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English, anew
A Message from the Dean
For some, the image of an English department is one of staid tradition,
never changing. At USC College, our English department is breaking the
mold. We have renowned scholars of all literary periods, and they are
bringing a fresh, invigorating approach to their work.
If you were a student in USC College as recently as just a few years
ago, you might not recognize the place where you spent so many
delightful classroom hours and acquired a deep appreciation for
literature. All of what you experienced then is still here—but also
much, much more.
We can start with the faculty. In the past 18 months, we have recruited
seven new professors for the department, four of them senior scholars.
Three more offers to outstanding senior faculty are in progress. All of
these recruits will be teaching USC’s increasingly gifted
undergraduates as well as pursuing their research interests here.
So there is a palpable sense of excitement and a growing recognition from our academic peers that we are on the move.
As articles in this English-themed issue of USC College Magazine point
out, the department is transforming itself. That transformation is
illustrative of the renaissance that has shaped the entire College in
recent times. Another example is our School of Philosophy, whose rising
fortunes are also chronicled in this issue.
In English, the makeover begins with the new faculty, but encompasses
new directions, new genres, even new paint and carpets, with a summer
2004 facelift scheduled for Taper Hall of Humanities!
Nearly every Trojan passes through our English department at one time
or another. Although it boasts one of the largest numbers of majors,
the department also serves countless others through its extensive
General Education offerings. Future doctors, lawyers and engineers get
groomed here before starting their professional education.
Mastering the art of the written word—critiquing it, talking about it,
writing about it—these essential intellectual skills are often mastered
under the tutelage of an English professor. And we have some of the
best in the world!
The department now numbers 33 faculty, and the new ones fit the new
style of the senior faculty recruitment initiative: multidisciplinary,
leaders in emerging fields.
The focus on “early modern” studies (the period roughly from 1400 to
1800) is booming in response to student demands, and has been
invigorated by a research institute established jointly with the
Huntington Library; a cluster of 20th century poets has arisen;
American studies, British and French literature—all are caught up in
the wave of a department on the rise. And English isn’t just books any
longer. It’s film, performance art and other media.
Traditional English departments have been too constrained by their
organization into literary periods, more or less century by century.
But as Judith Halberstam of the department observes, “Knowledge doesn’t
come parceled up in periods.” At USC College, we are forging new
scholarly directions and pursuing emerging thematic research that
encompasses many time frames.
In case you wondered, yes, our exceptional Creative Writing unit is
still as competitive as ever, with renowned authors such as recent
National Book Award nominees T.C. Boyle and Carol Muske-Dukes, as well
as David St. John, Percival Everett and Aimee Bender.
We will always nourish our roots in traditional scholarship, where we
have great strengths. But our vision embraces an exciting future.
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