Alumni Publications and Successes Archives - Department of English Language and Literature

Throughout his life, has found himself at a crossroad.

Nearing the end of high school in the suburbs east of Toronto, he saw rock band guitarist as his career path but applied to university as a backup plan. Hoffman decided to study English at �Ӱ�ԭ�� University because devouring books and writing — song lyrics, science fiction, “dreadful poetry” — was his other creative love.

Years later, seeking direction at the Dalai Lama’s spiritual hub in the Himalayas, he literally came to a fork in the road while walking. One way led back to the classroom where he planned to continue his Buddhist teachings; the other way headed into the forest, where he had become entranced by all the exotic, vibrant birds spilling out of trees.

The post English Alum Julian Hoffman featured in FASS News Story appeared first on Department of English Language and Literature.

English Alum Dr Andrew Connolly to give a lecture at �Ӱ�ԭ��

Stephanie LeBlanc — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 13:05:21 +0000

English Alum Dr Andrew Connolly to give a lecture at �Ӱ�ԭ��

Published on May 25, 2026

Time to read: 1 minutes

The Department of English is thrilled to announce that Dr. Andrew Connolly, a graduate of our PhD program and currently an Assistant Professor at Mount Royal University, will be giving a lecture at �Ӱ�ԭ�� entitled “Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Academics: Reconsidering the Ethics of Training Apprentice Scholars.”��The event will take place Friday, March 27th from 3-4:30 pm in DT 1811. All are welcome.��

The post English Alum Dr Andrew Connolly to give a lecture at �Ӱ�ԭ�� appeared first on Department of English Language and Literature.

What are you going to do with that English Degree? The BA in an AI World

Stephanie LeBlanc — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 15:22:18 +0000

What are you going to do with that English Degree? The BA in an AI World

Published on May 25, 2026

Time to read: 1 minutes

When I chose English as my major, the question I was asked was: “What are you going to do with that degree?” Before I went into the program, my answer was straightforward: “An editor.” Now, after two and a half Co-op experiences, my answer has been to reframe the question itself. Rather than: “What are you going to do with that degree?” (because, really, to list off the various jobs seems a bit tedious), I would instead prefer to respond to the question of: “What skills and experiences are you gaining through an English degree?” I am learning communications, interpersonal relations, analysis, and, while I could go on, I will end with, critical thinking.

The post What are you going to do with that English Degree? The BA in an AI World appeared first on Department of English Language and Literature.

Congratulations to Dr. Andrew Connolly on tenure-track position

Priya Kumar — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 20:34:25 +0000

Congratulations to Dr. Andrew Connolly on tenure-track position

Published on May 25, 2026

Time to read: 1 minutes

(PhD 2015) has recently taken up a tenure-track position in the Department of English at Mount Royal University in Calgary. Dr. Connolly’s research and teaching are in the field of American Literature, and he has particular interests in popular print culture, religion, and spirituality.

The post Congratulations to Dr. Andrew Connolly on tenure-track position appeared first on Department of English Language and Literature.

Congratulations to Dr. Hisham Al Khatib (PhD 2022) on new appointment

Priya Kumar — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 20:29:42 +0000

Congratulations to Dr. Hisham Al Khatib (PhD 2022) on new appointment

Published on May 25, 2026

Time to read: 1 minutes

Dr. Hisham Al Khatib (PhD 2022), a Professor (Organizational Behaviour and Strategic Frameworks) at George Brown College in Toronto, has recently been appointed as a . To this role, Dr. Al Khatib will bring his interests in organizational behaviour, strategic leadership, and inclusive practices in higher education.

The post Congratulations to Dr. Hisham Al Khatib (PhD 2022) on new appointment appeared first on Department of English Language and Literature.

Congratulations to Dr. Veronika Kratz (PhD 2023) on tenure-track position

Priya Kumar — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 19:44:01 +0000

Congratulations to Dr. Veronika Kratz (PhD 2023) on tenure-track position

Published on May 25, 2026

Time to read: 1 minutes

In the fall of 2025, Dr. Kratz took up in the Department of English at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

She’s teaching courses on the environmental humanities as well as U.S. literary cultures and is working on a research project on the cultural history of the ecosystem concept in the contexts of Cold War radioecology and contemporary debates concerning nuclear energy.

The post Congratulations to Dr. Veronika Kratz (PhD 2023) on tenure-track position appeared first on Department of English Language and Literature.

Congratulations to English Alum, Sean Minogue, who has published his first book

cuthemeedtr5 — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 13:52:00 +0000

Congratulations to English Alum, Sean Minogue, who has published his first book

Published on May 25, 2026

Time to read: 1 minutes

Congratulations to Sean Minogue (BA English, 2004) on the publication of his first novel, Terminal Solstice (Turnstone Press, 2025). In August, his play, Prodigals, will be published by Latitude 46. This play also premiered as a feature film in 2017. His stories, poetry, and essays have appeared in a handful of outlets. He works as a a copywriter at TVO teaches at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies.

The post appeared first on Department of English Language and Literature.

Congratulations to English Student, Erin Forget, who has published her first book

cuthemeedtr5 — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 12:00:04 +0000

Congratulations to English Student, Erin Forget, who has published her first book

Published on May 25, 2026

Time to read: 2 minutes

“Creativity has always found me, whether it was through painting, mix media art, drawing, sewing, wood working, floral arranging, journaling, crafting, but it wasn’t until a trip to Ireland and the UK in September of 2018 I found storytelling. It was my second night staying in a cozy, old brick Airbnb on a cobblestone street in Edinburgh Scotland, when I had a vivid dream where from the antique store across the street, a mysterious object was reflecting the electric blue light from the full moon in the shape of a door on the side of my wardrobe. Of course, I awoke before seeing what was on the other side of this mystical door, but I did awake with this powerful impression that I needed to write this story. In January 2019 I found the Ottawa Writer’s Workshops where I devoured every morsel of novel writing knowledge and within a year, I had written my first 70,000-word manuscript. No publisher would touch it because the writing wasn’t strong enough, so I wrote another novel, and another one. The Unsung Song of a Wren is the sixth novel I have written and my first novel to be greenlit by a publisher.”

Erin has found her niche in writing mystery and literary fiction with a paranormal twist. She is currently writing the second Wren Roussel mystery and editing her manuscript titled, Welcome to Marigold Horizons (literary fiction), which is about five souls that find themselves trapped in the funeral home where their cremated remains have been abandoned.

The post appeared first on Department of English Language and Literature.

Spotlight on Research: Doctoral Candidate Sarah Dorward has published in the Papers of the Bibliographical Society of Canada

cuthemeedtr5 — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 18:30:38 +0000

Spotlight on Research: Doctoral Candidate Sarah Dorward has published in the Papers of the Bibliographical Society of Canada

Published on May 25, 2026

Time to read: 2 minutes