English | Penn Today

Student looking closely at a rare document in a plastic sleeve he is holding, while seated in a library.

Walt Whitman up close

As part of the Penn Manuscript Collective, students transcribe rare documents and original works by Walt Whitman in the University’s collection. Their discoveries will be included in an international symposium at Penn this spring, Whitman at 200, led by the Penn Libraries marking the anniversary of the poet’s birth.

Writers House reborn

Renovations were recently completed at Kelly Writers House to expand its premier Arts Cafe and make the space more technologically friendly.

A classic hat trick

In one year, Sheila Murnaghan, Alfred Reginald Allen Memorial Professor of Greek, published a translation of Medea and books on the Beat generation and classics for children.

How James Baldwin’s writings about love evolved

Dagmawi Woubshet of the School of Arts and Sciences analyzed James Baldwin’s literary evolution. If Beale Street Could Talk “marked a crucial turn in how the author sought to characterize the most abiding theme and moral principle of his work: love.”

Televion wall displaying many different channels simutaneously

TV marathon

With many taking time off over the holidays, Rahul Mukherjee of cinema studies shares his thoughts on binge-watching television.

The best books of 2018 for young readers

Penn GSE’s Ebony Elizabeth Thomas and her team share their book choices for elementary and middle grade kids, showcasing authors whose work explores issues like race, gender, ethnicity, and class thoughtfully and empathetically.

performer on stage reading from a script at the Community Monologue event with seated performers behind her on stage

Bridging the gap between Penn students and the West Philly community

In a seminar co-taught by Herman Beavers and Suzana Berger, undergraduates work alongside Sayre High School students and West Philadelphia residents to study the works of August Wilson.

Thom Collins teaching class at the Barnes

In this photography class, students become curators—at the Barnes

This year’s Spiegel-Wilks Curatorial Seminar has taken students inside the world of the Barnes Foundation, where they learn about the history of photography and get a hands-on look at museum operations.

From devastation, stories of hope and resilience

On a summer field trip, students assisted in the filming of virtual reality videos of artists in Puerto Rico reacting to Hurricane Maria.

Charles Bernstein at his desk in his office with a colorful painting by his wife on the wall behind him

Q&A

‘Near/Miss’ Penn professor Charles Bernstein publishes new poetry collection

The poetry in Charles Bernstein’s just-published collection, “Near/Miss,” defies convention in language and form. This is his 15th book of poetry.

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