Letter from the Chair
Welcome to the new academic year! A lot’s happened since the start of the school year, including a goodbye party for Martha Wilson Schaffer (who’s accepted an Assistant Professor job at the University of Toledo College of Law), and the chance for people to welcome our newest staff member and professors: Oyinkansola (Oyin) Akinwuntan, who started both her front office job here and her MBA program in the same week; Assistant Professor Tom Sawyer, who’s already cheering his son on in Shaker Youth soccer matches (and is ready for a rematch against FC Geneva); and alumna Cammy Ring, who joined the full-time Writing Program faculty after a busy summer teaching in the Emerging Scholars Program.
The Little Free Library across from the main office is restocked with new used books, and the Writing Resource Center in Bellflower is looking extra spiffy thanks to a fresh coat of paint. And, after an extended period in storage, our founders’ portraits are back on the walls on the second and third floors of Guilford (a great way to mark what we hope is the end of the extended HVAC upgrade project). Linda Guilford, Helen Mary Smith, Heman Oviatt, Clara Louise Meyers, Eleanor Walter Thomas, and Flora Stone Mather are all looking over the English Department community again—including the major and minor who declared in the first week and were the first recipients of newly created welcome gift bags to mark this important academic milestone with a bit more fanfare.
We have a lot to look forward to in the coming months, including a streamlined Colloquium schedule that makes room on the calendar for a new Writing Program-led event series called First Fridays. The first Colloquium (on September 11th) gave us the chance to welcome alumnus Kent Cartwright back to campus and hear about important things we’ve overlooked in I. A. Richards. We marked the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award weekend with a special “Cold Reads” session on Karan Mahajan, led by Kurt Koenigsberger. Also, we’ll celebrate Homecoming and Lindsay Turner’s new book of poems, Middle Slope, with a special broadside and a poetry reading along with Kortney Morrow on October 9th. And that’s just the beginning. The Guilford Parlor will be hopping…
We’ve got two new core courses that debuted this past month: ENGL 201: Introduction to the English Major and the graduate course ENGL 510: Introduction to Graduate Study, taught by Steve Justice. The undergrads are reading a lot of poems and short stories, while the grad students are focusing mostly on literary critical work published in the last twenty years. But both classes are reading Susan Stewart’s 2014 article “On ED’s 754/764” at different points in the term. (No plot spoilers here, but I can’t wait for the students to get to Stewart’s delightful interpretation of Dickinson’s poetic speaker with the “loaded gun” of a life.)
To get ready for ENGL 201, I spent much of the summer doing background reading, including Stefan Collini’s riveting recent book Literature and Learning: A History of English Studies in Britain. In the process, I compiled the following list of reasons for studying English literature offered between 1830 and 1930, which I shared with the ENGL 201 undergrads on the first day of class:
Because it was practical: it would immediately help you do or get a particular kind of job
Because it cultivated moral virtue
Because it helped people move up (or maintain their high place) in social life
Because it contributed positively to citizenship/public life (including by shaping people’s thinking about their nation and national belonging more generally)
Because it helped people better understand history
Because it improved the way people speak
Because it promoted class harmony
Because it offered an alternative to religion
Because attending to things of beauty was inherently valuable
Because it helped people realize that novels and poems are the product of a constellation of choices rather than inevitabilities
Because it was an appropriately feminine subject for women
Because it helped people become better writers
Because it enabled an imaginative connection with people from earlier times
Because literature was fun and students were going to gravitate to it anyway
And…
Because it helped create the habits of mind that would stand people in good stead professionally and conduce to their happiness for the rest of their lives. (Even though it was hard to measure how or explain why this profound, transformative personal formation worked.)
The class thought that some of those old rationales seem surprisingly current, and I agree. I’ve heard people voice versions of many of them over the past few years, especially when arguing about what the discipline is or isn’t, or where we should invest our time and resources, or what we should ask of students, or how we should respond to the disruptions of generative AI.
Speaking of AI: also on my summer reading list was Vivienne Ming’s Robot-Proof: When Machines Have All the Answers, Build Better People. Also, Ursula Le Guin’s experimental ethnographic novel Also Coming Home and a lot of Mary Oliver essays. And, just for fun, I reread Howl’s Moving Castle (which was recommended to me last year by a sophomore English major). Things here are way too busy and a little too dusty (because of the summer construction work). Guilford and Bellflower are full of big plans and good energy. I look forward to keeping you posted on all of it.
All best,
Chi
New Global Medieval Studies Certificate Announcement
We are delighted to announce the launch of our new program in Global Medieval Studies, administered through the Department of Art History and Art in collaboration with Classics, English, Modern Languages and Literatures, and Music departments. The Graduate Certificate in Global Medieval Studies offers students the opportunity to pursue rigorous interdisciplinary study of the medieval world. The program, free for degree-seeking graduate students in any of the participating departments, is geared towards those who wish to pursue the certificate as a complement to their primary field of study. The program leverages established partnerships with the Cleveland Museum of Art and existing performance ensembles. Each year, the Department of Art History and Art sponsors lectures by distinguished scholars and curators of medieval and Byzantine art, while the Graduate Association for Medieval Studies (GAMS) organizes multiple events every semester. The program is further enriched by robust colloquia hosted by English and Music departments, which regularly bring prominent medievalists to campus. For questions, please contact Prof. Elina Gertsman, the program’s director, at exg152@case.edu or visit https://arthistory.case.edu/graduate-certificate-in-global-medieval-studies/.
Study Abroad Ireland News Story
The English Department embarked upon its first study abroad course this past March with a trip to Donegal, Ireland, over Spring Break 2026. Dr. Megan Jewell’s English course, titled “Memory, Myth, and Identity,” enrolled 16 students who prepared for their trip by studying Irish literature, history, and culture through the poetry of William Butler Yeats, Patrick Kavanagh, Seamus Heaney, and Eavan Boland, among others. They also read Brian Friel’s play, Translations (1980), to gain a sense of colonization, emigration, and social justice, particularly relevant in the bog-ridden Northwest, where the Catholic population has and continues to deal with the effects of colonialism.
The students’ first-hand experiences abroad consisted of lectures, activities, and tours led by Niamh and John, who run the multidisciplinary Institute of Study Abroad Ireland in Bundoran, Donegal. Longtime scholars of Irish and American culture, current residents of the region, brilliant organizers, and devoted educators and mentors, Niamh and John fundamentally understand the mythic import of Ireland to American students. They collaborated extensively with Jewell in designing the week-long program based on CWRU’s departmental goals and outcomes.
Former English faculty member Dr. Martha Schaffer, who also accompanied the group, was an indefatigable bastion of good cheer, and, after surfing in the cold North Atlantic (about 45-50F) at Rossnowlagh Beach on a rainy day in mid-March, she mentioned considering a second career as a professional surfer.
In Bundoran, students stayed in apartments at the Atlantic Aparthotel, a stone’s throw from the beach. They attended brief contextual lectures each morning before venturing out for day trips throughout the area. As Senior Margee Dever noted, the morning preparatory talks by Niahm, who holds a PhD in American studies, were one of her favorite aspects of the trip. Junior Grace Reynolds noted that “one of my favorite aspects of studying abroad in Ireland was the setup of our daily activities. I always looked forward to the engaging morning lecture on a particular aspect of Irish history or culture, and then afterwards hopping on the bus to explore the same themes in a nearby city or landscape.”
Importantly, however, as Dever noted, the trip to the Free Derry Museum in Derry, Northern Ireland, most strongly influenced her understanding of Irish history and culture. Senior Nara Kaibara, felt the same way. During the tour of the museum, a survivor of the era known as The Troubles, shared his experience as a Catholic living in Derry in the impoverished Bogside in the 1980s and 90s.
Kaibara recounts how that narrative, as well as her overall experience in Derry, influenced her understanding of history and the complicated realities of change. She noted that she was surprised to learn that the Northern Ireland city of Derry still had “some pretty clear divisions,” even after the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 brought a peaceful end to the most recent 30 years of conflict between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
At the same time, however, Kaibara noticed that people “were coming together.”
“I feel that in Ireland, the people, well, they just like human beings,” Kaibara said, describing what she noticed as their openness and mutual respect toward others. Most students in the class were similarly influenced by their visit to Derry; many were surprised to hear from some locals who felt Irish unification was imminent; this was a lively topic discussed over several nightly dinners.
The students also visited many beautiful natural areas, including the cliffs of Slieve League and Arranmore, a remote island accessible only by ferry. At Arranmore, where all of the residents speak Irish, students were able to practice some of the terms Niamh had introduced them to earlier that week.
Students even got to contribute to an admirable cause when they visited the Donegal Donkey Sanctuary. Some virtually adopted or bought a bale of hay for one or two of the sanctuary’s lowly denizens.
Each day ended with group dinners, music in the pub, or events with other college students from around the U.S. Hope Bleck, a junior, said that she will never forget how she became “so deeply connected with everyone in the group. We were so different, but we came together while exploring this different place.”
Finally, perhaps no English study abroad trip could be complete without a visit to Yeats’ country. Students visited the town of Sligo to see sculptor Rowan Gillispie’s iconic bronze statue of the writer. They also visited nearby Glencar Waterfall, where they performed an informal reading of “The Stolen Child,” Yeats’ poem drawing upon the myth and memory of the stunning waterfall to grapple with the timeless loss of a child.
Overall, the English Department’s trip to Ireland was a memorable and formative one. Many students have already, or are planning, to revisit the Emerald Isle. As Reynolds put it: “Overall, the trip was an unforgettable experience, and I’m already planning to return to Ireland!”
September Colloquium Visits
“Reading After the Great War: I. A. Richards and the Hope of Literature”: A Lecture by Kent Cartwright
“Cold Reading Karan Mahajan: A Group Discussion,” facilitated by Kurt Koenigsberger
Tribute to Dr. Martha Schaffer
“I’ve gone through many stages of grief trying to accept that Martha will not be at CWRU next year. My first reaction to hearing that she was leaving was denial. I simply cannot imagine our Writing Program without her incredibly organized and well-thought out slides and handouts, a meeting running with the precision of a train schedule, and the amazing up-to-date information she’s provided us with on what’s going on in the rhet comp field….UT has no idea how lucky they are to work with Martha, but they will soon realize it.”
—Cara Byrne (Writing Program Faculty)
“One regret I have is that I never had the opportunity to take her Legal Writing course. Given how much I learned from working with her as a colleague, I can only imagine how much I would have learned as her student.”
—Xia Wu (Writing Program Faculty)
“You came to observe my Pop Culture and Career Narratives course during the very first semester I offered it, and what could have been an intimidating experience was instead such a kind and encouraging one. You actively participated in the class, engaged with my students, and took the time afterward to come say hello. Your warmth and genuine kindness made a lasting impression on me.”
—Krittika Grau (Student Affairs, Center for Career Success)
“I often joke and ask her which of her Posse students is her favorite, to which she responds she doesn’t have a favorite. No amount of pestering has resulted in a real answer. However, if you were to ask every single one of her Posse students to name their favorite person in Posse, they would undeniably say “Martha”. Without Martha, we always say we would have all dropped out….College pushed us all in a way that we never expected and every single one of us experiences hardships. Martha, however, was there for us through failed classes, failed friendships, failed relationships, and failed efforts, reminding us that they were not true failures, but stepping stones towards growth….You will be unbelievably missed by CWRU and your Posse, and I hope you have an amazing start to your new career! Thank you for everything, and Posse love <3
P.S. I know I’m really your favorite, you don’t have to deny it anymore. I love you bestie!”
—Ava Johnson (’26)
Department News
Vicki Daniel guided students from her AIQS 100 course through Lake View Cemetery. Students had the chance to reflect on what cemeteries reveal about American death practices, social hierarchies, and national identity.
Joseph DeLong has two of his visual poems out in Black Warrior Review‘s online edition Boyfriend Village: https://bwr.ua.edu/pgbf/delong-poems/.
Chiyuma Elliott’s monograph, The Rural Harlem Renaissance, was published by Oxford this summer.
Nárcisz Fejes was awarded a $3,875 Community Innovation Grant from Case Western Reserve University’s Office of Government and Community Relations for Vel’s Purple Oasis: Community Garden Restoration and Gathering Space. Selected from a competitive pool of applicants, the project was recognized for its innovative contribution to meaningful and sustainable community-building.
Walt Hunter was awarded the Samuel B. and Virginia C. Knight Professorship in Humanities.
Denna Iammarino and Kristine Kelly taught a course titled “Multimodal Rhetoric, Digital Writing” at the Digital Humanities Summer Institute in Montréal this summer. The week-long course, attended by an international group of faculty, graduate students, and practitioners, explored theories and practices of composing in diverse digital (and some analog) media environments.
Todd Oakley served as an editor for Göran Sonesson’s posthumously published work, Semiotic Investigations: From Meaning to Pictures and Communication. DeGruyter Brill, 2026.
This summer, Vicki Daniel and Brie Parkin participated in the new University Fellows program at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The one-week intensive provided an introduction to museum education theory and gallery teaching. They worked with other faculty from Kent State, Tri-C, and CWRU with a diverse range of disciplinary expertise and had the opportunity to design and implement a gallery-centered lesson plan with colleagues. CMA posted a blog post with more information.
Alyssa Pierce had a translation of a poem titled, The Ruin published in an online journal.
Robin Schaer will be leading a workshop with poet Erika Meitner called “Mystery of the Sky: Reading and Writing about the Cosmos” in the Kent State planetarium as part of the Wick Poetry Center’s Poets for Science gathering November 12 to 14. During the gathering, Kent State will host poets, scientists, educators, artists, students, and community leaders from across the country for three days of conversation, creativity, and collaboration at the intersection of poetry and science.
The Baker-Nord Institute for the Humanities at Case Western Reserve University will host a conference honoring Georgia J. Cowart, October 16–18, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio. Scholars and performers will gather to celebrate her contributions to the study of music, art, and spectacle in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century France. The conference marks two milestones: Cowart’s retirement at the end of 2026 and the release of her new book, After the King: Watteau, Spectacle, and the Poetics of Memory (University of Chicago Press) in October. Select papers will appear in a special issue of the Journal of Seventeenth-Century Music.
For inquiries and more information, please contact John Romey (JRomey@iu.edu).
Lindsay Turner was awarded a grant from the Flora Stone center for Women for her forthcoming poetry collection Middle Slope.
Alumni News
David S. Rutledge’s book about Joyce Carol Oates will be published by LSU Press this fall. He earned his PhD from CWRU English in 1997, working with Gary Stonum and William Marling, primarily.
Jamie L. McDaniel is debuting his poetry collection, Liner Notes, from Finishing Line Press in October.
Mary Turzillo, who earned her PhD from CWRU in 1970, presented at the Los Angeles Science Fiction Worldcon at the end of August.
Send Me Your News
If you have news you would like to share in a future newsletter, please send it to managing editor Oyinkansola (Oyin) Akinwuntan (oca8@case.edu). If you wish to be added to our mailing list, just let us know. The department also has a Facebook page on which six hundred of your classmates and profs are already sharing their news. Become a member of the community and post your own news. We want to know. The department will be posting here regularly too—news of colloquiums, readings, etc. We tweet @CWRUEnglish. We are cwruenglish on Instagram.