Murray State University Department of English and Philosophy

10/22/2026

It’s advising season! If you haven’t communicated with your advisor yet about classes for next semester, now’s the time to set up that meeting. And check out these undergrad literature course offerings for next spring!

10/15/2026

The Department of English and Philosophy invites you to join us for “Quavers: Voice Loss and Its Impact on Historical Memory,” a talk with Dr. Jayne Ptolemy, Associate Curator of Manuscripts at the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan.

Monday, October 19, 2026
1:30–2:20 PM CT
Zoom — https://murraystate.zoom.us/j/84181193363

Dr. Ptolemy will explore the fascinating story of Theodore Weld, a prominent abolitionist who became known for his powerful oratory and tireless activism in the 1830s. After losing his voice, however, Weld’s public life changed dramatically, and so did the way later generations remembered his contributions.

Dr. Ptolemy’s work brings together history, material culture, disability studies, and the human stories found in primary sources, offering a thoughtful look at the ways individual lives are shaped and remembered.

This event is sponsored by the Program in Medical and Health Humanities and held in conjunction with GDS 251: Critical Disability Studies for the Humanities. All are welcome!

For questions, contact Dr. Rebecca M. Rosen, MHH Coordinator, at [email protected].

10/12/2026

The Department of English and Philosophy invites you to join us for “Quavers: Voice Loss and Its Impact on Historical Memory,” a talk with Dr. Jayne Ptolemy, Associate Curator of Manuscripts at the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan.

Monday, October 19, 2026
1:30–2:20 PM CT
Zoom — link will be circulated soon; watch this space for updates

Dr. Ptolemy will explore the fascinating story of Theodore Weld, a prominent abolitionist who became known for his powerful oratory and tireless activism in the 1830s. After losing his voice, however, Weld’s public life changed dramatically, and so did the way later generations remembered his contributions.

Dr. Ptolemy’s work brings together history, material culture, disability studies, and the human stories found in primary sources, offering a thoughtful look at the ways individual lives are shaped and remembered.

This event is sponsored by the Program in Medical and Health Humanities and held in conjunction with GDS 251: Critical Disability Studies for the Humanities. All are welcome!

For questions, contact Dr. Rebecca M. Rosen, MHH Coordinator, at [email protected].

09/23/2026

Join us for this week's Cinema International feature!

This week's Cinema International feature is The Tallest Dwarf, with screenings on Thursday, September 24 and Saturday, September 26 in Faculty Hall 208 at 7:00pm. All screenings are free and open to everyone.

THE TALLEST DWARF
In English. 92 min. Not Rated.
United States, 2025.
Directed by Julie Wyman.
With the support of the Program in Medical and Health Humanities and the CHFA Dean’s Office.

In this documentary, director Julie Wyman explores her family history of “partial dwarfism” and works with a wide-ranging community of Little People to examine and celebrate their culture. The film uses artistic workshops, archival footage, and probing family interviews to portray dwarfism not as a problem to be erased through medical interventions, but as an identity to be celebrated.

09/16/2026

WEDNESDAY!! What can historical patient publications tell us about the people inside nineteenth-century asylums? Dr. Mila Daskilova explores that question in Wednesday’s Medical and Health Humanities Book Talk.

Wednesday, Sept. 16
1:30–2:20 p.m.
Zoom Link: https://murraystate.zoom.us/j/86751511050

**Zoom Link also available in Murray State Dept. Of English & Philosophy Instagram bio and via QR code on poster.**

09/10/2026

Medicine has stories, too. Dr. Mila Daskilova explores representations of patients in nineteenth-century asylum periodicals in the upcoming Medical and Health Humanities Book Talk.
📅 Wednesday, Sept. 16 • 1:30–2:20 p.m.
💻 Zoom Link: https://murraystate.zoom.us/j/86751511050

Dr. Mila Daskalova is a British Academy and LKAS Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow. Her first monograph, The Nineteenth-Century Asylum Periodical, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2026. She has contributed to the Curran Index of the Research Society for Victorian Periodicals and the 'Piston, Pen & Press' database and published in Book History and the Victorian Periodicals Review. Her current project explores nineteenth-century psychiatrists' engagement with literature in the development of their medical theories and practices.

08/27/2026

There’s still time to register for Department of English and Philosophy’s annual professional development day for area high school English teachers on Saturday, September 12 from 10:30am-3:30pm. All sessions will be led by faculty members from the Department of English and Philosophy. Enjoy a lunch, book swap, and social gathering, too!

Registration is $15 and can be completed at the link below. If you’re on Instagram, find the link in our LinkTree, located in our bio.

Contact Dr. Zach Garrett ([email protected]) with questions.

Registration Form: https://forms.gle/bdqabVTWgrdgk9xA6

08/24/2026

The Racer Writing Center opens today for the Fall semester! Come visit us in the back left corner of Waterfield Library. Visit https://lib.murraystate.edu/writingcenter to make an appointment!