ASU Department of English

06/05/2026

ASU English professor Josh Coleman has won The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences' Zebulon Pearce Distinguished Teaching Award in the humanities, which recognizes faculty who have gone above and beyond to help their students succeed.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/RYRc50Z7R0U

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University is home to over 1,300 faculty members and enrolls over 31,000 students every semester.Every year, The College recognizes faculty who have gone above and beyond to help their students succeed across its humanities, natural sciences....

06/04/2026

"Most of the time, pirates were stealing people’s clothes, picking their pockets and ripping through the cargo." 🏴‍☠️

—ASU English Professor Nush Powell, a pirate expert and upcoming guest on a "Golden Age of Piracy" Reddit AMA on June 6.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/NPWO50Z6sHY

Did pirates actually have hooks for hands? Was Sir Walter Raleigh a pirate? What was the most common type of pirate ship?Those questions — and others about the Golden Age of Piracy (from 1650 to 1730) — will be answered by Professor Manushag “Nush” Powell, chair of the Department of English,...

06/03/2026

Congrats to ASU Regents Professor of English Ayanna Thompson who was named to the American Council of Learned Societies Board of Directors. Thompson's term ends in 2030.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/hvh650Z4XuE

CC: ACMRS (Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies)

06/02/2026

✍️✨ Calling All Young Writers! ✨✍️

There’s still time to join Session B of YAWP (Young Adult Writing Program) at ASU! Whether your child loves poetry, stories, comics, memoirs, nature writing, or simply putting ideas on paper, YAWP offers a supportive, non-evaluative environment where creativity thrives and every voice matters.

🌟 Explore multiple forms of writing
🌟 Learn from experienced, certified writing teachers
🌟 Collaborate with fellow young writers
🌟 Develop original work through daily workshops
🌟 Publish a piece in the annual YAWP anthology

📚 Open to students in Grades 2–12
📍 ASU Tempe Campus
🗓️ Two-week session, June 15-26
⏰ Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM

YAWP is part of the Central Arizona Writing Project, where young writers discover the power of their words, build confidence, and find inspiration in a vibrant community of creators.

🚨 Session B registration is open now!

Info/register: https://ow.ly/tnNi50Z6smn

06/01/2026

We're overjoyed that ASU English professor Ty Defoe was awarded a prestigious 2026 United States Artists Fellowship. 🥳

Learn more: https://ow.ly/yamK50Z4Xxc

CC: ACMRS (Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies)

Interdisciplinary Artist

05/29/2026

ASU neuroscience grad Sammie Harker—also an English alum—competed on Amazon Prime Movies' "Beast Games" reality show as one of the world's "smartest people" earlier this year. She visited with KJZZ Phoenix about the experience.

Listen: https://ow.ly/4A4N50Z4UHl

CC: The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

One of the contestants on Season 2 of “Beast Games” team is a Ph.D. student at ASU, studying neuroscience. Sammie Harker graduated high school at 16 and finished two degrees at ASU two years later.

05/28/2026

Half the battle is writing it.
The other half is hitting send - and doing it again (and again...).

Here are three July deadlines for poetry, fiction, and hybrid work.

Happy submitting!

piper.asu.edu/

05/28/2026

"My call is to expand the way we think about teaching writing in schools to help prepare students to use AI as a tool—but in smart ways rather than replacing their own ideas and their voice."

—ASU English professor Jessica Early on KJZZ Phoenix: https://ow.ly/Sxkg50Z4Wlw

An essay this spring on Slate came with a provocative headline: "I Humanize Chatbot-Written College Application Essays for a Living. I Have a Warning for Everyone."

05/27/2026

Get all your burning questions answered about the Golden Age of Piracy 🏴‍☠️ in a Reddit AMA featuring ASU's own Manushag Powell, a professor of English and pirate literature expert!

Join the fun on June 6 or submit your question in advance: https://ow.ly/s6Wy50Z3rAH