Foundational Courses Readings

Established in 2018 to complement the new core curriculum in the English major, the Foundational Courses Reading Series connects the introductory courses in the English major to 21st-century writing by inviting contemporary writers of major stature to read from their work, reflecting in particular on influences and inheritances from the past. These lectures illuminate how poetry vitalizes the history of the English language, and also indicates how students can learn to lay claim to their own places in that history, no matter their background.  They celebrate the breadth of our intellectual community and showcase the possibilities for writing in and studying English literature in the 21st century. This annual department-wide event brings together our majors, our graduate students, and our faculty in English.

2023-2024

Terrance Hayes

2022-2023

Tracy K Smith

2021-2022

Louise Gluck

2020-2021

Natasha Trethewey

2019-2020

Robert Hass (canceled)

2018-2019 

Robert Pinsky

2017-2018 

Rita Dove