Writing, Publishing, and Media Careers
Career Tracks
Writing, Publishing, and Media Careers
UT English majors find careers as writers in a variety of fields, from creative writing to journalism to marketing. Majors can focus on creative writing in classes like 364, 365, 463, and 464 as they hone their craft as poets, novelists, screenwriters, or creative non-fiction writers. Literature courses in contemporary fiction (436) or poetry (459) as well as those classes that unfold the longer histories of form and genre (406, 412, 422, 424, 431), whether it’s the poetry of Milton, the novels of Jane Austen, or the early American essay help all writers grasp the rich human history written into language itself. Practical courses like Technical and Professional Writing (360), Persuasive Writing (455), or Writing for Publication (462) have also helped majors navigate the textual landscape of advertising and publishing. Scroll down to explore this exciting career and see who has gone before you in our Alumi and News sections.
THE POWER OF
An English Background
English teaches essential skills like connection, empathy, and creative thinking. Join us at our roundtable discussions where we learn exactly how English prepared these graduates for their careers.
Interviews with Alumni in Writing, Publishing, and Media Careers
- English Major to Special Correspondent: Amien Essif and Finding Stories in the Chaos of Information
English Alum Amien Essif discusses how English prepared him for a career in journalism through telling human stories. Erin Cantrell: What was your career path… Read more: English Major to Special Correspondent: Amien Essif and Finding Stories in the Chaos of Information - From English Major to UT Press Director: Katie Hannah
When recently appointed University of Tennessee Press Director Katie Hannah first switched to English Literature as a major during her sophomore year at the University… Read more: From English Major to UT Press Director: Katie Hannah - English Major to Teen Vogue: Claire Dodson’s Career Path
“English is making you a better writer and making you a better person in the world that thinks critically about things.” English alum P. Claire Dodson (‘15)… Read more: English Major to Teen Vogue: Claire Dodson’s Career Path - UTK English Roundtable on Careers in Journalism
Dr. Erin Elizabeth Smith sat down with University of Tennessee English alumni Claire Dodson, Daniel Dassow, and Christopher Moyer for a roundtable discussion on how… Read more: UTK English Roundtable on Careers in Journalism - Finding Your Own Way: Austin L. Church On a Career in Freelancing
“A freelancing career thus looks like a continuous process of strategic discomfort. You have to be willing to do things you’re not good at because… Read more: Finding Your Own Way: Austin L. Church On a Career in Freelancing - English Major to Video Game Design: An Interview with Rodney Thompson
Rodney Thompson’s love of storytelling brought him to English and now game rooms everywhere. English alumnus Rodney Thompson (Creative Writing ’04) is a multi-award-winning video… Read more: English Major to Video Game Design: An Interview with Rodney Thompson
What Alumni Say
What VP of Marketing, Christopher Moyer says about being an English major
“I use the skills and lessons that I learned in the English department all the time. I do photography one day, I do business copywriting for advertising the next day, and then I do investigative journalism about cults the day after that. All of those things have storytelling elements. Being able to think about things in more human and narrative terms has served me well in all the work that I’ve done since I graduated.”
—Christopher Moyer, VP of Marketing, Western CPE
What Songwriter and Guitarist for Breaking Benjamin Keith Wallen says about being an English major
“I’m a musician, and I write songs. You have to tell a story in a very concise, shortened manner. Lots of poetry comes into play in how you manage the words and the rhymes. All the literature and the reading I had to do really helped me formulate how I wanted to communicate through song. Just keep working to follow your dream and be persistent; that really is the great equalizer.”
—Keith Wallen, Songwriter and Guitarist for Breaking Benjamin
News from the Writing, Publishing, and Media Sector
- Hendrix’s Poetry Book Featured in State Series
During fall break, Lecturer Raye Hendrix in the Department of English served as a visiting artist at another university, reading from and discussing her first book of poetry. - Meet and Greet with Playwright and Actor Ian Kelly
Knoxville, TN: On Wednesday April 24th from 12PM-1PM, writer and actor Ian Kelly will join students and faculty for a Q&A session on the life… Read more: Meet and Greet with Playwright and Actor Ian Kelly - Maria Edgeworth Letters Enter the Digital Age
Dr. Hilary Havens along with colleagues at Wake Forest, Texas A&M, and Xavier University of Louisiana are collaborating on a comprehensive open-access digital archive of… Read more: Maria Edgeworth Letters Enter the Digital Age - Finding Your Own Way: Austin L. Church On a Career in Freelancing“A freelancing career thus looks like a continuous process of strategic discomfort. You have to be willing to do things you’re not good at because… Read more: Finding Your Own Way: Austin L. Church On a Career in Freelancing
- UT English to Hold Roundtable on Careers in JournalismJoin University of Tennessee English alumni Claire Dodson, Daniel Dassow, and Christopher Moyer for a roundtable discussion on how their English degrees helped them in… Read more: UT English to Hold Roundtable on Careers in Journalism
- A Scruffy Star on the Literary Map — Cormac McCarthy’s Knoxville
Brooks Clark, UTK MFA 2016, delves into the connection between Cormac McCarthy and Knoxville through his literary works in the Fall 2023 issue of the… Read more: A Scruffy Star on the Literary Map — Cormac McCarthy’s Knoxville - Blessed are the Pets? Mary Dzon Discusses Francis of Assisi and the History of Saints and Pet Blessings
Published: October 3, 2023 8:31am EDT Mary Dzon, University of Tennessee Each year, if you happen to be in New York around Oct. 4, you may… Read more: Blessed are the Pets? Mary Dzon Discusses Francis of Assisi and the History of Saints and Pet Blessings - You Will Be Forever Changed by the Writers You Meet
Cormac McCarthy’s death focused attention on writing at UT. But a host of writers past and present mean there is more to Knoxville’s flourishing literary… Read more: You Will Be Forever Changed by the Writers You Meet - Taylor Swift Literary Club Shimmers at 1st Meeting
Dr. John Han and senior English major Laura Snyder lead the inaugural meeting of the Taylor Swift Literary Club on Thursday, September 14th. The Daily… Read more: Taylor Swift Literary Club Shimmers at 1st Meeting - Academy of American Poets names Erin Elizabeth Smith Poet Laureate Fellow
Please join the UT English department in congratulating Erin Elizabeth Smith, Distinguished Lecturer in English, selected as a Poet Laureate Fellow by the Academy of… Read more: Academy of American Poets names Erin Elizabeth Smith Poet Laureate Fellow - UTK English Department Remembers Cormac McCarthy
Bill Hardwig, University of Tennessee Cormac McCarthy, who died on June 13, 2023, at the age of 89, is often characterized rather narrowly as a Southern writer, or… Read more: UTK English Department Remembers Cormac McCarthy - Graduating English Major Sends a Love Letter to UT English DepartmentOlivia Hayes, the Daily Beacon Senior Copy Chief, graduates as an English major in just a few weeks. Her love letter to UT and the… Read more: Graduating English Major Sends a Love Letter to UT English Department
- Celebrate Graduate Creative Writing Award Winners at May 1st Reading
Please join us to honor and celebrate the winners of our Graduate Creative Writing Awards on Monday, May 1 at 7:00 pm in the Hodges… Read more: Celebrate Graduate Creative Writing Award Winners at May 1st Reading - Two Torchbearers: English Majors Leading the Way
The English department congratulates seniors Pilar García and Daniel Dassow on their selection as 2023 Torchbearers. To have two English major Torchbearers is quite a… Read more: Two Torchbearers: English Majors Leading the Way - Monica Brashears: From English Major to Novelist
Monica Brashears’ debut novel, House of Cotton, comes out this April. Monica Brashears (’19) double-majored in English (Creative Writing) and Africana Studies. Afterward, she enrolled in the… Read more: Monica Brashears: From English Major to Novelist - English’s Conley Young Writers’ Institute February 25th a success.
The 2023 Bryan M. Conley Young Writers’ Institute gave area high school students a chance to explore and celebrate their creative gifts. The Young Writers’… Read more: English’s Conley Young Writers’ Institute February 25th a success.