The English Department fosters reading, writing, and media skills through a broad selection of small seminars. Our classes combine the study of English and American literature, exploring the craft of poetry, Shakespearean drama, science fiction, the techniques of horror films, the rhetoric of medicine, and the dynamics of novels, plays, short stories, and creative non-fiction.

The Writing Program supports a thriving culture of writing, coordinating courses for student writers, including first-year Academic Inquiry Seminars and a variety of communication-intensive courses, and offers pedagogical and curricular development for faculty and staff.

Department of English Newsletter: June 2026

Letter from the Chair One of the most reliable signs of spring here at Guilford House is the robin who insists on building a nest above the main double doors. The front porch is so quiet after exams. But this year, there was a wrinkle: the front door’s showing its...

New Gutenberg Annex Updates

The New Gutenberg Annex has been busy five or six days a week this spring supporting an array of student projects in its spaces.

NCTE Conference on Communication & Composition 2026

During the first week of March, CWRU’s Writing Program served as local hosts for the annual NCTE Conference on Communication & Composition in Cleveland, Ohio.

Sea, Poison, Caren Beilin’s New Book

Caren Beilin is the author of the novel Sea, Poison (New Directions, 2025), longlisted for the National Book Critic’s Circle Award in Fiction.