
W&L’s Miranda to Give Inaugural Lecture
Miranda’s talk, which is free and open to the public, is titled “’Coyote Learns a New Trick’: Beth Brant and Two-Spirit Literatures.”
The Guardian Highlights W&L Professors for Sci-fi Research
The piece discusses their research studies into sci-fi and the effect it has on human intelligence.
W&L’s Glasgow Endowment Presents Author Lauren K. Alleyne
She is the assistant director of the Furious Flower Poetry Center
W&L’s Gavaler and Goldberg to Give Public Author Talk in Leyburn Library
The duo will be discussing their new book, “Superhero Thought Experiments.”
Allison Seay to Give Public Poetry Reading at W&L
The reading is free and open to the public, with books for sale following the event.
W&L Professors Collaborate on New Book
Chris Gavaler and Nathaniel Goldberg published “Superhero Thought Experiments.”
W&L Commemorates Constitution Day with Panel Discussion
The focus will be the "1619 Project" and the U.S. Constitution.
W&L’s Shenandoah Hosts Public Reading for Novelist and Poet
The talk is free and open to the public.
W&L’s Marc Conner Publishes Op-Ed Remembering Toni Morrison
Conner is provost and the Jo M. and James Ballengee Professor of English at Washington and Lee University.
The Write Stuff
Maya Lora has always wanted to be a storyteller for public good. This summer, she did just that as a reporting intern for her hometown paper, the Miami Herald.
W&L’s Smith Publishes Latest Poetry Collection
In writing the collection, Smith drew from historical sources and used his imagination and empathy to bring voices of the past to life.
‘Intellectual Curiosity Without Boundaries’
James Ricks '21 is spending the summer working for The Oda Foundation in Nepal, where he is researching tobacco use and working with children to create a mural that represents health in their town.
W&L’s Leah Naomi Green Talks Walt Whitman on NPR
Green was recently interviewed on NPR’s Morning Edition for the bicentennial of American poet Walt Whitman’s birth.
Alison Krentel Wheatley-Price ’94
The medical researcher travels, teaches and conducts research to eliminate neglected tropical diseases.
Get in on the Spring Term Action!
We asked professors to share course materials and discussion questions to offer a sneak peek at the breadth of opportunities available during the best term of the year.
Snapshots from Spring Term
Our favorite term is well underway! Here is a glimpse inside some of the many fascinating courses being taught off-campus this year.
W&L’s Taylor Reese ’19 Awarded FAO Schwartz Fellowship
Reese is an English major and studio art minor.
W&L Hosts Poet Lauren Camp
Camp’s lecture, which is free and open to the public, is titled “Discovering Baghdad: How Writing My Father’s Story Took Me to the Tigris.”
W&L’s Kitanna Hiromasa Awarded Prestigious JET Program Award
Hiromasa says her time at Washington and Lee and various volunteer opportunities she has participated in have prepared her for this next step in her educational journey.
Christopher McCrackin ’20 Earns Prestigious Beinecke Scholarship
Christopher McCrackin ’20 has won a $34,000 Beinecke Scholarship to help fund his graduate studies.
W&L Journalism Students Receive Prestigious Awards
Hannah Denham '20 and Maya Lora '20 earned awards for their reporting and writing.
W&L’s Andrew Agrippina ’19 Awarded Fulbright
Agrippina has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Spain.
W&L Hosts 16th Annual Tom Wolfe Weekend
The weekend’s seminar will feature Delia Owens, author of the critically acclaimed debut novel “Where the Crawdads Sing."
W&L a Charter Member of American Shakespeare Center’s New Academic Leadership Consortium
The partnership will bring the company’s national tour and on-site workshops to W&L’s campus.
W&L’s Leah Naomi Green Wins Walt Whitman Award for Poetry
Leah Naomi Green, visiting assistant professor of English at W&L, was selected by Li-Young Lee as the winner of the 2019 Walt Whitman Award.
In Their Own Words
MaKayla Lorick '19 is collecting oral histories from African-American alumni, faculty and staff as part of a project that aims to include those missing perspectives in Washington and Lee University's history of desegregation and integration.
W&L Hosts Public Lecture on Ireland and ‘Brexit’ by Timothy McMahon
The title of McMahon’s talk, which is free and open to the public, is “Brexit on the Border: What We Know and Don’t Know about Irish/UK Relations.”
Barnett to Give Inaugural Lecture for Endowed Professorship
The title of Barnett’s talk, which is free and open to the public, is “Lost (And Found Again) in Translation.”
Washington and Lee Presents an Afternoon with Rebecca Traister
“An Afternoon with Rebecca Traister,” on Feb. 11 at 5:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, is free and open to the public.
Joy Harjo is Fifth Speaker in Mudd Lecture Series
The title of her talk, which is free and open to the public, is "Exile in Memory."
W&L to Host Second Annual Glasgow Distinguished Writer-in-Residence
Aimee Nezhukumatathil will give a public reading from her work on Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. in Northen Auditorium.
Radical Rebirth
Beth Staples reinvents W&L's Shenandoah magazine with a commitment to diverse voices and intensive collaboration.
Poet Oliver de la Paz to Give Public Reading at W&L
The event is free and open to the public, and books will be available for sale following the reading.
The Art of ‘Survivance’
Joel Bernstein ’57 brings his passion for Native American art to W&L with a groundbreaking new exhibition.
Devoney Looser to Give Annual Shannon-Clark Lecture at W&L
The talk, which is free and open to the public, is titled "Fame and Fortune in the Age of Austen."
Recent Gift Illustrates Poet’s ‘Twin Obsessions’
Friends and classmates of Jeanne de Saussure Smith ’08 have dedicated an E. E. Cummings painting to W&L in her memory.
The Interaction Between Health and Poverty
James Ricks '21 interviews Dr. Jonathan Wortham '04 about his work with the Centers for Disease Control.
Public Reading by Rebecca Makkai ‘99, Author of ‘The Great Believers’
The reading will be Oct. 18 at 8:15 p.m. in Northen Auditorium.
George Washington University Professor Talks “Digital Pasts: Deaf Culture, Contemporary Media, and the New Middle Ages.”
Lunch will be served, and the event is free and open to the public; however, RSVP is required by Oct. 22 to oconnells@wlu.edu.
Rebecca Makkai ’99 Produces Another Page-Turner
Her latest novel, "The Great Believers," was a finalist for the National Book Award in fiction and was one of three finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction.
Studying Medicine in Pakistan
A grant from the Endeavor Foundation allowed Midha Ahmad '21 and Sawera Khan '21 to spend the summer in Pakistan, where they compared alternative medicine to traditional treatment.
A Gift of Gratitude
The Professor Sidney M.B. Coulling ’46 Scholarship Endowment.
A Muse in Nature
Professor Ricardo Wilson's Spring Term class spent 10 days writing short fiction at Skylark Nature Preserve and Lodge in Raphine.
Shenandoah Announces New Leadership and Prize Winners
The spring issue announces the retirement of R.T. Smith and the hiring of new editor Beth Staples.
From Dream to Reality
Shapley Davis '18 produced and premiered his own short film, and he hopes to continue making films as he heads off to USC's film school after graduation.
Straughan Addresses Alumni Opening Assembly, ODK Holds Spring Initiation
ODK inducted four honorary and seven student initiates
Poet Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon ’96 to Give Public Reading
This reading is sponsored by the Glasgow Endowment and is free and open to the public.
‘We Decided to Be Proactive’
Reese and two friends brought the First-Generation Low-Income Partnership to W&L, where it provides resources and a voice for students.
W&L’s First Glasgow Distinguished Writer to Give Public Reading
A reception and book sale will follow the reading, which is free and open to the public.
W&L Hosts 15th Annual Tom Wolfe Weekend
Tom Wolfe '51 will be in attendance.
W&L’s Writer in Residence and Editor of Shenandoah Gives Final Reading
Smith has edited Shenandoah since 1995 and received a 2008 Virginia Governor’s Arts Award for publishing excellence.
Carol Campbell, Author of “The Goddess Diaries,” to Perform at W&L
“The Goddess Diaries” is an ongoing theatrical production featuring true-life stories of women.
The Center for Poetic Research Presents Poet Ross Gay
Gay’s poetry often explores questions of race, as well as his symbiotic passions for gardening and community activism.
Glasgow Endowment Presents Poetry Reading by Anna Lena Phillips Bell
Bell is an old-time musician and square dance caller, as well as a poet.
Glasgow Endowment Presents Poetry Reading by Tess Taylor
Taylor is the author of two collections of poetry and a chapbook.
Phillis Wheatley: ‘Favored by the Muses’
Washington and Lee's Special Collections contains a rare volume of poetry by Wheatley, the first published African-American poet.
Robert Macfarlane to Give Shannon-Clark Lecture at W&L
The British author will deliver the lecture, titled “The Word-Hoard: A Counter-Desecration Phrasebook for The Anthropocene.”
W&L Professors to Read from New Works of Poetry
Wheeler will read from her poetry chapbook, “Propagation,” while Senechal De La Roche will read from her poetry collection “Blind Flowers.”
Keen Named Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty at Hamilton College
Suzanne Keen, dean of the College and Thomas H. Broadus Professor of English at Washington and Lee University, has been named vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty at Hamilton College, Clinton, New York. She will begin her new role on July 1, 2018.
W&L’s Gavaler Discusses ‘The Genre Effect’ with The Guardian
Chris Gavaler discussed the paper he co-authored with professor Dan Johnson, The Genre Effect, with The Guardian.
Researching Beyond the Library
The best place to research your thesis? Some would say the library, but for Jacqueline Moruzzi '18 that place is the Cambridge University's Medieval Studies Summer Program.
Washington and Lee Professor Awarded Residency on Wyoming Ranch
This is Brodie’s third writer’s fellowship this year.
Canadian Novelist Emily St. John Mandel to Give Reading at W&L
Emily St. John Mandel will read from her most recent book, “Station Eleven.”
Summer at Oxford
Danielle Hughson's honors thesis will be focused on male editorial control and how it affects female writers, within a familial and patriarchal context.
Dreaming of Freedom
Washington and Lee Spanish professor Seth Michelson has compiled a book of poems written by incarcerated undocumented teens and translated by some of his students and him.
Prelude to Reformation
Four Martin Luther tracts housed in W&L's Special Collections were fully restored in time for the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation.
W&L Writer in Residence R.T. Smith Honored by Appalachian State
Each year Appalachian State honors distinguished undergraduate or graduate alumni from a department within the college.
W&L Hosts American University Lecturer Usha Vishnuvajjala
Vishnuvajjala’s talk is titled “Arthurian Authority: Face-to-Face With the King.”
H. Robert Huntley, Professor of English Emeritus at Washington and Lee University, Dies at 89
Huntley taught at Washington and Lee University for 32 years until his retirement in 1994.
Provost Marc Conner Delivers Keynotes at International Ralph Ellison Symposium
W&L's Marc Conner co-chaired a conference on Ellison at the University of Oxford.
It’s All Greek to Her
Hannah Palmatary '18 spent the summer discovering the ancient ruins of Greece, as well as her own talent and passion for creative writing.
Poet Susan Stewart Second Speaker in Questioning Intimacy Series
Stewart’s talk will include readings from her poetry collection “Cinder.”
Shenandoah Editor R.T. Smith Receives 2017 William Peden Fiction Prize
The prize is presented by The Missouri Review for the best short story chosen from their four issues published in the last year.
‘Bloom Where You’re Planted’
Through numerous clubs, her classwork and her peers, JoAnn Michel '18 has found a place to grow at W&L.
Chasing History’s Mysteries
This summer, Allison Jue '20 dove into the books to learn more about the relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and the second Earl of Essex.
Alumni College Livestream: James Joyce and the Writing of Dublin
This lecture is part of the Alumni College's summer program, "The Ireland of Yeats and Joyce."
‘Perspectives’ on Leadership: Elena Diller ’17 & Caroline Todd ’17
Elena Diller '17 and Caroline Todd '17 saw a need for more perspective in academics — so they got to work.
Leadership Through Experience: Amirah S. Ndam Njoya ’17
Amirah S. Ndam Njoya ‘17 believes leadership, travelling, service, and scholarship are all vital parts of the W&L experience.
Writer in Residence R.T. Smith’s Poem to be Featured on Poetry Daily
“Duet” is about mountain dulcimer players Jean and Bayliss Ritchie, of Viper, Kentucky, and will be on the website Poetry Daily on May 20
James Dickey, Masked and Unmasked
The life mask is perhaps the single most valuable item in a collection of more than 1,000 Dickey items in W&L Special Collections.
W&L Students Austin Frank and Dana Gary Featured on WDBJ-7
WDBJ-7 interviewed Dana Gary '18 and Austin Frank '17 about student-run label Friday Underground Records.
Ward Briggs ’67 to Address W&L’s Friends of the Library Annual Meeting
Briggs will speak on “James Dickey and ‘Life’: How Poems Are Made.”
W&L Hosts Joint Reading and Talk on Ecological Approaches to Poetry
Ann Fisher-Wirth and Laura-Gray Street will hold a joint reading and talk on ecological approaches to poetry.
W&L to Host Reception Honoring Rhodes Scholar Paqui Toscano
Washington and Lee will host a reception celebrating Paqui Toscano's selection as a Rhodes Scholar on Friday, March 17, from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. in the Commons Living Room.
Science, Society and the Arts Presents: Dana Gary ‘18
Dana Gary, whose first EP is recorded, produced and publicized by a student-run record label, will present songs at SSA.
W&L’s Gavaler on the Semantics of Fascism
An opinion piece by Chris Gavaler, assistant professor of English, appeared in the Mar. 5 2017 edition of the Roanoke Times.
Marc Conner Named Provost of Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University has named Marc C. Conner as provost. Conner, the Jo M. and James M. Ballengee Professor of English, has been serving as W&L’s interim provost since January 2016.
R.T. Smith’s Poem Featured in The Best American Poetry 2017
R.T. Smith, editor of Shenandoah and the Writer in Residence at W&L, will have his poem, “Maricon,” featured in The Best American Poetry 2017.
Remembering Artist Alvin Hollingsworth
Alvin Carl Hollingsworth was a leading African-American artist whose works can be seen in W&L's Leyburn Library.
W&L’s Conner and Morel to present the John Chavis Lecture in African-American Studies
Professors Marc Conner and Lucas Morel will present the John Chavis Lecture in African-American Studies, titled "The New Territory: Ralph Ellison and the 21st Century."
JMU Professor to Speak on the Illustrations of John Foxe’s ‘Book of Martyrs’
Dr. Mark Rankin, associate professor of English at James Madison University, will give a public lecture on "The Illustrations of Foxe's ‘Book of Martyrs’ and their Publishing History."
Michael Hill to Lecture on “‘American Dreamin’: Adolescence in the Black Imagination”
Michael Hill, associate professor of English at the University of Iowa, will deliver a public lecture on “‘American Dreamin’: Adolescence in the Black Imagination.”
Author and Poet Susan Briante To Read from “The Market Wonders”
Poet and author Susan Briante will read from “The Market Wonders,” a lyric investigation into the stock market.
W&L Faculty Get New York Times Shout-Out
Writer Charles Johnson mentioned two members of the Washington and Lee community in a New York Times piece.
Poetry Reading Features Authors Hoppenthaler and Smith
W&L's 8th Annual Writer in Residence Poetry Reading will feature John Hoppenthaler and R.T. Smith.
Dedicated to Dickey
Ward Briggs ’67 has memorialized his longtime friend, writer James Dickey, with a large donation of Dickey materials to Washington and Lee Special Collections.
W&L’s Pasquale Toscano Among 2017 Class of Rhodes Scholars
Pasquale “Paqui” Toscano, a classics and English double major, is Washington and Lee’s 16th Rhodes Scholar. The Rhodes Trust announced Sunday that Toscano, 22, of Kettering, Ohio, was one of 32 scholars chosen this year. The scholarships, valued at between $50,000 to $200,000, fully fund two to four years of study at the University of Oxford in England.
Princeton Professor Imani Perry to Give Shannon-Clark Lecture
Imani Perry, the Hughes-Rogers Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, will speak on “The Passionate Utterance: Black Women’s Literature and Freedom Dreams.”
Bob Dylan's Nobel Prize in Literature is 'Vindication' for W&L's Gordon Ball
Gordon Ball, visiting associate professor of English at Washington and Lee, says Bob Dylan's Nobel recognition is "vindication" after Ball nominated the singer-songwriter for the award 15 years in a row.
MK Asante to be Keynote Speaker at Annual Bonner Congress
MK Asante, bestselling author, award-winning filmmaker, rapper and professor, will give the Oct. 15 keynote address for the annual Bonner Congress, held this year at Washington and Lee University. The lecture will be at 9 a.m. in Stackhouse Theater and is free and open to the public.
Talk at W&L Considers Whether Plants Have Feelings
Lara Farina, an associate professor of English at West Virginia University, will give a lecture at Washington and Lee University on Oct. 27 at 12:15–1:15 p.m. in Hillel House Multipurpose Room 101.
Interns at Work: Kassie Scott ’18
English major Kassie Scott '18 interns for an NGO focused on human rights and gender equality in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Poet Erika Meitner to Give Poetry Reading at W&L
Author and poet Erika Meitner will be reading from her work at Washington and Lee University on Sept. 28 at 4:30 p.m. in the Hillel House Multipurpose Room (room 101).
Nigel Smith, Princeton Literature Professor to Speak about John Milton at W&L
Nigel Smith, the William and Annie S. Paton Foundation Professor of Ancient and Modern Literature at Princeton University, will give a lecture at Washington and Lee University on Sept. 22 at 5 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library.
My W&L: Kiki Martire ’15
Kiki Martire is an English major with a minor in women's and gender studies from Baltimore, Md. A member of the Class of 2015, she traveled abroad to the South Pacific during her junior year.
Around the World: Scott Sugden ’15
Fort Dauphin, Madagascar.
My W&L: Naphtali Rivkin ’15
"In my four years here, most of my 'classrooms' were not in a classroom."
My W&L: Joe Yankelowitz ’15
"W&L has allowed me to satisfy my need to wander."
In Depth: International Immersion
Recipients of W&L's Certificate of International Immersion reflect on their experiences abroad.
In Depth: Science, Society and the Arts
Kiki Martire '15 studies challenges to women in political leadership in Samoa.
My W&L: Margaret McClintock ’15
Margaret McClintock is an English major with a minor in art history from Tunica, Miss. A member of the Class of 2015, she has been president of the Panhellenic Council, and Appalachian Adventure Trip leader, a member of the Contact Committee, the Student Faculty Hearing Board, the Student Affairs Committee and Traveller.
My W&L: Anna Russell Thornton ’16
"I have been challenged to step outside my comfort zone, encouraged to pursue my passions, and nurtured as a student, a leader and an individual."
Interns at Work: Wheeler Reiss ’16
Intern at Grow Marketing in San Francisco.
A Taste of Spring: FILM 255: Seven-Minute Shakespeare
W&L Students Distill Shakespeare Plays to Their Essence.
Interns at Work: Sara Korash-Schiff ’15
English and journalism major Sara Korash-Schiff '15 interns in book publishing in Nashville.
Interns at Work: Anna DiBenedetto ’15
Anna DiBenedetto '15 interns at HGTV magazine.
My W&L: Jok Asiyo ’16
"College is a place where you will grow no matter how you go through it. The only thing you control is who you grow to be."
My W&L: Cory Church ’15
"W&L has given me the resources and experiences that I need to continue my intellectual, professional, and emotional growth outside of Lexington."
My W&L: Annie Persons ’15
"Creativity has many meanings, but for me and with regards to my college experience, it means the opportunity to shape my own identity."
My W&L: Chauncey Baker ’15
"At W&L you'll find the support to pursue anything."
My W&L: Samantha O’Dell ’15
"I am where I am because of W&L."
A Day in the Life: Mary Ciera Wilson ’17
Johnson Opportunity Grant winner gets a taste of state politics the Tennessee State Capitol.
Charles R. Johnson to Address Washington and Lee’s Opening Convocation
Charles R. Johnson, award-winning philosopher, novelist, essayist, short story writer, and scholar of black American literature and Buddhism, will address Washington and Lee University’s 2016 Fall Convocation at 5:30pm on Wednesday, September 7.
W&L Student and Faculty Member Recognized at ODK National Convention
Paqui Toscano, a member of Washington and Lee University’s class of 2017, has been named a national leader of the year by Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), the national leadership honor society.
Shenandoah Announces 2016 Prize Winners
Shenandoah: the Washington and Lee University Literary Review has announced its annual prize winners for 2016. The volume 65 winner of the $1,000 James Boatwright Poetry Prize is David Wojahn, who teaches at Virginia Commonwealth University, for his poem “A Briefe Historie of the Noose in the Colonie of Virginia.”
Ciao to Prizewinning Author Matthew Neill Null ’06
Matthew Neill Null, a member of Washington and Lee University’s Class of 2006, will soon be practicing his craft — fiction writing — in Rome. Last month he won the Joseph Brodsky Rome Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
From Art to Finish
A new Spring Term class has an English professor and an art professor teaming up to guide students through writing and illustrating a comic book.
Shenandoah Announces Winner of 2016 Graybeal-Gowen Prize for Virginia Poets
Jess Quinlan of Staunton, Virginia, is the winner of the annual Graybeal-Gowen Prize for Virginia Poets offered by Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee University Review for the best poem entered by a Virginia poet.
Author and Musician Clyde Edgerton to Perform at Washington and Lee University
Author Clyde Edgerton, the Thomas S. Kenan III Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, will give a presentation at Washington and Lee University on May 12, at 4:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium.
Leyburn Library Presents Photographic Exhibit and Reception about “Ginsberg and Beat Fellows”
"Ginsberg and Beat Fellows: Photographs 1969-1997,” an exhibit of photographs taken by Gordon Ball, visiting associate professor of English, will be on display from May 4–July 13 in Leyburn Library’s Main Floor Exhibit Space at Washington and Lee University.
Spotlight on Native American Writers
Deborah Miranda, the John Lucian Smith Term Professor of English at Washington and Lee University, will moderate a discussion on Native American literature at the Library of Congress Poetry and Literature Center, in Washington, D.C., on May 10.
Richmond Dance Festival Features Work Choreography by Davies, Inspired by Keen
A dance choreographed by Jenefer Davies, associate professor of dance/theater, will be performed at the Richmond Dance Festival (RDF) this weekend and will include two W&L student dancers.
Pasquale Toscano Awarded Beinecke Scholarship for Graduate Study
Pasquale S. Toscano, of Kettering, Ohio, an English and classics double major at Washington and Lee University, has been awarded a Beinecke Scholarship for graduate study.
Staniar Gallery Presents “Shakespeare's England”
To commemorate the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, Washington and Lee University’s Staniar Gallery, in conjunction with the Departments of English, History, and Art and Art History, will present an exhibition of original prints and reproductions from the collection of the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington.
Intellectual Historian Quentin Skinner to Speak at W&L on April 4 and April 6
Quentin Skinner, the Barber Beaumont Professor of the Humanities at Queen Mary University of London and an intellectual historian, will give two lectures at Washington and Lee University on April 4 and April 6. W&L’s Mudd Center is sponsoring both talks.
W&L English Professor and Alumnus Highlight the Virginia Festival of the Book
It’s March, and that means it’s time for the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville — and for two members of the Washington and Lee University literary community to shine.
Shakespearean Scholar to Address W&L’s Phi Beta Kappa Convocation
The Phi Beta Kappa chapter at Washington and Lee University will induct new members into the prestigious academic honor society at the Phi Beta Kappa/Society of the Cincinnati Convocation on Sunday, March 13, at 3 p.m. in Lee Chapel.
Leyburn Library’s Author Talk Series features Chris Gavaler and Lesley Wheeler
Chris Gavaler, assistant professor of English at Washington and Lee University, and Lesley Wheeler, the Henry S. Fox Professor of English at W&L, will discuss their latest books on March 15 at 5 p.m. in the Book Nook in Washington and Lee University’s Leyburn Library.
Sidney M. B. Coulling III, S. Blount Mason Jr. Professor of English Emeritus, Dies at 92
Sidney Mathias Baxter Coulling III, the S. Blount Mason Jr. Professor of English Emeritus at Washington and Lee University, died on Feb. 22, 2016, at Kendal at Lexington. He had celebrated his 92nd birthday earlier this month.
Katharine Maus, Specialist in Renaissance Literature, to Lecture at W&L
Katharine Maus, the James Branch Cabell Professor of English at the University of Virginia, will lecture at Washington and Lee University on March 3 at 4:30 p.m. in the Hillel House, room 101.
Shenandoah Announces the Graybeal-Gowen Prize for Virginia Poets
Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee University Review is looking for Virginia poets to submit their work for the 2016 Graybeal-Gowen Prize. This annual prize awards $500 to a writer born in Virginia, with current residence in Virginia or one who lived in Virginia for what they consider a substantial amount of time.
Poet Claudia Rankine to Lecture as Part of the Ethics of Citizenship Series at W&L
Claudia Rankine, the Aerol Arnold Chair of English at the University of Southern California, will lecture at Washington and Lee University on Jan. 20, 2016, at 4:30 p.m. in Stackhouse Theater, Elrod Commons.
W&L Professor Chris Gavaler Publishes “On the Origin of Superheroes”
Chris Gavaler, assistant professor of English at Washington and Lee University, has published “On the Origin of Superheroes: From the Big Bang to Action Comics No. 1” (University of Iowa Press).
Shakespeare 2016! Continues Dec. 9-11 and Jan. 24
The three-night run of “Dancers Create…” on Dec. 9, 10 and 11 continues Washington and Lee’s year-long celebration of the 400 years of Shakespeare in theatre, music, dance, art and scholarship.
W&L’s Glasgow Endowment Presents W&L Alumnus Matthew Null Reading from Debut Novel
Washington and Lee University’s Glasgow Endowment will sponsor a public reading by fiction writer Matthew Neill Null on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library.
Lesley Wheeler Communicates with “Radioland,” Her New Collection of Poems
Lesley Wheeler, the Henry S. Fox Professor of English at Washington and Lee University, has published her fourth full-length collection of poetry, “Radioland” (Barrow Street Press).
Literary Critic Philip Fisher to Lecture in Questioning Passion Series on Nov. 12
Philip Fisher, the Felice Crowl Reid Professor of English at Harvard University, will lecture as part of the Questioning Passion series at Washington and Lee University on Nov. 12 at 4:30 p.m. in Stackhouse Theater, Elrod Commons.
My W&L: Paqui Toscano ’16
"I have come to love W&L for . . . the people I have met here and the sense of community we have fostered together."
R.T. Smith Publishes a New Collection of (Really) Short Stories
R.T. Smith, the award-winning author and editor of “Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee University Review,” has published a new work of fiction, “Chinquapins” (Fiction Southeast).
My W&L: Cynthia Lam ’15
"I have been given incredible opportunities to embrace all that W&L has to offer."
My W&L: Nick Lehotsky ’15
"I had been drawn to W&L by the wide array of courses I would be compelled to take, but was hardly aware of how they could help my desired profession."
Professor and Author James Shapiro to Lecture on “Shakespeare in America” Nov. 12
James Shapiro, the Larry Miller Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, will give the Shannon-Clark Lecture at Washington and Lee University on Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library. His appearance at W&L is sponsored by the English Department and Shakespeare 2016!
Editor and Poet William Wright to Give a Reading at Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University’s Glasgow Endowment and “Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee University Review” will present a reading by editor and poet William Wright of Marietta, Georgia, on Nov. 2 at 4:30 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of the Hillel House on the W&L campus.
British Actor and Producer Ben Crystal to Speak at W&L on Oct. 26 as Part of Shakespeare 2016!
Ben Crystal, British actor and producer, will give the opening lecture as part of Washington and Lee University’s Shakespeare 2016! on Oct. 26 at 5:30 p.m. in Lee Chapel. His talk is free and open to the public.
Shakespeare 2016! Kicks Off Oct. 11 with the Drama “Desdemona”
The three-night run of “Desdemona: A Play About a Handkerchief” Oct. 11–13 kicks off Shakespeare 2016!, Washington and Lee’s year-long celebration of 400 years of Shakespeare in theater, music, dance, art and scholarship.
Leyburn Library's Author Talk Series Features Deborah Miranda
Deborah Miranda, the John Lucian Smith Professor of English at Washington and Lee, will be talking about her new book, “Raised by Humans” on Oct. 7 at 4 p.m. in Leyburn Library’s Book Nook. “Raised by Humans” was published in April, 2015.
A Controversial Canonization
During Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S., he held a mass on Sept. 23 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in Washington, D.C., to canonize the Franciscan friar Junípero Serra as a saint.
Let’s Talk: The Ben and Morey Show
What can you do with an English major from Washington and Lee University? Ben Oddo and Morey Hill, 2012 graduates of W&L, have put their skill with words to use as hosts of a new late-night-talk-show at Centennial Park Black Box Theatre, in Nashville, Tennessee.
Keen’s Book in the Running for Phi Beta Kappa Award
Congratulations to Suzanne Keen, dean of the College and the Thomas H. Broadus Professor of English at Washington and Lee University. Her 2014 book “Thomas Hardy’s Brains: Psychology, Neurology, and Hardy’s Imagination” (Ohio State University Press) has landed on the short list for the prestigious Christian Gauss Award, given by the Phi Beta Kappa Society to books of literary scholarship or criticism.
“Shenandoah” Prize Winners Announced
The annual winners of “Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee University Review’s” literary prizes in prose are Ashley Davidson’s “A Daring Undertaking” for the “Shenandoah” Fiction Prize and Clinton Crocket Peters’s “Going to a Burn” for the Tom Carter Nonfiction Prize. The winner of the James Boatwright Prize for Poetry is Jane Fuller’s “Conversation with Two-Time All Mid-American Conference Relief Pitcher Douglas Dean Stackhouse on Winning, Losing and Learning to Fiddle.”
“Shenandoah” Announces Winner of 2015 Bevel Summers Prize for the Short Short Story
“May Apples” by Ellen Birkett Morris of Louisville, Kentucky, won the 2015 Bevel Summers Contest for the short short story, which was sponsored by “Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee University Review.”
Mellon Foundation Grants W&L Funds for Digital Humanities, Study of History
Washington and Lee University has received project grants totaling $950,000 from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation — one to develop new methods of teaching the humanities using technology and another to study how the lessons of history help us interpret contemporary issues.
Deborah Miranda’s Poem Featured in West Trestle Review
“Juliana, 1803” by Deborah Miranda, the John Lucian Smith Term Professor of English at Washington and Lee, is the featured poem of the week on the website of West Trestle Review.
Davis Projects for Peace Awards Two Grants to W&L Seniors
Two seniors at Washington and Lee University have each received a $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace grant. While a W&L senior has won this award each year since its inception, “this is a rare result in the competition and speaks to the quality of both proposals,” said Larry Boetsch, director of international education at W&L.
W&L Senior Awarded Fulbright Research Grant
Washington and Lee University senior Naphtali Rivkin, of Teaneck, New Jersey, has received a Fulbright research grant to Latvia for his project “Anecdotes of Bravery: An Oral History of Latvia’s Popular Front.”
Genelle Gertz Awarded Fellowship from Folger Shakespeare Library
Genelle Gertz, associate professor of English and Writing Program director at Washington and Lee University, has received a short-term fellowship from the Folger Shakespeare Library to conduct research and write during the 2015-2016 academic year.
Prepare to be Dazzled
A year ago, Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon, who graduated from Washington and Lee University in 1996, received a commission to write a poem inspired by the artist Jacob Lawrence's "Great Migration Series," now on exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) through September. His paintings cover lynchings, voter rights, riots in St. Louis and the incarceration of black men.
A Haven for Readers
Over the years, Jeffrey Lee and his wife, Ann Martin, have amassed more than 32,000 volumes, centering the collection on Western land, history, industry, writers and peoples. Why? Because they wanted to create a haven for readers like the residential library they once visited in Wales.
Interns at Work: Alee Johnson ’15
Studio art and English major Alee Johnson '15 interns for the non-profit Live Like Jack Foundation in Washington, D.C.
Shakespeare 2016! to Celebrate 400 Years of the Bard at W&L
Shakespeare 2016! a year-long celebration of William Shakespeare's legacy, will be observed at Washington and Lee University with a full academic year of special events, performances, public lectures and courses at Washington and Lee University.
Spring Issue of Shenandoah Now Available
The spring issue of Shenandoah: the Washington and Lee University Review, Vol. 64, No. 2, is now available at shenandoahliterary.org. Each issue of the journal contains short stories, flash fiction, poetry, non-fiction, reviews and interviews and invites reader participation.
Annual Tom Wolfe Lecture/Seminar Features Award-winning Novelist Jesmyn Ward
Award-winning novelist Jesmyn Ward, the Paul and Debra Gibbons Professor of Creative Writing at Tulane University, will present the keynote address at Washington and Lee University's annual Tom Wolfe Weekend Seminar, "Memory and Imagination: Salvaging the News in 'Salvage the Bones' '' on April 10, at 4:00 p.m. in Lee Chapel.
University of Maryland English Professor to Lecture at W&L
Kellie Robertson, associate professor of English at the University of Maryland, will give a lecture at Washington and Lee University on March 31, at 5 p.m. in the Hillel House. This is the new date, time and place of her lecture which was canceled due to snow.
W&L’s Glasgow Endowment will Sponsor a Reading Featuring Authors Evie Shockley, Asali Solomon and Helena Maria Viramontes
Washington and Lee University's Glasgow Endowment will sponsor a reading featuring authors Evie Shockley, Asali Solomon and Helena Maria Viramontes on March 5 at 4:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium in Leyburn Library.
W&L’s Deborah Miranda to Lecture on the Constant State of Transition: Mapping the Borderlands between Scholarship and Poetry
Deborah A. Miranda, professor of English at Washington and Lee University, will give her inaugural lecture marking her appointment as the John Lucian Smith Jr. Memorial Term Professor on Monday, March 2, at 8 p.m. in Northen Auditorium in Leyburn Library.
W&L's Miranda Quoted in New York Times on Canonization of Junipero Serra
Deborah Miranda, the John Lucian Smith Professor of English at Washington and Lee, was quoted in a New York Times article Jan. 21 about Pope Francis' plans to canonize Father Junipero Serra.
Christian Wiman '88: On the National Book Critics’ Shortlist
With his newest, and fourth, book of poems, Christian Wiman, a 1988 graduate of Washington and Lee University, is a finalist for the 2014 poetry award from the National Book Critics Circle.
The Hobbit: Heroism for Our Age
Peter Jackson's concluding film in his Hobbit trilogy is a fitting conclusion to the way he has conceived and rendered J.R.R. Tolkien's classic novel.
“Shenandoah” Announces Three Awards
"Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee University Review" has announced the winner of its three major genre prizes for Volume 63. The prizes in fiction, poetry and non-fiction are given for the best work in each of those genres for a volume year. Each prize is for $1000 dollars.
Author Josip Novakovich to Give Talk and Reading on Nov. 13
Author Josip Novakovich, winner of the Whiting Writers Award, will give a talk and reading at Washington and Lee University on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 4:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library.
Author Bruce Holsinger Will Read from his Historical Thriller at W&L
Author and scholar Bruce Holsinger, professor of English at the University of Virginia, will give a Glasgow reading at Washington and Lee University on Monday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library.
Shenandoah Announces the Graybeal-Gowen Prize for Virginia Poets
"Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee University Review" is looking for Virginia poets to submit to the 2014 Graybeal-Gowen Prize for Virginia Poets. This annual prize awards $500 to a writer born in or with current established residence in Virginia.
Wayne Koestenbaum to Give Shannon-Clark Lecture at W&L
Wayne Koestenbaum, American poet, critic, essayist, librettist, novelist and artist, will give the Shannon-Clark Lecture at Washington and Lee University on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library.
Glasgow Endowment to Sponsor Poetry Reading at W&L
Poets Jane Satterfield and Ned Balbo will give a poetry reading at Washington and Lee University on Thursday, Oct. 2, at 4:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library. They will read from their recent work.
R.T. Smith’s Book of New and Selected Poems Reflects the Arc of his Career
R.T. Smith's new book of poetry, "In the Night Orchard: New and Selected Poems" (Texas Review Press, 2014), reflects the arc of his exploration as a poet for the past 33 years, during which he has been acclaimed as "a 21st-century master" (David Huddle).
W&L Professors Lead Ellison Seminar at the Library of Congress
In the Ellison Reading Room of the Library of Congress on May 22, W&L professors Marc Conner and Lucas Morel led the library's second Ralph Ellison Seminar for an international cohort of Ellison experts talking about the importance of his writing to 21st-century America.
New Book by W&L's Keen Reveals Thomas Hardy’s Knowledge and Use of Psychology
Suzanne Keen, the Thomas H. Broadus Professor of English and dean of the College at Washington and Lee University, has published a new scholarly book: "Thomas Hardy's Brains: Psychology, Neurology, and Hardy's Imagination," part of the Theory and Interpretation of Narrative series (Ohio State University Press, 2014).
Maya Angelou Remembered
Marc Conner, Jo M. and James Ballengee Professor of English and associate provost, discusses the work of the late poet Maya Angelou, her place in American literary history, and her 1999 visit to Washington and Lee.
Wheeler Wins Switchback Editors' Prize for Poem
Lesley Wheeler, the Henry S. Fox Professor of English, added another feather to her cap: the Editors' Prize for "the most inspiring, jarring, outstanding, or just downright brilliant" submission from the journal Switchback, for her poem "Epistolary Art."
Miranda's Book Wins IPPY Award
"Bad Indians: A Tribal Memoir" (Heyday, 2013) by Deborah Miranda, professor of English, has won a gold medal for autobiography/memoir, in the family legacy category, in this year's Independent Publisher Book Awards, or IPPYs.
W&L Announces Final Winners of 2014 Johnson Opportunity Grants
Washington and Lee University has announced the final round of students who will receive 2014 Johnson Opportunity Grants. The grants cover living, travel and other costs associated with the students' proposed activities, which are designed to help them with their future careers and fields of study.
Poet Tim Seibles to Give a Poetry Reading at Washington and Lee
Author and poet Tim Seibles will be reading from his latest book, "Fast Animal" (2012), on Monday, May 5, at 7 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library.
Poetry Reading at Washington and Lee on May 1
Poet Anna Lena Phillips will give a reading at Washington and Lee University on Thursday, May 1, at 7 p.m. in the Outing Club Room (room 114), in Elrod Commons. The reading is free and open to the public. She will be reading from her latest work. Phillips is the author of "A Pocket Book […]
April 28th Writers at Studio Eleven to be Last Event
The next Writers at Studio Eleven event will be Monday, April 28, at 7 p.m. at the Studio Eleven Gallery in Lexington, and after three years of robust and enriching readings, it will be the last event.
Studio Eleven to Feature Authors Angie Hogan and Kevin McFadden
The next Writers at Studio Eleven reading series will feature Angie Hogan and Kevin McFadden and will be Monday, Monday, April 7, at 7 p.m. at the Studio Eleven Gallery in Lexington.
Eric Sundquist Will Give the Winter Shannon-Clark Lecture
Eric J. Sundquist, the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of the Humanities and chair, Department of English at Johns Hopkins University, will give the Shannon-Clark Lecture at Washington and Lee University on Thursday, March 27, at 8 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library.
Medieval & Renaissance Studies Lecture to be Given by University of South Carolina Professor
Holly Crocker, associate professor of English at the University of South Carolina, will give a Medieval & Renaissance Studies Lecture on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library. The title of her talk, which is free and open to the public, is "Grace, Agency and Networks of Virtue: Chaucer's Custance and Late Medieval Saints' Lives."
Studio Eleven to Feature Poet Sally Rosen Kindred
The next Writers at Studio Eleven reading series will be science fiction and fantasy themed, featuring Sally Rosen Kindred. It will be Monday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. at the Studio Eleven Gallery in Lexington. The event is free and open to the public.
A Pledge Fulfilled
Washington and Lee alumnus Mike Hughes, of the Class of 1970, died last Sunday (Dec. 15). During the last year of his life, he kept a fascinating blog, which not only featured an autobiographical obituary but also led to a classic W&L story.
W&L's Gavaler on Superheroes and Terrorism in Roanoke Times
Chris Gavaler, visiting assistant professor of English, writes about superheroes as role models for terrorists in an op-ed titled "Paul Revere: superhero or terrorist?" in the Roanoke Times on Nov. 30, 2013.
Confrontational Education vs. Content Delivery
Marc Conner, associate provost and James and Jo Ballengee Professor of English, writes about the limitations of online learning in an op-ed in The Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Reading at W&L by Poet Nathalie Anderson on Nov. 13
Award-winning poet and accomplished librettist Nathalie Anderson will give a reading at Washington and Lee University on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 4:30 p.m. in Leyburn Library's Northen Auditorium.
English Prof Takes on Zombies
Here's a W&L Halloween tale for you: "Zombies stumble into my class all the time." So writes Chris Gavaler, visiting assistant professor of English, in an essay published on Oct. 29 in the Chronicle of Higher Education.
W&L's Conner Discusses Ellison's Unpublished Writings, Letters (Audio)
In his inaugural address for the Jo M. and James M. Ballengee 250th Anniversary Professorship, Washington and Lee's Marc Conner presents "The Identities of Ralph Ellison."
Perfect Pitch: The Poem
Washington and Lee's R.T. Smith remembers Patsy Cline's Lexington days in poetry.
Poet George Ellenbogen to Read from Memoir at Writers at Studio Eleven
Students readers from Washington and Lee, VMI and Dabney Lancaster will also participate.
Conner to Give His Inaugural Ballengee Professorship Lecture
Washington and Lee associate provost and English professor will talk on "The Identifies of Ralph Ellison"
W&L's Warren Receives Grant for Research on Alaskan Author
Washington and Lee English professor to study work of John Haines.
Stanford Professor to Give Shannon-Clark Lecture at W&L
Blakey Vermeule is an American scholar of 18th-century British literature.
Glasgow Endowment and VMI present Steve Scafidi
Washington and Lee's Glasgow Endowment will co-sponsor with VMI a public reading by poet Steve Scafidi on Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 7:45 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library.
Seamus Heaney — An Appreciation
Washington and Lee Writer-in-Residence R.T. Smith remembers the late Irish poet.
W&L's R.T. Smith Wins Carole Weinstein Prize in Poetry
W&L writer-in-residence R. T. Smith has won the 2013 Carole Weinstein Prize in Poetry awarded each year to a poet with strong connections to the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Exploring Poetry's Possible Worlds
With a summer research assist from Washington and Lee junior Annie Persons, W&L English professor Lesley Wheeler embarks on a book connecting contemporary poetry and speculative fiction.
Suzanne Keen Named Dean of the College at W&L
Appointment follows a successful year as Interim Dean.
Wheeler's Book Nominated for Science Fiction Poetry Prize
Washington and Lee English professor Lesley Wheeler's recent book has been nominated for the Elgin Award.
A New Citizen
Jasmin Darznik was among 79 new Americans who took the citizenship oath at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello on Independence Day.
W&L's Gavaler on Superheroes and War in Roanoke Times
Chris Gavaler, visiting assistant professor of English, writes about the surge of superhero movies since 9/11 in an op-ed titled "Downsizing the super war on war" in the Roanoke Times on June 3, 2013. The terrorist attacks, he writes, are a "transformative accident" that doubled the superhero's powers. Gavaler teaches a Spring Term course on […]
W&L's Smith Wins Gerald T. Perkoff Prize in Poetry
R. T. Smith has been awarded the 2012-2013 Gerald T. Perkoff Prize in Poetry by "The Missouri Review" for his suite of poems, "Mary Lincoln Triptych."
Makkai ’99 on Visiting Bookstores as an Author
When last we wrote about Rebecca Makkai, a member of the Washington and Lee Class of 1999, we noted her spot on NPR's "This American Life" and her first novel, "The Borrower." Now she's published a delightful blog over at Ploughshares, a literary magazine from Boston's Emerson College.
Kendre Barnes and Wayde Marsh Awarded 2013 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallion
Kendré Barnes and Wayde Marsh, 2013 graduates of Washington and Lee University, have been named this year's winners of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallion.
W&L's Warren Writes Introduction to Limited-Edition Book
A fine-press, limited-edition collection of six short stories by Barry Lopez, the prize-winning American author, essayist and fiction writer, features an introduction by Jim Warren, the S. Blount Mason Jr. Professor of English at Washington and Lee.
Kendré Barnes Awarded Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Panama
Washington and Lee University senior Kendré Barnes, of Omaha, Neb., has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to Panama.
Knapp, Conner Appointed to New Posts at W&L
Washington and Lee University has announced new appointments in the University administration. Elizabeth Knapp, associate provost and associate professor of geology, will become senior assistant to the president and director of the Johnson Program in Leadership and Integrity. Marc Conner, the Jo M. and James M. Ballengee Professor of English, head of the English Department and director of Spring Term, will become associate provost.
W&L's Medieval Renaissance Studies Program Presents “Commedia Meets Hamlet!? A Really Dumb Show”
The Medieval Renaissance Studies program at Washington and Lee is sponsoring "Commedia Meets Hamlet!? A Really Dumb Show" on Friday, May 3.
New Group Aims to Expand Use of Digital Humanities at W&L
A group of faculty and staff at Washington and Lee is focused on promoting the digital humanities at the University.
“My Bright Abyss” by W&L Alumnus Christian Wiman '88
"My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer," the new book by Washington and Lee alumnus Christian Wiman, of the Class of 1988, was released earlier this month and has been garnering lots of attention in the press.
W&L's Marc Conner on Shakespeare in Times-Dispatch
Marc Conner, the Ballangee Professor of English at Washington and Lee University, discussed the relevance of Shakespeare's works to our lives today in a story in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Sunday, April 21, 2013.
Shenandoah Announces Three Annual Prizes
Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee Literary Review has announced prizes given for the best short story, essay and poem in a volume year.
W&L Senior Max Chapnick Awarded Fulbright Grant
Washington and Lee University senior Max Chapnick of White Plains, N.Y., has received a Creative Writing/Arts Fulbright grant to New Zealand and to the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, following his graduation in May.
Duke Cancelmo Is Final Speaker in W&L's Good Life Series
Richard P. “Duke” Cancelmo Jr., a partner with Bridgeway Capital, will be the final speaker in Washington and Lee’s yearlong “Questioning the Good Life” interdisciplinary seminar series on Thursday, March 28, at 4:30 p.m. in Stackhouse Theater of Elrod Commons.
Notre Dame Professor to Give Shannon-Clark Lecture
University of Notre Dame English professor Laura Dassow Walls will give the Shannon-Clark lecture at Washington and Lee University on Thursday, March 28, at 8 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library.
W&L English Professors to Read at the Virginia Festival of the Book
Three members of Washington and Lee’s English department will be featured at the 19th Annual Virginia Festival of the Book, produced by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.
Performance Artist, Yale Professor Deb Margolin Performs at W&L
Deb Margolin, playwright, performance artist and Yale University professor of theater studies, will perform her most recent play on Tuesday, March 12, at 7 p.m. in Stackhouse Theater.
Author Danielle Evans to Give Reading at W&L
Fiction writer Danielle Evans will give a reading at Washington and Lee University on Monday, March 18, at 4 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library.
Studio 11 Features Authors Leah Naomi Green and John Casteen
Writers at Studio 11 reading series will feature authors Leah Naomi Green and John Casteen on Monday, March 4, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Studio 11 Gallery in Lexington.
Shenandoah Calls for Submissions for the Bevel Summers Prize
Shenandoah, the Washington and Lee University Review, will be accepting entries of short short stories for the annual Bevel Summers Prize from March 13 to March 31.
New Book by W&L's Miranda Gives a Voice to California Indians
A new book by Washington and Lee University English professor Deborah Miranda's new book is both a tribal history of California Indians and a memoir of her own family's experiences.
W&L’s Writer-in-Residence Reading to Feature Three Faculty Readers
Washington and Lee University’s 4th annual Writer-in-Residence Reading, featuring R.T. Smith, Lesley Wheeler and Chris Gavaler, will be Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 4:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium in the Leyburn Library.
Poetry Book by W&L's R. T. Smith Evokes Flannery O'Connor
In his new book of poetry, "The Red Wolf: A Dream of Flannery O'Connor," R.T. Smith gives voice to, if not the actual O'Connor, then a possible O'Connor or even a probable O'Connor.
W&L's Edward Adams Awarded Perkins Prize
Edward Adams, professor of English at Washington and Lee, has been awarded the 2013 Barbara Perkins and George Perkins Award by the International Society for the Study of Narrative for his book, "Liberal Epic: The Victorian Practice of History from Gibbon to Churchill."
Harry Potter, Superhero
Washington and Lee English professor Chris Gavaler is featured on the latest Mugglenet Academic podcast.
W&L’s Darznik Wins SCHEV Award for Outstanding Teaching
Jasmin Darznik, assistant professor of English at Washington and Lee University, has received a 2013 Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). Darznik won a Rising Star Award, which goes to assistant professors who have been teaching six years or less.
Domnica Radulescu to Give Edwin A. Morris Professorship Inaugural Lecture
Domnica Radulescu, professor of Romance languages at Washington and Lee University, will give the Edwin A. Morris Professorship Inaugural Lecture on Jan. 31, at 5 p.m. in Northen Auditorium of Leyburn Library.
W&L Professor, Students Co-edit New Zealand Poetry for “Shenandoah”
Washington and Lee English professor Lesley Wheeler and two W&L seniors served as guest editors of a special edition of "Shenandoah."
Andrew Delbanco to Address W&L Founders' Day
Andrew Delbanco of Columbia University will address Washington and Lee University’s Founders’ Day / ODK Convocation on Jan. 19, 2013.
Rachel Urban, Daniel Raubolt Named Generals of the Month for December
Washington and Lee University students Rachel Urban and Daniel Raubolt were recognized as the Generals of the Month for December during a presentation on Thursday, Dec. 6.
Paul Hanstedt Featured at Studio 11
Writers at Studio 11 reading series features author Paul Hanstedt reading from his new book, “Hong Konged,” on Monday, Dec. 3, at the Studio 11 Gallery.
Ann Fisher-Wirth to Give Glasgow Endowment Reading on Dec. 6
Ann Fisher-Wirth, poet, author and scholar, will give a Glasgow Endowment-sponsored reading on Thursday, Dec. 6, at 4:30 p.m. in the Hillel House at Washington and Lee University.
Poetry Fit to Tweet
Washington and Lee's English department uses social media to stage a poetry writing contest.
Bestselling Novelist Lev Grossman to Read at W&L
Lev Grossman, The New York Times bestselling novelist and Time magazine book critic, will present a reading at Washington and Lee University on Wednesday, Nov. 28, at 4 p.m. in the Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library.
Book by W&L's Gertz Explores Women's Literature in Heresy Trials
Genelle Gertz, associate professor of English at Washington and Lee, has just published "Heresy Trials and English Women Writers, 1400-1670."
Poetry/Fiction Reading by Author David Huddle
Southwest Virginia native David Huddle will be reading from his poetry and fiction at Washington and Lee University on Monday, Nov. 12, at 4 p.m. in Northen Auditorium of Leyburn Library.
Christian Wiman's Remarkable Essay in The American Scholar
"Mortify Our Wolves," Washington and Lee alumnus Christian Wiman's essay in The American Scholar, is subtitled "The struggle back to life and faith in the face of pain and the certainty of death."
Wake Forest Professor Eric Wilson Addresses Happiness Seminar
Eric Wilson, Thomas H. Pritchard Professor of English at Wake Forest University, will be the second speaker in Washington and Lee’s year-long “Questioning the Good Life” interdisciplinary seminar series.
Studio 11 Celebrates the Art of Writing by Presenting Ann Fisher-Wirth
Writers at Studio 11 reading series will present poet, author and scholar Ann Fisher-Wirth on Monday, Oct. 29, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Studio 11 Gallery.
Author David H. Sylvester to Speak at W&L
David H. Sylvester, author of Traveling at the Speed of Life, will give a talk at Washington and Lee University on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 5 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library.
New York Times' David Carr to Address W&L Journalism Ethics Institute
David Carr, media and culture columnist at The New York Times, will present the keynote address of the 54th Institute on Ethics in Journalism at Washington and Lee University on Friday, Oct. 19, at 5:30 p.m. in Lee Chapel.
Civil War Historian Addresses Remembering Robert E. Lee Event
Lee Chapel and Museum presents Remembering Robert E. Lee with a speech by Jeffry D. Wert, noted author and Civil War scholar, on Monday, Oct. 8, at 12:15 p.m. in the Lee Chapel Auditorium.
Generals of the Month for September Named
Washington and Lee University students Rachel Pityk, Joni Deutsch and Taylor Gilfillan will be recognized as Generals of the Month for September.
Studio 11 Event Features W&L Authors Brodie, Wheeler
Washington and Lee professors Laura Brodie and Lesley Wheeler will read from their works at Studio 11 in Lexington on Monday, Sept. 24, at 7 p.m.
Declan Kiberd Presents Shannon Clark Lecture at W&L
Declan Kiberd, the Keough Professor of Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame, will give the Shannon Clark lecture at Washington and Lee University on Thursday, Sept. 27.
Carol Graham Opens W&L Seminar Series on Happiness
Carol Graham, College Park Professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, will open Washington and Lee's seminar series, "Question the Good Life," with a lecture on Thursday, Sept. 13, at 5:30 p.m. in Stackhouse Theater, Elrod Commons. The title of the speech, which is open to the public, is “Happiness around the World: Happy Peasants, Miserable Millionaires, and Questions for Policy.”
California Dreams, Iranian Décor
In an essay for the New York Times' Opinionator blog, Jasmin Darznik, assistant professor of English at Washington and Lee, writes about her family's "cluttered, makeshift Iranian house" in California.
Spider-Man Became Popular by Breaking Superhero Mold, Says W&L Professor
The Amazing Spider-Man turns 50 this month, and Chris Gavaler believes the superhero’s abiding popularity can be traced to his origins as, well, a jerk.
Washington and Lee Wins Teagle Foundation Grant for Study-Abroad Planning
Washington and Lee University, in collaboration with Union College, of New York, and Gettysburg College, of Pennsylvania, has received a $230,000 grant over 25 months from the Teagle Foundation, of Philadelphia, to improve learning outcomes on their respective campuses.
New Novel by Laura Brodie
"All the Truth," a novel by Laura Brodie, visiting professor of English at Washington and Lee, will be published on Tuesday (July 3) by Penguin's Berkley Books.
W&L Promotes Faculty Members to Full, Associate Professorships
Washington and Lee University has promoted eight members of its faculty to full professor, while granting tenure to 14 faculty members who were promoted to associate professor.
Bradbury Goes Home
Chris Gavaler, visiting assistant professor of English at Washington and Lee University, reflects on the death of Ray Bradbury in an essay that first appeared in the Roanoke Times.
W&L Names 13 Faculty to Endowed Professorships
Thirteen members of the Washington and Lee University faculty have been named to endowed professorships— two each in the School of Law and the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics, and nine in the College. W&L currently has 45 endowed full professorships and 10 term professorships, which recognize worthy teachers who have made meaningful […]
Washington and Lee Graduate Creates a Cabin, and a Legacy
As part of his senior thesis in English, Henri Hammond-Paul of Washington and Lee's Class of 2012 conceived and created a Thoreau-like cabin near the campus.
W&L's Suzanne Keen Discusses the “Potter Effect” on WMRA's “Virginia Insight”
Suzanne Keen, the Thomas H. Broadus Professor of English at Washington and Lee University, discussed the impact of the Harry Potter series on today's students during an appearance on NPR affiliate WMRA’s “Virginia Insight” show, on Monday, June 4. Suzanne is the author of "Empathy and the Novel" (Oxford University Press) and specializes in contemporary […]
W&L's Jasmin Darznik in Sunday's New York Times
It's been a banner month for Jasmin Darznik, assistant professor of English at Washington and Lee. Just after her memoir, "The Good Daughter," was nominated for two prestigious awards, Jasmin published a piece, "No Place Is Home," in Sunday's New York Times. She writes about her two-year exile from the United States after a run-in with […]
W&L Professor's Memoir Nominated for Library of Virginia Award
Washington and Lee English professor Jasmin Darznik's celebrated memoir, "The Good Daughter," is a candidate for the Library of Virginia's People's Choice Award for Nonfiction. And even more recently, she received word that the book is on the short list for the 2012 Saroyan Prize for Nonfiction, too. That award is intended to encourage new or […]
Haikus to Order
As part of their Spring Term class in Poetic Forms, a group of Washington and Lee students will be spending three hours today (Wednesday, May 9) writing haiku poems on demand for anyone who wants to order one. “We’re deliberately doing this around the time people need to send Mother’s Day cards, but the haikus […]
Seniors Brandon Allred, Katie Shelor Generals of the Month for May
Washington and Lee University seniors Brandon Allred and Katie Shelor will be recognized at the Generals of the Month presentation on Wednesday, May 9, at 12:30 p.m. in the Marketplace in Elrod Commons. This is the final CSS presentation of the academic year. They will begin again monthly in September 2012, for the 2012-2013 year. […]
W&L Students Parade in Ireland
Students in a Spring Term course in Ireland joined an Irish drum corps to march in the annual Festival of Bealtaine Parade in Dingle, Ireland.
W&L English Professor's Book Wins IPPY Award
The new anthology "Sovereign Erotics: An Anthology of Two-Spirit Literature," co-edited by Deborah Miranda, associate professor of English at Washington and Lee, has received a Silver Medal from the 2012 Independent Publisher Book Awards. The IPPY Awards, launched in 1996, are designed to bring increased recognition to deserving but often unsung titles from independent authors and publishers. Published by […]
Starring on MuggleNet Academia
When MuggleNet, the world's No. 1 Harry Potter website, decided to open a new section called MuggleNet Academia and to offer a regular podcast with experts in the study of literature, the organizers made their first call to Suzanne Keen, the Thomas H. Broadus Professor of English at Washington and Lee. Back in February, on the 200th anniversary of Charles […]
New Zealand Author Robert Sullivan to Give Poetry Reading
Author Robert Sullivan, head of the School of Creative Writing at Manukau Institute of Technology in Manukau City, Auckland, New Zealand, will give a public poetry reading at Washington and Lee University on Thursday, April 26, at 7:30 p.m. in the Hillel House Multipurpose Room.
Deborah Miranda Co-Edits Book of Fiction by “Two-Spirit” Native Americans
A new book co-edited by Deborah Miranda, associate professor of English at Washington and Lee University, is a finalist for three awards.
Northwestern Professor to Give Shannon-Clark Lecture
Regina Schwartz, professor of English and law at Northwestern University, will give the Shannon-Clark lecture at Washington and Lee University on Thursday, March 29, at 8 p.m. in Northen Auditorium of Leyburn Library.
Novelist Colum McCann to Address Tom Wolfe Weekend Seminar at W&L
Colum McCann, winner of the 2009 National Book Award, will present the keynote address, “The Art of Knowing the World,” at Washington and Lee's Tom Wolfe Weekend Seminar on Friday, March 30, at 4 p.m. in Lee Chapel.
Victoria University Author/Teacher to Speak at W&L
Alice Te Punga Somerville from Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand, will present a talk at Washington and Lee University on Monday, March 26, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Hill House on the W&L campus. Her talk, titled "'I ain't afraid of no ghost': Women Who Haunt Maori Literary History," will be at the Women's […]
W&L Profs at Virginia Festival of the Book
The annual Virginia Festival of the Book begins in Charlottesville today, and, as usual, W&L authors will have a presence. This year, both of them appear on Thursday, March 22. At 4 p.m. on March 22 is Jasmin Darznik, assistant professor of English. She’s presenting a session titled “My Mother’s Hidden Life: Three Generations of Iranian […]
Writer-in-Residence Reading Features R.T. Smith
R.T. Smith, editor of Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee University Review, will present the annual Writer-in-Residence Reading at W&L on Wednesday, March 21, at 4:30 p.m. in the Hillel Multipurpose Room.
W&L to Host Symposium on 60th Anniversary of “Invisible Man”
Washington and Lee will hold a major symposium on March 16-17 in recognition of the 60th anniversary of the publication of Invisible Man.
Shenandoah Announces Prize Winners
Shenandoah:The Washington and Lee University Review, has announced its prize winners for works published in the magazine during 2011-12.
Severn Duvall, Henry S. Fox Jr. Professor of English Emeritus, Dies at 87
Severn Parker Costin Duvall, the Henry S. Fox Jr. Professor of English Emeritus at Washington and Lee University, died at his home in Lexington on March 2, 2012. He was 87. He served on the W&L faculty for 33 years, from 1962 to 1995.
Playwright C. Rosalind Bell to Give Reading at Washington and Lee
Playwright C. Rosalind Bell her play, “New Orleans Monologues,” on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. in Northen Auditorium of Washington and Lee's Leyburn Library.
W&L English Professor Thanks Rowling for Students’ Appreciation of Dickens
Harry Potter is helping a new generation of college students appreciate the work of Charles Dickens, according to W&L Professor Suzanne Keen.
Pulitzer Prize-winning Poet to Give Reading at Washington and Lee
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Natasha Trethewey will give a reading at Washington and Lee University on Thursday, Feb. 2, at 4:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium of Leyburn Library. She will read from her earlier works and from her forthcoming collection Thrall. Trethewey’s reading is free and open to the public. A book signing will be held […]
Two W&L Professors Win State's Highest Teaching Honor
Two Washington and Lee University faculty members — James R. Kahn, the John F. Hendon Professor of Economics, and Lesley M. Wheeler, the Henry S. Fox Jr. Professor of English — have won Outstanding Faculty Awards from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) for 2012. The award recognizes superior accomplishments in teaching, […]
Shenandoah announces winner of Graybeal-Gowen Award
Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee University Review has named Margaret Mackinnon the winner of the 2011 Graybeal-Gowen Poetry Award for her poem, “Writing on the Window.” The 2011 Graybeal-Gowen Poetry Award, a $500 prize, is awarded to a poet born or living in Virginia. This year’s award was judged by the Poet Laureate of Virginia, […]
Lesley Wheeler Presents Fox Professorship Inaugural Lecture
Lesley M. Wheeler, professor of English at Washington and Lee University, will give the Henry S. Fox Jr. Professorship Inaugural Lecture on Thursday, Jan. 12, at 4:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium of Leyburn Library. Wheeler was named to the professorship at the beginning of this past summer. Wheeler’s illustrated talk, which is free and open […]
Chickasaw Poet Linda Hogan to Give Public Reading at W&L
Chickasaw poet Linda Hogan, internationally known for her poetry, fiction and environmental writings, will give a free public reading of her work on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 4:30 in the Hillel House Multipurpose Room. The reading will be followed by a book signing. Hogan’s two newest books are Rounding the Human Corner (Pulitzer nominee) and People of […]
W&L Alumna Rebecca Makkai Reads from Her Novel
Washington and Lee University alumna Rebecca Makkai presented the Glasgow Reading at Washington and Lee University on Oct. 26, 2011, when she read from her novel, "The Borrowers." A member of W&L’s class of 1999, Makkai is currently a Montessori school teacher in Chicago. She has had a story published in Best American Short Stories […]
Laura Brodie’s Book Surprise Hit in Germany, Possible Movie
“The Widow’s Season,” by Laura Brodie, visiting assistant professor of English at Washington and Lee University, has become a surprise hit in Germany. The book, which prominently features places around W&L and Lexington, was published by Berkley Books (part of Penguin Books) in 2009. A German translation was published in the summer of 2010 and […]
New Math Center Adds to Tutoring Options for W&L Students
Students at Washington and Lee University who are stumped by a math assignment can now seek a solution at the University's new Math Center, where trained tutors will be available for assistance. “This is for any student taking Math 101 or Math 102,” said Alan McRae, professor of mathematics and director of the Math Center. […]
W&L Alumna Rebecca Makkai Presents Reading
Washington and Lee University alumna Rebecca Makkai will be reading from her first novel, "The Borrower," on Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 4 p.m. in the Hillel House Multipurpose Room. The reading will be followed by a book signing and refreshments will be served. The reading, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored […]
Author, Conservationist Terry Tempest Williams to Speak at W&L
Author Terry Tempest Williams, an environmental conservationist and fierce advocate for freedom of speech, will give a reading with commentary at Washington and Lee University on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. in Lee Chapel. It is free and open to the public. The reading will be immediately followed by an audience Q&A with a […]
Graybeal-Gowen Poetry Contest for Virginia Writers
Virginia writers are invited to participate in the annual Graybeal-Gowen Prize sponsored by Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee Review The contest is open to writers born in or with a current established resident of at least one year in Virginia. The writer who submits the best poem will win the $500 prize. Past winners have […]
Payne Hall Restoration: A Marriage of Old and New
At first glance, Room 201 in Payne Hall looks much like it did 100 years ago: slate blackboards, plaster walls, large windows. It's only after you step inside that you notice the recent upgrades, which include central air, overhead projectors, a high-definition ceiling-mounted document camera and a recessed screen. It's also fully wired for Internet […]
Examining Empathy
When a contributor to the Miller-McCune magazine needed an expert, he knew who to call: Suzanne Keen, the Thomas H. Broadus Professor of English and chair of the Department of English at Washington and Lee University. Suzanne is quoted at length in an article titled “Teaching Empathy to the ‘Me’ Generation,” by Eric Leake, a […]
