Welcome to the Department of English
The English Department at Cal Poly awards a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree. At the undergraduate level, the department offers classes in American, British, and world literature, creative writing, film, linguistics and TESL, and composition/rhetoric. At the graduate level, the department offers classes in American and British literature, historical and contemporary literary theory, composition theory/practice, and linguistics. Outstanding students and award-winning faculty make Cal Poly's English Department one of the best in the state.
Are you interested in getting more information about attending Cal Poly? Please visit our admissions page to request info that is modeled to your interests.
Announcements
Welcome to Winter Quarter 2012
Dates to watch out for:
January 17th is a Tuesday that will follow a Monday schedule.
February 17th is a Friday that will follow a Monday schedule.
2012 Alfred Landwehr Creative Writing Contest
This year's Creative Writing contest deadline is Noon, Friday, February 10,2012. Visit Creative Writing Contest webpage to read the rules for this years event. Take a look at our annual literary magazine Byzantium for more information.
Spring Quarter Registration Begins February 10
We have added two new tabs to the left 2011-12 Grad and Subtitled Courses and Course List. Take a look at these course lists and descriptions to help you choose which classes are most interesting and will benefit your college career.
Spring Commencement Schedule
College of Liberal Arts graduates will be honored at the 2012 commencement on Saturday, June 9th at 10am. Take a look at Student Life and Leadership webpage for more information regarding the events of Spring commencement.
The English department's graduate ceremony will be held directly after commencement, at noon(ish) on the lawn in the center of the business building (03). More details to follow.
The National Book Foundation announces "5 Under 35" Fiction, 2011
Melinda Moustakis has been named one the winning writters of this year's award. Take a look at the "5 Under 35" announcement on The National Book Foundation's website. Find out more information about Melinda, view her spolight update.
Upcoming Speakers and Events
The English department occationally sponsors esteemed literary speakers to enlighten us with their new works.
For all department events, please take a look at the English department events calendar page
WriterSpeak Series Presents Corrine Clegg Hales Reading February 21
Tuesday, February 21 at 7:30pm, bldg 10-231. Illuminating her tough, often harrowing childhood as well as a complex relation to her former Mormon faith, nationally famous poet Corrine Clegg Hales will read from her new book of poems To Make It Right. Read more about Corrine here.
Career Connections Workshop February 24
Resume and Interview Workshop, co-sponsored by the English Club and the English Department Advisory Board, will be held on Friday, February 24th, 11am-1:30 pm, in 10-220. For more information about Career Connections take a look at our mentor page.
Guest Speaker: David Sigler
Thursday, May 10th, 11am, room TBA. David Sigler will discuss Jane Austen. He has titled his talk "Austen's Pride and Prejudice: Anxiety and the Unaccountable".
Department Spotlight
Doug Cox
Doug Cox was born and raised in Fresno, California. He holds degrees in English and creative writing from Cal Poly SLO, Indiana University, and Florida State University.
Doug attended Cal Poly, SLO from 1994-1998, where he earned his BA in English, published his first poem in Byzantium, sang in a local punk band, and played soccer for the first Mustangs team to compete in the NCAA Division I Championships. He later went on to earn an MFA in creative writing at Indiana University and a PhD in poetry at Florida State University. His work has appeared in several online and print literary magazines, and his first book of poems, The Last Decent Jukebox in America, was published in the spring of 2011 by LS&S Press. He lives with his wife and their son in Colorado, where he teaches literature and creative writing at Mesa State College.