The OWU English Department Blog
I read this novel on the back porch of my childhood home in a sleepy suburb of the Pacific Northwest over the summer, and was struck by the nearby history that I had never learned. Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist is based on and takes place during the 1999 World Trade Organization protests in Seattle; its take on the historical facts of the event is painted by Yapa‚Äôs poignant, lyrical phrasing.…
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.…
Personally, I’m a die-hard Seth Rogen fan—I love everything he makes from Superbad to pottery, so when I first heard he was coming out with a podcast, I knew I was going to listen to it no matter what. I probably would have loved it even if it was a “typical comedian-hosted chat show,” which the podcast’s description adamantly refuses it is.…
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.…
With Thanksgiving break upon us, take some time to decolonize your bookshelf and immerse yourself in Native American literature. Have a look at these works recommended by faculty in the English Department which capture Native American cultures and experiences via both poetry and prose.
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In the utter chaos of the world we live in right now, traveling has ceased–for the moment, at least–to be an option. Though we know it is the responsible thing, and not getting in a plane somewhere is the least we can do for our fellow humans, the longing for travel and exploration won’t simply fade away.…
The time when I read Giovanni’s Room, an extraordinary novella by the even more extraordinary James Baldwin, could have been the worst possible moment – but, surprisingly, it might have turned out to be the best. I was living through my very first real winter – all the previous eighteen had been a collection of only slightly chillier and less rainy summer days, as every winter is in Rio de Janeiro.…
Exams are over and Winter break is upon us! Now that there may finally be time to read for fun, take our quiz to get a personalized book recommendation.…
The Scholars of Sturges are obviously book lovers, but life–especially this time of the semester–is busy and our aspirations can outstrip our realities. So today, instead of a “What We’re Reading Post,” we’re going to tell you what we’re NOT reading. A TBR (“To Be Read”) pile is a stack of books that you’ve been meaning to read, but haven’t had time for yet.…
The Book of Salt, written by Monique Truong, is one of the reasons that I became an English major. We read this in Professor Comorau’s English 145 class, “Reading the Global Kitchen,” and I continually find myself recommending it to anyone who will listen. Truong’s work fascinated me due to its ability to excellently pose the question of how we, as readers, take narrators at their word, often not ruminating upon the idea that this character may be untruthful and unreliable.…