Bonnie Sonnek Retires

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On the occasion of Dr. Bonnie Sonnek’s retirement, I was honored to make the following speech at the College of Arts and Sciences Holiday Reception in the Lamoine Room of the University Union… Continue reading

Hobson and Hunt Reading at Taylor Hall

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Two fabulous writers visited Taylor Hall at the Macomb Square on Tuesday, October 16th to give us a glimpse of their brilliantly written novels. Brandon Hobson read part of his novel Where the… Continue reading

An English Major in Greek Life

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Being an English major is time-consuming. Being in Greek life is also time consuming. How does it work? It actually works out pretty well. Sometimes I find myself slipping up and forgetting to… Continue reading

An Interview With the New University Writing Center Director–Dr. Morrow

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This fall we have a brand new University Writing Center director– Dr. Christopher Morrow. As a consultant in the writing center, I was curious to know what his transition into the program was… Continue reading

Coping with Mental Illness at WIU

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Trigger Warning: This article discusses Mental Illness, and briefly touches on contemplated suicide.   As of the time of writing this piece, it has been roughly one week since I asked a group… Continue reading

Not Your Stereotypical English Major

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Being an English major is cool and all, but I think it’d be so much cooler if I was the stereotypical English major. I joined the game kind of late; I declared my… Continue reading

Being an English Major while Residing Temporarily in Simpkin’s Hall

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  It has been a journey as an English major while at Western Illinois University. Simpkins became my home away from home. Seven years ago, I embarked on my college career as an… Continue reading

Jerry Hansen Retires

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    When Jerry Hansen arrived at WIU in 1984, he had no idea he’d stay 34 years. Here in WIU’s English Department, Jerry found his home. He immediately immersed himself in the… Continue reading

Letter from the Chair — Reading Beyond the Present Moment

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This Spring my undergraduate mentor, Dr. Jeffrey Skoblow, retired from teaching. Jeff Skoblow will always be the embodiment of “English” for me. A deeply read Marxist theorist, specializing in William Morris and Victorian… Continue reading

2017-2018 Awards and Announcements

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Award Winning Students Each spring, the English Department awards $20,000 in scholarships and fellowships for our graduate and undergraduate students.  We are pleased to announce the following students were awarded English scholarships this… Continue reading