UAB Department of English

We are rooting for you.🥳

We're coming up on the last week of classes, a.k.a. Finals Week! Good luck to our students on their upcoming exams & papers!

It's always great to recognize those that succeed. The English Departments wants to thank everyone that came to support our wonderful department and its students in receiving their dues! And to all our those that were recognized, thank you for your hard work! Congrats!

Honorable, creative, fun, and captivating! These are just a few words to describe the 2026 Mersmann Poetry Awards.

Held in honor of Professor Emeritus, Dr. Jim Mersmann, the event showcased students unlocking their poetic prowess through readings of both original work and poems by other writers. Even more exciting, Dr. Mersmann himself graced the occasion with a poetry reading!

Congratulations to the winners, and a heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended!

Hello! We are excited to inform you about another course you should look forward to this fall, "Witch Narratives." Find a description below and register on Blazernet!

Course description:

People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact, it is the other way around” (Pratchett). Witches have long been trapped in such narrative contraption, which held them captive as broomstick-borne bearers of misfortune and practitioners of magic. In this class, our purpose is to study folklore/fairy tale and literary narratives to understand the transformation in the representation of witches. After starting out with the context of folklore and fairy tales, we will go on to read several short works and two novels (I, Tituba and Circe) to see how authors have resisted the established discourse on witches and appropriated the witch narrative in their own writing. In tracing such parallel narratives, our purpose is to understand the complex ways in which stories exist and operate. The semester will be divided into three segments, each culminating with a major assignment: an essay, exam, and a multimodal project.

Hey comic books lovers!

We've got an exciting course for you. Join Anamaria Santiago this fall and dive into the world of comic books and graphic novels, exploring their artistry and storytelling!

Last night, The English Department was treated to a wonderful and unique reading from a visiting writer Dan O'Brien. Dan shared with us scenes from one of his newest plays and talked briefly about the work that went into producing it since it followed a more documentary lense. Afterwards, O'Brien talked with attendees in the lobby and signed a couple of his other works for those interested.

We extend a warm thanks to Dan for making the trip to see us and are glad to experience his craft!

Graduate Student Appreciation.🥳

Our English graduate students,Bri Carnley, Clay Birchfield, Maria Bunting, Nasreen Tamaa Zankawah, and Stephen Okoli, have been engaged in exciting and impactful scholarly work through their participation in both the Southeastern Writing Center Association (SWCA) Conference and the Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA) Convention. At these events, they presented on insightful topics, attended enriching sessions, and fostered meaningful connections!

Tomorrow, We'll be joined by the wonderful Dan O'Brien! Please join us at 6pm at Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center! Hope to see you there!☺️