MTSU English Department

08/26/2026

08/25/2026

RIP Dolly Parton, Writer and Reader (and many other wonderful things).

ALA is heartbroken at the passing of country music legend, cultural icon, and champion of literacy Dolly Parton.

Dolly’s award-winning Imagination Library initiative, inspired by her father’s inability to read or write, has put hundreds of millions of free books into the hands of children across America and was considered by her to be one of her greatest achievements.

“We’re giving books to kids who wouldn’t have a chance to get them otherwise,” she told American Libraries in a 2018 interview. “A lot of people think this is just for poor children—it’s for all children. It’s important to get books into the hands of any child that we can.”

ALA was proud to confer Dolly with an honorary lifetime membership, the Association’s highest honor, in 2023 for her lasting impact on librarianship, libraries, and the communities they serve.

Dolly was also part of ALA’s Celebrity READ campaign, in which she holds a copy of 'The Little Engine That Could.'

“I’ve always related to that book because I’m the little engine that did!” she said.

Thank you, Dolly. ❤️

07/29/2026

Are you a multimedia writer? Here's a contest to enter:

Our Multimedia Contest is open now! Send us your hypertexts, your nonlinear narratives, your videopoems, your illustrated stories! Surprise us with genres and media we hadn’t even imagined!

07/09/2026

Enjoying some Shakespeare this summer, dontcha know.

06/19/2026

05/28/2026

Congratulations to our newest MTSU English PhDs: Dr Ashley Quinn with dissertation director Dr Christopher Weedman, Dr Harley Mercadal with dissertation director Dr Mischa Renfroe, and Dr Tamara Jones with dissertation director Dr Will Brantley!

05/28/2026

Our Awards Cerermony on April 17 was amazing!

05/07/2026

Just like that, the semester comes to an end! You have all worked so hard and we hope you have a great summer because you've earned it 🌞 And, a special congrats to all out graduating English students!!! 🎉

05/07/2026

A great time was had by all at the end of term faculty get-together. Shown in picture (from L) are retiring professor and graduate English director Dr. Bill Levine, retired professor Dr. Marion Hollings, and chair Dr. Stephen Severn, who will return to faculty status in the fall. (In the background is retired professor Dr. Martha Hixon.)

05/06/2026

We can't wait to celebrate our amazing graduates this weekend! If you can't join us at Murphy Center, we have several ways for you to watch live, including right here on Facebook! You can also watch at mtsu.edu/live or via MTSU True Blue TV.

Friday, May 8 at 3 p.m.: MTSU College of Basic & Applied Sciences, MTSU Adult Degree Completion
Saturday, May 9 at 9 a.m.: MTSU College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, MTSU College of Liberal Arts
Saturday, May 9 at 2 p.m.: MTSU College of Education, Jones College of Business, MTSU, MTSU Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment