English
We are a community of scholars and artists dedicated to the study and creation of literature in English. Faculty work closely with students to hone their skills as readers and writers, and to make meaningful connections between literature, their lives, and the world beyond the classroom. We are proud to be part of a vibrant arts community at L&C and in Portland—home to the world’s largest independent bookstore, Powell’s Books!
Why Choose a Degree in English?
We choose to immerse ourselves in the English language’s rich and varied literary tradition, its long history and expansive present, because we believe literature is synonymous with good—ethical and pleasurable—living. Reading, we encounter other people and ideas across time and space. Writing, we give clarity and shape to the world and our experiences of it. A degree in English will make you a more creative thinker, perceptive reader, and lucid writer. It will also prepare you to critically discern, express, and navigate complexity in ways that will serve you well in life and in any career.
What You’ll Study
We offer both a major and minor, as well as a concentration in creative writing with a focus on poetry, fiction, or nonfiction. Our curriculum invites students to explore and extend a literary tradition that spans over 1,000 years, emerging from Britain, the United States, and English-speaking communities around the globe. We offer introductory surveys, topics courses on a wide range of literary themes, upper-division courses devoted to a single author or historical period, and creative writing workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. In the classroom, our faculty draw upon a variety of approaches and techniques, but we all emphasize close attention to textual detail, collaborative discussion, genuine inquiry, and thoughtful, effective communication–both on the page and in real time.
Literature happens outside the classroom, too! The English department’s celebrated Visiting Writers Series brings nationally recognized authors on campus to present their work, speak with the L&C community, and lead workshops with students enrolled in English classes. Our students frequently showcase their own scholarship and creative work in a variety of venues, including the student-run Lit Review, the Gender Symposium, the Ray Warren Symposium on Race & Ethnicity, the Festival of Scholars, and other events organized by Arts@LC. The annual Senior Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction Readings, in which students in our creative writing capstone courses read from their portfolios, are some of the most keenly anticipated events that we host.
Many of our students earn course credit while on an overseas program. In addition to general cultural programs that are open to all students, the England humanities program is designed and led by an English faculty member.
Connect With Lewis & Clark!
Complement Your Education With One of These Minors
English pairs beautifully with many other disciplines. The flexibility of our requirements also makes it likely that students can pursue a minor or even a double-major with English. The most popular minors for our English majors are Classics, political economy, and rhetoric and media studies.
What Students Are Saying About Lewis & Clark
Alex Chew BA ’25More about AlexEnglish and gender studies intersect in so many interesting ways. I particularly enjoy getting to perform literary analysis in my English classes, and gender studies is continually challenging and expanding the way I view the world.
Liv Nicks-Turnley BA ’23More about LivI’m amazed by the breadth of science within our department, and the opportunities for students to find what aspect of biology interests them the most. It’s evident that our faculty cares deeply about each one of us, and that we have their unending support through that discovery.
Mallory McMullan BA ’27More about MalloryI get to read all sorts of literature that I never would have picked up on my own. There’s also a lot of freedom even in special topic classes to investigate and write about what you’re interested in.
What Can You Do With a Degree in English?
Our alumni use their BA in English to pursue a wide range of careers within academia, nonprofits, government, marketing, publishing, education, and law. Some of our alumni pursue MFAs and other advanced degrees. Others put their critical thinking, research, and writing skills to work directly after graduation. Our recent alums have held the following professional titles: Senior Marketing and Communications Specialist; Artistic Director; Director of Planning and Community Development; News Assistant at the New York Times; Senior Political Strategist; Fine Art Consultant.
Dedicated Faculty
Our faculty members are active scholars and creative writers who have been recognized for excellence in teaching and have won some of the country’s most prestigious awards, including the National Book Award, The Graves Award in the Humanities, and The Pushcart Prize.We continue to broaden and deepen our expertise through fellowships and other sponsored learning opportunities through the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, and The New York Public Library. Above all, we pride ourselves on bringing our expertise, discoveries, and questions into our classes where we work directly and closely with all of our students (no teaching assistants!) in intimate settings with lots of opportunity for individual feedback. Students interested in collaborating with faculty on research projects beyond the classroom have opportunities to do so in the English department. English faculty also assist students in finding and securing internships in Portland and beyond.
Kristin Fujie More about KristinOur department has an exceptionally strong creative writing program, and our major requirements encourage students to take courses in both the study of literature and creative writing (poetry, fiction, nonfiction).
Andrea Hibbard More about AndreaUndergraduate students have the advantages of a small college combined with the benefits of an excellent law school.
Invest in Yourself
A private liberal arts education is often more affordable than you think. Last year, Lewis & Clark distributed over $74 million in assistance from institutional, federal, state, and private sources. Additionally, we’re so confident that our first-year students will graduate with their bachelor of arts degree in four years that if you don’t, we’ll cover the extra semester of tuition.
Find Your People
The completely student-run Literary Review gives students hands-on experience generating submissions, working on an editorial board, and laying out a magazine. English majors are also frequent contributors to the student-run college newspaper, The Mossy Log, and serve as peer tutors at the Writing Center.
Where Lewis & Clark Will Take You
Corey Van Landingham BA ’08More about CoreyThe interdisciplinary possibilities at L&C opened new worlds for my poetry, and have greatly informed how I write to this day. I learned how to pay exquisite attention to the world around me, and how to see structures and form all around me.
Smith “S.” Yarberry BA ’16More about Smith “S.”The most important thing I learned while at L&C was how to communicate my ideas and questions most articulately. By that I mean not only how to write clearly, but also how to speak in class and engage with my peers.
Sophie Vigeant BA ’19More about SophieThe most important thing I learned at L&C was how to collaborate with people. My classes at L&C fostered a community of participation where we worked together and shared ideas in order to understand concepts. I use this ability to collaborate in my life after college and hope to continue using it in grad school.
English Events
2025-2026 Visiting Writers Series: Elizabeth Willis
LC English welcomes Elizabeth Willis as the last of six authors in our 2025-2026 Visiting Writers Series.
Featured News
The 2026 Dixon Award Application
The Lewis & Clark College English Department is pleased to announce this year’s application process for the Dixon Award. Through the efforts of two of our alumni, Hillary and Adam Dixon, this $2,500.00 award was established in 2002 by the Dixon Family Foundation. It is given to one junior English major each year. The 2026 application is available beginning October 21st, and the deadline to apply is November 14th, 2025.
