2025-2026 Annual Awards

Program for the 2025-2026 Annual Awards Celebration Earlier today we gathered at the Alumni Center and online to celebrate the success of students and faculty. As we have since 2023, we exchanged the sit-down banquet from the pre-COVID days for a less formal reception which allowed for more conversation -- and an earlier evening. We're … Continue reading 2025-2026 Annual Awards

Found Object: 2025 Young Writers’ Workshop

Location: Department digital filesObject: Photo from Day 3 of the 2025 Young Writers' Workshop.Observations: 1) This photo captures the energy and creativity that powers our annual Young Writers' Workshop. 2) Now in its 13th year, the Young Writers' Workshop provides five days of creative writing workshops with the guidance of experienced K-State faculty and graduate … Continue reading Found Object: 2025 Young Writers’ Workshop

Alumni Spotlight: Lindsey Givens

Lindsey Givens (MA '11) Sometimes when I tell people what I do for work, they hear the word “editor” and immediately start cracking jokes about me judging their grammar. But there are many types of editors, and I actually don’t work very closely with manuscripts.  Copyediting is important, but so many other things go into … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Lindsey Givens

Open House 2026

Tom Sarmiento, Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, welcomes guests to the K-State English table at the 2025 Open House. K-State's 2026 Open House is happening on Saturday April 18  — and K-State English is ready! As the preview page for Open House explains: Love to read or write? Explore your next chapter with … Continue reading Open House 2026

From the Archive: How to Celebrate National Poetry Month

The 2026 National Poetry Month poster features artwork by Alfredo Richner and lines from the poem “The Chance” by Arthur Sze. Since our blog debuted in 2017, we have published 600+ posts.  While some of you may have been with us from the start (thank you, loyal readers!), others may have joined us more recently. … Continue reading From the Archive: How to Celebrate National Poetry Month

March 2026 Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Tom Sarmiento has published The Heartland of U.S. Empire: Race, Region, and the Queer Filipinx Midwest (Temple UP, 2026) Each month during the academic year, we assemble a newsletter of the department's recent publications, presentations, announcements, and awards. We're happy to recognize the recent successes in research, scholarship, and creative activity outlined below.  Want to … Continue reading March 2026 Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Our Thanks to Elizabeth Dodd, Naomi Wood, and Michele Janette

Elizabeth Dodd, Naomi Wood, and Michele Janette at their joint retirement celebration at the K-State Alumni Center (26 March 2026) On Thursday March 26, we gathered at the Alumni Center, with concurrent live-stream, to celebrate the contributions of Elizabeth Dodd, Michele Janette, and Naomi Wood, three of our faculty members who are retiring this May … Continue reading Our Thanks to Elizabeth Dodd, Naomi Wood, and Michele Janette

February 2026 Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Cameron Leader-Picone has published Transit Lit: Fictions of Migration in Twenty-First-Century African Immigrant Literature (Northwestern UP, 2025) Each month during the academic year, we assemble a newsletter of the department's recent publications, presentations, announcements, and awards. We're happy to recognize the recent successes in research, scholarship, and creative activity outlined below.  Want to catch up … Continue reading February 2026 Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Alumni Spotlight: Jamie Gilson

Jamie H. Gilson (BA '14, MA '16) Before I came to Kansas State, before I found the room for Greg Eiselein’s class on my first day, before I convinced my academic advisor to let me take “Intro to Literary Studies” as an undeclared major, before I taught Expository Writing I & II, and well before … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Jamie Gilson

Spot Fire Press Open House

Last Friday, February 6, Spot Fire Press held an Open House on the 3rd floor of Willard Hall.  Funded by an inaugural 2025 Applied Learning Experiences (ALE) Incentive Grant, Spot Fire Press is an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Departments of Art, English, and Landscape Architecture and Regional and Community Planning, K-State Libraries, and University Printing. … Continue reading Spot Fire Press Open House