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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...
Major Jackson edits new volume of poetry and recipes
Sep. 25, 2026—Professor and Director of Creative Writing Major Jackson will release an anthology of contemporary poems and soup recipes to nourish us, comfort us, and bind us together. “A Bowl of Goodness recognizes the care inherent in cooking and in writing. Poems feed us in ways nothing else can, and they continue to sustain us long...
Creative Writing hosts Popsicle Social – September 23
Sep. 17, 2026—The Vanderbilt Creative Writing Program will host a Popsicle Social on Wednesday, September 23, at 5:00 – 6:00 PM, at the Benson Hall West Lawn and Porch (facing Sarratt). Come cool off with a tasty treat and learn about opportunities in the Creative Writing Program. Open to Undergraduate Creative Writing Majors/Minors and any students interested...
Novelist Peter Orner joins Vanderbilt Reading Series – September 24
Sep. 14, 2026—Acclaimed novelist Peter Orner will join the 2026-2027 Gertrude C. & Harold S. Vanderbilt Reading Series on September 24. The evening will begin with a literary salon at 6:30 PM, followed by a public reading 7:00 and a book-signing at 8:00. Thursday, September 24 Vanderbilt Special Collections Library, 1101 19th Avenue South, Nashville Peter Orner...
Professor Jay Clayton receives Chancellor’s Award for Research
Sep. 10, 2026—Jay Clayton, William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of English, was recently celebrated with a Chancellor’s Award for Research for his book Literature, Science, and Public Policy: From Darwin to Genomics, published by Cambridge University Press. Dr. Clayton’s book explores how we don’t make sense of science through facts alone. Stories shape how we understand its possibilities—and...
Gertrude C. & Harold S. Vanderbilt Reading Series kicks off September 10 with U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey
Aug. 27, 2026—Former U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winner Natasha Trethewey will kick off the 2026-2027 Gertrude C. & Harold S. Vanderbilt Reading Series on September 10. The evening will begin with a literary salon at 6:30 PM, followed by a public reading 7:00 and a book-signing at 8:00. Thursday, September 10 Vanderbilt Special Collections Library, 1101 19th...
PhD alum Sarah Childress appointed to Nashville Mayor’s Office of Entertainment
Aug. 7, 2026—Sarah Childress, a PhD from the Vanderbilt Department of English, has been appointed by the Mayor Freddie O’Connell to be Executive Director of the Nashville Office of Entertainment. She will begin her new role at the end of August.The office is tasked with promoting the local creative industry and supporting its workers and businesses. Sarah...
Adam Ross joins Vanderbilt English as writer in residence
Aug. 4, 2026—Vanderbilt University’s Department of English and Creative Writing Program is delighted to welcome novelist and short story writer Adam Ross as a writer in residence for the Fall 2026 semester. He is the author of Playworld, a coming-of-age novel which follows 14-year-old Griffin Hurt in 1980s Manhattan. It was named one of the best books...
Professor Akshya Saxena on the power of English
Jun. 22, 2026—Associate Professor Akshya Saxena was recently featured on Vanderbilt’s Quantum Potential podcast. In its bonus episode, “Language and Its Political and Social Power,” Professor Saxena discusses how English operates in multilingual societies like India—not just as a language, but as a force shaping democracy, identity and access. Listen to the episode here. MORE NEWS