Cormac McCarthy’s Personal Library Inspires Future Scholars
Take a look at this video featuring our own Bill Hardwig where we learn about one of the newest additions to our library archives.
Be Relentless: An Interview with Jerri Green
English alumna Jerri Green (ʼ99) sits down with Meghan Pinkston (Class of 2027) to discuss how her time at UT taught her the skills she needed to navigate her career as a lawyer, Chief Public Defender, Memphis City Councilwoman, and, now, gubernatorial candidate. Meghan Pinkston: Why did you originally decide to major in English? Jerri Green: From an early age, I […]
Literature Builds Empathy: An Interview with Executive Director of A Step Ahead Foundation of East Tennessee (ASAFET) Taylor Phipps
English alumna Taylor Phipps (ʼ09) sits down with Meghan Pinkston (Class of 2027) to discuss how her time at UT taught her the skills she needed to build her career in nonprofit work and serve as the Executive Director of A Step Ahead Foundation of East Tennessee. Meghan Pinkston: When you chose to major in English, did you know you […]
UT Department of English Roundtable on Careers in Nonprofits
University of Tennessee English alumni Taylor Phipps and Chrystal Armstrong Brown join Dr. Erin Smith for a roundtable discussion on careers in nonprofits including types of nonprofit jobs, internships in the nonprofit space, how to prepare for the job market, and more. This online discussion took place on Tuesday, March 26th, please enjoy the video below. […]
English is Expansive: An Interview with Bijou Executive Director Courtney Bergmeier
English alumna Courtney Bergmeier (ʼ10) sits down with Meghan Pinkston (Class of 2027) to discuss how her time at UT taught her the skills she needed to build her career in entertainment and, eventually, become the Executive Director of the Bijou Theater. Meghan Pinkston: Why did you choose to major in English? Courtney Bergmeier: English was not my first […]
New Scholarships Available for English 491/591: Summer Theater Festivals in Ireland and England
The English Department is proud to announce additional scholarships for our Summer 2026 English 491/591 courses. The class takes place July 13th to August 3rd. Applications are due Wednesday, February 25th, 2026 at 5 p.m. Dr. James E. Gill English Drama Travel Fund Scholarships Hodges Better English Fund Scholarships Criteria for Candidates: Full-time enrollment as […]
Skillset from English Leads to Local Politics: An Interview with Karyn Adams
English alumna Karyn Adams (ʼ94) sits down with Meghan Pinkston (Class of 2027) to discuss how her time at UT taught her the skills she needed to build a career in business, politics, and more. Meghan Pinkston: When did you decide that you wanted to pursue a degree in English? What informed that decision? Karyn Adams: Writing is what I have always […]
From English to Singer-Songwriter: Ellie Holcomb
English alumna Ellie Holcomb (’05) is an award-winning singer and songwriter who has performed and toured solo as well as with her husband and their band, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors. She is also the author of multiple books. She recently talked to Professor Stan Garner about her experiences as an English major at UT […]
UT Department of English Roundtable on Careers in Tech
University of Tennessee English alumni Leah Rang, Kyle Gray, and Dylan Platz joined Erin Smith for a roundtable discussion on careers in tech, including types of tech jobs, internships in tech, how to prepare for the job market, and more. This online discussion took place on Tuesday, September 30th, from 5:00–6:00 p.m. EST on Zoom. […]
Applications Now Open for Summer 2026 English 491/591- Theatre Festivals in England and Ireland
English 491/591 is a three-week off-campus drama course offered during second Summer Session. The course carries three hours of credit at the 400 (undergraduate) level or the 500 (graduate) level. This year’s 491/591 will take place from July 13th to August 3rd. At the course’s beginning and end, students will get to experience Europe’s great summer […]
Ziona Kocher and Madeline Crozier Sutton to Assume New Jobs in Fall 2025
In Fall 2025, Dr. Ziona Kocher (UTK 2022) will be returning to their home state of Florida to take on a coveted tenure-track professorship at Florida Atlantic University. Like most English Literature scholars, Kocher found the path to tenure-trackdom fiercely competitive, but today they credit their scholarship and mentorship within the UTK’s English Department with […]
The Business of Creative Writing: An Interview with Mal Alder
English alumna Mal Alder (’13) sits down with Erin Cantrell (’25) to discuss her business, Alderwood Creative, and how her time at UT taught her the skills she needed to own and found her own business. Erin Cantrell: What inspired you to start Alderwood Creative, and how did you take the first step? Mal Alder: […]
UT English to Hold Roundtable on Careers in Business
University of Tennessee English alumni Amanda Henneghan, Mal Alder, and Kara Orellana joined Dr. Erin Elizabeth Smith for a roundtable discussion on how their English degrees helped them in their future careers in business. This online discussion took take place on Wednesday, March 5th from 5:00-6:00 PM EST on Zoom. Amanda Henneghan is a native […]
University of Tennessee English Department Hosts Regency Ball February 15th & 16th, 2025
What: Regency Ball featuring When: Saturday, February 15, 2025, 7-10 pm (Evening Ball); Sunday, February 16, 2025, 3pm-5pm (Matinee Ball) Where: Hoskins Hall, 1401 Cumberland Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996 Tickets (available here): Other details:
UT English Roundtable on Careers in Education
University of Tennessee English alumni Karyn Adams, John Luke Bell, and Skikila Arniece Smith joined Dr. Erin Elizabeth Smith for a roundtable discussion on how their English degrees helped them in their future careers in education, including in areas of teaching, curriculum development, and higher ed strategies and consulting. This online discussion took place on […]
Change in Perspective Leads to Publishing Career: An Interview with Sierra Swanson
English alumna Sierra Swanson (’20) sits down with Erin Cantrell (’25) to discuss her work in publishing in NYC and how her time at UT taught her the skills she needed to thrive. Erin Cantrell: How was the transition from an undergraduate student in Knoxville to someone working their way up in the publishing world? […]
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 from an undergraduate student in Knoxville to becoming Special Correspondent with Deutsche Welle? Amien Essif: After I graduated from UTK, I spent the summer of 2012 writing a cover story […]
Applications Now Open for Summer 2025 English 491/591- Theatre Festivals in England and Ireland
English 491/591 is a three-week off-campus drama course offered during second Summer Session. The course carries three hours of credit at the 400 (undergraduate) level or the 500 (graduate) level. This year’s 491/591 will take place from July 14th to August 4th. At the course’s beginning and end, students will get to experience Europe’s great summer […]
News and Views May 2024
As we look back on this momentous year from across the fence of summer, we have much to celebrate, as well as a few wistful memories. We bid a happy retirement to five of our long-time colleagues at a year-end celebration: Lance Dean, Laurie Knox, Mary Papke, Rob Stillman, and Richard Yost. PhD and soon-to-be […]
3 English Alumni Honored in 40 Under 40 Class of 2024
We are delighted to celebrate three alumni from English at this year’s 40 under 40 luncheon. The Volunteer 40 Under 40 recognizes forty alumni under the age of 40 who have excelled personally and professionally since completing their degree at UT Knoxville.