Department of Literatures and Languages - UW-Parkside

04/11/2026

02/11/2026

The newest edition of Straylight is now published, and for the first time, Straylight is now available for digital purchase on Amazon!

If you have ordered a physical copy, it is already on its way to you. But if you just can't wait, feel free to check out the digital versions below:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GM8L7MHS

And if you missed out on the previous issue, we have that available as well:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GM916V74

Happy reading!

01/23/2026

Attention alumni: do you feel nostalgic about your English courses? Would you love to be back on campus discussing books again? 😊 UWP English alumni (and other community members) who are Jane Austen fans have an opportunity to take a free, not-for-credit mini-course on Austen this spring. The course is in partnership with the UWP Library as the second offering in their annual “Intellectual Curiosities” series, and UWP English Prof Mary Lenard will be teaching it. The mini-course is free, but you need to register by February 2nd. Here’s a link with more details and online registration:

https://libguides.uwp.edu/JaneAusten

12/25/2025

But you were always a good man of business, Jacob,' faltered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself.

'Business!' cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. 'Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!'

It held up its chain at arm's-length, as if that were the cause of all its unavailing grief, and flung it heavily upon the ground again.

'At this time of the rolling year,' the spectre said, 'I suffer most. Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode? Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me?'

03/27/2025

Happy Thursday, Straylights. "LitRPG," or Literary Role-Playing Games, is a relatively new and upcoming sub-genre of fantasy and sci-fi storytelling that elegantly translates the adventurous, high-octane elements of role-playing games into literary art. What do you think about this type of storytelling? Do you consider LitRPG content to be fan fiction, and if so, does this identification at all enhance or detract from its creativity or originality? What are your favorite LitRPGs to read? Least favorite? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

ALSO, please make sure to like our "Like & Win" post across any of our socials for a chance to win a free copy of Straylight's literary magazine. The contest ends APRIL 13th at midnight!



IG: https://www.instagram.com/straylightmagazine/
X: https://x.com/StraylightMag

12/14/2024

Big congrats to our grads!!!

10/17/2024

10/01/2024

English 451/WGSS 469, Witches and Wise Women, planted medicinal seeds today, and learned about systems of knowing. Now we wait and see what sprouts!

09/13/2024

UPCOMING EVENT!!!! 10/3/24 5:00-7:00 PM
University of Wisconsin Parkside, RITA L131

EXPLORING MIDDLE-EARTH AND WESTEROS

New Line Cinema, HBO, and Amazon Prime have all invested millions in bringing J.R.R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin’s fantasy worlds to life in movies, tv shows, and computer games. Middle Earth has an evil Dark Lord, wizards, elves, dwarves, and hobbits, while Westeros has armies of warring humans with an occasional dragon or direwolf thrown in. But each world has an imaginary history that reflects our own cultural history, and each has a passionate and devoted fan base.
Join UWP English faculty Dana Oswald, Jay McRoy, Dean Karpowicz, and Mary Lenard in a scholarly conversation about Middle Earth and Westeros.
This event is free and open to the public. Students, faculty and staff, and community members are all welcome.

P.S. We promise that no dragons have been invited. But, there may be snacks.

08/17/2024

Congratulations to our English alumna, Kelly Barrows!

Kelly Barrows was named Sonoran Science Academy East's Teacher of the Year.

05/30/2024

For any former students or colleagues who might be in the area, there will be a memorial for Professor Walt Graffin tomorrow (5/31/2024) from 4-7 PM in the Mathis Gallery at UW-Parkside. The Mathis Gallery is on the D1 level of the RITA (the building formerly known as Comm Arts).