The OWU English Department Blog
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 breakĀ upon us,Ā take some time to decolonize your bookshelf and immerse yourself in Native AmericanĀ literature.Ā Have a look at these worksĀ recommended by faculty in the English Department which capture Native AmericanĀ cultures and experiencesĀ via both poetry and prose.
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In the utter chaos of the world we live in right now, travelingĀ 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 wonāt simply fade away.…
The time whenĀ I read Giovanniās Room, an extraordinary novella by the even more extraordinary James Baldwin, could have been the worst possible moment ā but, surprisingly, it might have turned out to be the best. I was living through my very first real winter ā 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.Ā So today, instead of a “What We’re Reading Post,” we’re going to tell you what we’re NOT reading. AĀ 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 Comorauās English 145 class, āReading the Global Kitchen,ā and I continually find myself recommending it to anyone who will listen. Truongās 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.…
This summer, I was strolling through the book section of the Costco near my house when aĀ book titled I Was Anastasia caught my eye. I decided to buy the book, which was undoubtedly the best thing I have ever bought from Costco. Ariel Lawhon tells the story ofĀ Anastasia Romanav, the youngest daughter of the last Russain tsar, and her best known impersonator, Anna Anderson, compellingly enough to create the illusion of possibility that Anna is the real Anastasia.…
Kazuo Ishiguroās Never Let Me Go is one of the first books I read as an English major my freshman year in Professor Allisonās Dystopia class. This class is one of the reasons I decided to become an English major and this book was one of my favorites in the class.…
Although I read this book for Professor Allison’s ENG 150: Intro to Literary Study class, I found that I could never stop myself just at the assigned pages for the week. I was so consumed by the story that I struggled to put the book down. The World We Found takes place primarily in India, and follows four women who were once best friends during university.…