The OWU English Department Blog
Abandoned small towns throughout the Southeastern Appalachian region of Ohio share roots deep within the mining industry. These towns are commonly called “Little Cities of Black Diamonds,” honoring their historical ties to coal, industrialization, and once flourishing economies.
Perry County, Ohio, is among these Little Cities of Black Diamonds. Once an industrial hub consisting of multiple coal boomtowns, Perry County and its residents have faced economic declines since the mid-1900s.…
West Virginia is known for its natural beauty and remote communities, nestled in the Appalachian mountains and valleys. Minden, West Virginia is located in the center of the state, lodged between two peaks, and is home to 250 dying residents.
In Minden, nearly 36% of residents have been diagnosed with a form of cancer. …
One of the most infamous catalysts for the modern environmental justice movement is the Warren County PCB Protests that unfolded in Afton, North Carolina throughout the mid-1980s. These protests defined contemporary modes of environmental justice, highlighting intersections of race and economic status to every human’s right to safe and habitable land.…
The English Department’s student-run blog, The Sturges Script, is pleased to announce its theme for Fall 2021: A Love Letter to Art. This semester the blog will focus on paying homage to art in its every form–from literature, to music, to film, to the visual arts and absolutely everything in between.…
“Great art is the outward expression of an inner life in the artist, and this inner life will result in his personal vision of the world.” – Edward Hopper
I consider myself a lover of art in all its forms, but the way I engage with, enjoy, and often admire each is different.…
Earlier this semester, I saw at the Ross Art Museum the exhibit “Baltimore Lives,” by photographer, Baltimore native, and Ohio Wesleyan alumni John Clark Mayden. The exhibition consists of a collection of photographs taken between 1970 and 2012 across African-American neighborhoods in Baltimore, Maryland portraying the every-day-lives of their residents in their routinely habitats.…
Every year as we enter deep into October and everything around slowly begins to merge into some form of “spooky,” I always find myself drawn back to my favorite horror films, whether because they’re scary or for entirely different reasons. Jennifer’s Body, a 2009 horror comedy written by Diablo Cody (Juno) and starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried, is not only one of my favorite horror movies, but one of my favorite movies in general.…
Recommended by Miranda Alvord 23′
A horror classic for a reason, Stephen King’s It follows a group of seven children who live in the small town of Derry, Maine, as they’re tormented by “It”, a malignant entity that changes forms according to each victim’s fears. The novel thrives in the genre partly because of the masterful world-building, crafted by King in a way that truly makes the reader believe in (and feel connected to) the town of Derry and its habitants.…
In the faraway land of 1935, marking the end of the pre-code Hollywood era, a motion picture called It Happened One Night became the 7th recipient of the Academy Award for Best Picture. Last year, I decided–by the force of some mysterious ambition–to watch every single of the then ninety-two movies that have received the award.…
The Sturges Script is on break for the Spring 2021 semester. We look forward to seeing you again in the Fall!…