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Louisa Shepard
Senior News Officer
lshepard@upenn.edu
Literature
The English major’s cheerleader and champion
The English major’s cheerleader and champion
Bestselling author Jennifer Egan taught an undergraduate literature course in the spring as an English Department artist in residence in the School of Arts & Sciences. A 1985 Penn graduate, she is a passionate advocate for the English major, the humanities, and a liberal arts education.
Josephine Park on authoring identity
The School of Arts & Sciences President’s Distinguished Professor of English discusses the way literature has influenced the experience of being Asian American in the United States.
Measuring readers of romance
Measuring readers of romance
Researchers at Penn's Price Lab for Digital Humanities conducted a quantitative analysis of the romance genre, studying thousands of avid readers and the hundreds of thousands of books in their collections in Goodreads
In conversation with the iconic Margaret Atwood
In conversation with the iconic Margaret Atwood
Author and poet Margaret Atwood was featured in conversation with Professor Emily Wilson during the School of Arts & Sciences’ annual Dean’s Forum.
A humanities pathway to pre-med
A humanities pathway to pre-med
Pre-med students majoring in English, theatre, history, and other humanities fields find satisfaction in tapping into multiple interests—and see benefits for a career in medicine.
Reading James Baldwin for a 21st century world
Reading James Baldwin for a 21st century world
To commemorate Baldwin’s approaching centennial, the Lotus Collective is hosting weekly readings and discussions of his work at Kelly Writers House.
‘Ladysitting’ on stage
‘Ladysitting’ on stage
The new play “Ladysitting” at the Arden Theatre Co. is by Penn English faculty and alumna Lorene Cary, based on her memoir about caring for her grandmother in the last of her 101 years.
A ‘celebrity translator’ takes center stage
A ‘celebrity translator’ takes center stage
Emily Wilson, professor of classical studies, is renowned for her English translations of Homer’s ancient Greek epic poems, first “The Odyssey” and now the “The Iliad.”
Who, What, Why: Jo Tiongson-Perez
Who, What, Why: Jo Tiongson-Perez
Through a Sachs Arts grant, Jo Tiongson-Perez of the Penn Museum co-authored a compilation of mostly Indigenous folktales from the Philippines.
Exploring Jane Austen and Taylor Swift
Exploring Jane Austen and Taylor Swift
In a first-year English seminar taught by Melissa Jensen in the School of Arts & Sciences, students focus on the teenaged writing by now-famous authors, musicians, and artists, including Jane Austen and Taylor Swift.
Media Contact
In the News
The New York Times
‘Millions of Cats’ and prints for grown-ups: Wanda Gág at the Whitney
The manuscript for illustrator Wanda Gág’s diary, “Growing Pains,” is archived in the Kislak Center at Penn Libraries.
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Forbes
How to give away a $500,000 comic book collection
Alumnus Gary Prebula and his wife, Dawn, have donated a $500,000 comic book collection to Penn Libraries.
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Forbes
How to donate 80,000 comic books—and get a marvelous tax break
Alumnus Gary Prebula and his wife, Dawn, have donated a $500,000 collection of more than 75,000 comic books and graphic novels to Penn Libraries, featuring remarks from Sean Quimby of the Kislak Center.
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The New York Times
Jerome Rothenberg, who expanded the sphere of poetry, dies at 92
Charles Bernstein of the School of Arts & Sciences says that the late Jerome Rothenberg was the ultimate hyphenated person: a poet-critic-anthologist-translator.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
A collector donated 75,000 comic books to Penn Libraries, valued at more than $500,000
Alumnus Gary Prebula and his wife, Dawn, have donated a $500,000 collection of more than 75,000 comic books and graphic novels to Penn Libraries, featuring remarks from Sean Quimly of the Kislak Center and Jean-Christophe Cloutier of the School of Arts & Sciences.
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BBC
The Iliad: How modern readers get this epic wrong
In a Q&A, Emily Wilson of the School of Arts & Sciences discusses what the Iliad can tell us about modern society, from masculinity to environmentalism.
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