Author
Destiny Birdsong (MFA ’09) to publish two new works in 2027
Oct. 20, 2026—Destiny Birdsong (MFA ’09) has announced two forthcoming books. If I Told You I’d Have To Kill You follows a woman who runs an organization that promises revenge for survivors of violence, and she must face her past as her personal life and professional life threaten to collide. Publication is set with Roxane Gay Books...
Lana Reeves (MFA ’27) receives National Book Critics Circle Emerging Critics Fellowship
Oct. 20, 2026—Lana Reeves, who will complete her MFA this spring, has received the 2026-27 National Book Critics Circle Emerging Critics Fellowship. The fellowship seeks to identify, nurture, and support the development of the next generation of book critics. Lana is the author of How to Love a Sinking Island, forthcoming from Penguin in June 2027. Her...
MFA poets to celebrate artist Sam Maitin with new works – November 9
Oct. 15, 2026—Vanderbilt’s Central Library exhibition, Brighter and Brighter: The Poetry Prints of Sam Maitin, is relocating to Vanderbilt Special Collections and University Archives and taking with it some new poems. In conjunction with the artist’s showing, Vanderbilt’s MFA poets were commissioned to compose new works based on Maitin’s bold poetry prints. They will present their work...
MFA poets to read works inspired by Land Shapes exhibition – November 2
Oct. 15, 2026—Poets in the MFA Creative Writing program will read poems inspired by the art in Land Shapes, an exhibition at Vanderbilt’s Curb Center for Art, Enterprise & Public Policy. The reading will take place on November 2, 6:00 PM, at the Curb Center, 1801 Edgehill Avenue. The reading will feature students Ayesha Asad, Nain Christopherson, Alex...
Stirling Lecture to feature Elaine Cannell – October 30
Oct. 15, 2026—The Department of English will host its annual Harold Stirling Vanderbilt Lecture on Friday, October 30, at 1:00 PM, in Divinity 124. The lecture will be delivered by Elaine Cannell, Assistant Professor of English at St. Mary’s College. “Almost Like a Play:” Enacting Feminist Coalition Politics This talk will argue that in the late twentieth...
MFA student Lana Reeves joins Ansley Moon for reading – October 16
Oct. 13, 2026—Third-year MFA student Lana Reeves will join acclaimed poet Ansley Moon for a reading at Novelette Bookshop on Friday, October 16, at 8:00 PM. Also joining are Laurel Sorenson, Tianeé Harris, and Cortney Warner. The event is free, but RSVPs are appreciated as space is limited. Ansley Moon (they/them) is the author of the poetry...
Novelist Ayana Mathis Vanderbilt Reading Series – October 29
Oct. 7, 2026—Novelist Ayana Mathis will join the 2026-2027 Gertrude C. & Harold S. Vanderbilt Reading Series on October 29. The evening will begin with a literary salon at 6:30 PM, followed by a public reading at 7:00 and a book-signing at 8:00. Thursday, October 29 Vanderbilt Special Collections Library, 1101 19th Avenue South, Nashville Ayana...
Open position for associate professor of Global Modernism
Oct. 6, 2026—Close Date: November 15, 2026 Description The English Department at Vanderbilt University is accepting applications for a tenured Associate Professor in the field of Global Modernism. We especially welcome candidates who study Anglophone modernisms comparatively alongside other modernist traditions of the early 20th century. All faculty in the English Department teach classes at all levels...
English Department joins Southern Festival of Books – October 17-18
Oct. 5, 2026—The 2026 Southern Festival of Books, presented by Vanderbilt University in partnership with Humanities Tennessee, will connect celebrated authors from wide-ranging genres with a vast community that shares their passion for creative expression. Many writers and performers with Vanderbilt ties will be featured at the annual literary festival, which returns to the Bicentennial Capitol Mall...
English Department to host reunion celebration – October 16
Sep. 30, 2026—The English Department will join the university’s undergraduate reunion celebration with a reception at Benson Hall on October 16. Reconnect with classmates, tour your old stomping grounds, visit with your faculty mentors, and hear about the exciting developments in the English and Creative Writing programs. Friday, October 16 2:30 – 4:00 PM Benson Hall North...