The OWU English Department Blog
Recommended by Elizabeth Anderson
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’s poignant, lyrical phrasing.…
Recommended by Jordan Waterwash
Christopher Moore’s ability to transform history into fantastical comedies completely mystifies me every time I read one of his books. Sacré Bleu is no exception. I’ve always been a fan of art, so it seemed natural for me to read what I thought would be an interesting tale about the lives of made-up artists during the Impressionist period.…
Favorite Authors, Genres, Periods, Interests?
I’m interested in the voices of marginalized writers, especially queer people of color.
What do you like most about being an English major?
My English major has allowed me to grow and give concise analysis, not only in English but also any other discipline.
What has been your most exciting or transformative experience as a major thus far?…
Favorite Authors, Genres, Periods, Interests?
Favorite author: Taran Matharu
Favorite Genre: Fantasy
What do you like most about being an English major?
The ability to use my writing ability to its fullest.
What has been your most exciting or transformative experience as a major thus far?
Experiencing writing and literature from a new cultural perspective when I was in London for a study abroad program.…
Recommended by Anna Davies
I’m always fascinated by how childhood, adolescence and the transition to the workforce is viewed in different cultures, and I’ve wanted to read Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha for quite some time. I picked up my copy for two pounds at an Oxfam shop while abroad, and finally had some time to read over break.…
I just moved to Chicago, and I’m already loving it! The theatre scene out here is much different than what I was used to in New York– instead of having a centralized “theatre district,” Chicago seems to have theatres just about everywhere I turn. Right now, I’m in rehearsals for As You Like It with Odds Bodkins, a new Shakespeare troupe.…
Recommended by Catharine Boyle
I recently read The Kite Runner. People have been recommending it to me since I was in high school so I finally read it and found it has become one of my favorite books. It tells the story of two very close friends named Amir and Hassan.…
Favorite Authors, Genres, Periods, Interests?
Shakespeare, the English Romantics, ee cummings, absurdism.
What do you like most about being an English major?
Getting to have classes under a brilliant faculty and explore new corners of human expression.
What has been your most exciting or transformative experience as a major?
Not only learning to write like Shakespeare, but putting it into practice to develop a full length original Shakespearean tragedy…
I ended up at a marketing firm in Columbus as a business development analyst, which is in line with my interests. I’m not happy unless I’m writing reports! Being an English major (particularly an English major from Ohio Wesleyan) meant I had to have diverse interests, and experience in a number of different fields.…
Recommended by Professor Allison
In his dystopian novel The Circle (2013), Dave Eggers casts a skeptical eye on Silicon Valley messianism. The breathless self-importance, the self-satisfied (and superficial) cosmopolitanism, the naïve faith in a technological fix for humankind’s every ill—Eggers knows his target, and his criticisms are as thought-provoking as they are funny.…
