Department of English

Tom Nissley (PhD, English, 1999) is owner of Phinney Books in Seattle thanks to a love of literature and his winnings as a Jeopardy! champion. 

Come curious. Leave inspired. The UW offers an exciting lineup of in-person and online events. From thought-provoking art and music to conversations on culture, history, and science, the UW community invites you to explore, learn, and connect across disciplines throughout the University. Sign up to receive a monthly notice when the ArtSci Roundup has been published. ArtSci On Your Own Time or From Your Own Home Video | Katz Distinguished Lectures Playlist (Simpson Center for the Humanities) From Mourning across...

Anis Bawarshi, professor of English, was recently honored by the Conference on College Composition and Communication for representing “the highest ideals of scholarship, teaching, and service to the entire profession."

Pulitzer-Prize winning editorial cartoonist David Horsey tells stories in long hand with his novel “Beach of Stars.”

From the thousands of undergraduate students at the University of Washington, three are selected each year for the prestigious President’s Medalist Award.

Kaytlin Rose Vanderhorst (Psychology; Education Studies: Wellness and Social Emotional Learning), Carilyn Brandt (English: Creative Writing) and Luna Crone-Barón Drama: Performance; English) are the medalists for 2024–25, selected by a committee for their high GPAs, rigor of classes and number of Honors courses. All three Honors students are pursuing the Interdisciplinary Honors track, a unique academic opportunity that challenges students to explore connections across disciplines and prepares them to address complex societal challenges.

Three College of Arts & Sciences professors discuss the impact of AI on their teaching and on student learning. The consensus? It’s complicated.

Former Husky basketball star and NBA player Bobby Jones is a big hit in Compton and beyond with his community-oriented organizations.

Jones, who earned his B.A. in writing from the UW, has already published a children’s book. And the small forward who was always known as a dogged defender for three Husky teams that made the NCAA tournament from 2004 to 2006, is just as fired up to provide representation to his communities. “I’m from Compton,” he says, “I played in the NBA, and I look like the kids from this area. It means so much for them to see someone who looks like them teaching yoga and mentoring them.”

Can a cartoonist be a novelist? Charles Johnson, professor emeritus of English at the UW, thinks so.

The Bainbridge Island City Council approved to have local resident and writer Erin Malone, affiliate associate professor of English at the UW, be the citys new poet laureate through 2027. Malone is the author of Sight of Disappearance, a full-length collection of poems.

Despite the Makah Tribes success in getting a waiver to carry out their exclusive treaty right for whaling, the permitting process that had dragged on for over 20 years has now been effectively delayedanother year and a half because of bogged-down federal bureaucracy. Joshua Reid, associate professor of history and of American Indian studies at the UW, is quoted.

The University of Washington’s Public Lectures series once again offers an exceptional lineup of speakers and topics. Explore the lectures and join us in celebrating the collaboration and curiosity that make these programs possible.

Come curious. Leave inspired. We welcome you to connect with us this autumn quarter through an incredible lineup of more than 30 events, exhibitions, podcasts, and more. From thought-provoking talks on monsters to boundary-pushing performances by Grammy-nominated Mariachi ensembles, its a celebration of bold ideas and creative energy. ArtSci On Your Own Time Exhibition: Woven...

Derek Sheffield, ’90, ’99, a poet and English teacher, was appointed Washington State’s Poet Laureate in April by Governor Bob Ferguson. A passionate naturalist known for co-editing the best-selling "Cascadia Field Guide: Art, Ecology, Poetry" with Elizabeth Bradfield, ’94, and CMarie Fuhrman, Sheffield is “always packing” binoculars and hand lens and birds by ear—often in the woods near his home in Leavenworth. He has butterflied alongside Robert Michael Pyle, ’69, ’73, the lepidopterist, and once exchanged letters with Pulitzer-winning biologist E.O. Wilson.

Derek Sheffield, ’90, ’99, a poet and English teacher, was appointed Washington State’s Poet Laureate in April by Governor Bob Ferguson. A passionate naturalist known for co-editing the best-selling “Cascadia Field Guide: Art, Ecology, Poetry” with Elizabeth Bradfield, ’94, and CMarie Fuhrman, Sheffield is “always packing” binoculars and hand lens and birds by ear—often in the woods near his home in Leavenworth. He has butterflied alongside Robert Michael Pyle, ’69, ’73, the lepidopterist, and once exchanged letters with Pulitzer-winning biologist E.O. Wilson.

MFA alum Brian Christian explores the tricky dynamics between human behavior and artificial intelligence. After moving to Seattle—drawn by both it’s tech and literary scenes—he decided to pursue a master’s in creative writing at the UW. He studied creative nonfiction and poetry but did not lose touch with his affinity for computer science.