From publishing houses to financial firms, the 2026 Humanities Career Trek gave students in Carnegie Mellon University’s Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences a firsthand look at how their skills translate beyond the classroom. www.cmu.edu/dietrich/new...

As new graduates begin their lives and careers beyond @cmu.edu, they retain access to many resources and programming opportunities at the Libraries. Here are all the ways alumni can stay connected and continue to benefit from our offerings. 💻 Learn more: library.cmu.edu/about/news/2...

The Posner Center for Special Collections was delighted to welcome Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate of the UK, for our first annual #Shakespeare Lecture. The event concluded with a Q&A led by Jake Grefenstette, President and Executive Director of @poetryforum.bsky.social. bit.ly/shakespeare-...

Not sure what you should be doing for Shakespeare's birthday? Reading this brilliant and fascinating essay by @swittek.bsky.social is what.

Rachael Mulvihill, Ph.D. candidate in Literary and Cultural Studies, recently received the Dietrich College Graduate Student Teaching Award. Read more about Rachael and her work: www.cmu.edu/dietrich/new...

Professor Emerita Jane McCafferty recently received the inaugural Literary Citizenship Award from Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures. Read more, as well as a Q&A with Jane, below: www.cmu.edu/dietrich/eng...

Read a piece by Rahaf AlMubarak, a graduate student in our MA in Literary and Cultural Studies program. 👏 ⬇️

Congratulations to Nathan Pensky, LCS Ph.D. ‘21, who has just published a new book, Cartesian Theaters, Shakespearean Minds: Finding Descartes on the Early Modern Stage, with @edinburghup.bsky.social. @nathanpensky.bsky.social edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-cartesi...

Literary & Cultural Studies Ph.D. student Laura DeLuca has been awarded the prestigious Gary and Valerie Schaffer Fellowship, which supports Ph.D. student research, and will provide her with a teaching release for Spring 2027. Congratulations, Laura!

Professional Writing major Natalie Koch will be honored for her significant leadership contributions at the CMU Senior Leadership Recognition Celebration. Also an additional major in Film & Visual Media and a minor in Psychology, she has worked on campus publications The Oakland Review + The Tartan.

We're proud to announce that Professor Andreea Ritivoi is one of the scholars who will particpate in the ACLS 2026 Summer Institute. Her research examines the political and rhetorical legacy of the first wave of eastern Europeans who fled to the United States in the 1950s. Read more below ⬇️

Are you a graduate of one of our programs? We’d love to hear what you’ve been up to! Use the form below to share any recent professional successes for possible inclusion in an upcoming Alumni Newsletter. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Congratulations to Rachael Mulvihill, Ph.D. candidate in Literary and Cultural Studies! Rachael recently won the Dietrich College Graduate Student Teaching Award, as well as the Howard L. Ellin Presidential Teaching Fellowship.

Exploring the human dimensions of space exploration: the (In)hospitable Space Conference approaches! Details on keynote speakers + conference excursion were recently updated, and our registration deadline is April 24. Will you join us from May 25-27? www.cmu.edu/dietrich/eng...

Bridges and Borders kicks off on Thursday! Click here to register for our free, hybrid graduate student conference: www.eventbrite.com/e/bridges-an...

Jenny C. Mann will be presenting “The Forms of Utopia: Paradox, Labyrinth, and Recursion in the Renaissance" at our Center for Print, Networks, and Performance on Monday March 16, at 4:30, in Posner Hall Room 234. Get a preview of the topic below:

Read a new essay by Stephen Wittek, Associate Professor of English and Director of Literary and Cultural Studies, in the Pittsburgh Review of Books.

"We don't have the luxury to work in our own silos anymore. We have to be more involved. It brings a lot of opportunities to do bigger things." Hear from Nupoor Ranade, Asst. Professor of Rhetoric and Technical Communication, in the Dietrich College Faculty Spotlight: www.cmu.edu/dietrich/new...

Today, at the Pittsburgh Review of Books, read an essay by Sofia Johnson, a fourth-year undergraduate studying Literature & Culture. 📰⬇️

Assistant Professor Camille Rankine recently spoke to PW about Pittsburgh's thriving literary culture. “One of the things that I found is that this small city really punches above its weight,” she said. “The culture here, the arts—there's a lot going on.” www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...

Rising HS juniors + seniors into writing, film, visual design, and culture might be interested in our Pre-College Program. The program runs from June 20 - July 18, 2026, with applications being accepted until March 1. www.cmu.edu/pre-college/...

Today, the Pittsburgh Review of Books features a new essay by Andreea Deciu Ritivoi, William S. Dietrich Professor of English.

From banned Soviet novel to global blockbuster, Zhivago reveals the politics of adaptation. By Andreea Deciu Ritivoi. pghrev.com/adapting-dr-...

Two community members were recently featured in the latest edition of Dietrich College’s The Garden: Access, Opportunity and Community Impact Newsletter. Click the link below to read about Lecturer Ed Simon and Literature & Culture additional major Mo Fahad. www.cmu.edu/dietrich/abo...

Today, the Pittsburgh Review of Books shares a piece by Rahaf AlMubarak, a graduate student in our MA in Literary and Cultural Studies program.

Earlier this week, our chapter of the Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society held a Blind Date With a Book fundraiser, and sold out four times! It was a big hit with our campus community, and we're planning to hold another later this year.

Our department's Pittsburgh Review of Books not only gives students a chance to gain valuable experience in editing and publishing, but also offers a home for their work. This recent essay was written by Elias Fox, who is currently pursuing a Master's in Literary and Cultural Studies.

Our Call for Papers deadline has been extended to Feb. 15! Find all the details here: www.cmu.edu/dietrich/eng...

Join our department! We're hiring a Lecturer in our Writing & Communication program, to begin in Fall 2026. Candidates from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds are encouraged to apply. For more details: apply.interfolio.com/180359

Katina Handrinos, a first-year Film & Visual Media primary major and Gender Studies minor, recently published “'Bend, and Snap!': Legally Blonde’s Subversion of Gendered Stereotypes in the Legal Field" in the CMU Policy & Law Review. Read her article here: cmuplr.org/2026/01/22/b...

From the campus community to the wider world, read the latest edition of the Alumni Newsletter for all the news from our department! mailchi.mp/3b8608eaf6de...

Lecturer Ed Simon published a new book, WRITING DURING THE APOCALYSE: REFLECTIONS ON THE GREAT UNRAVELLING (Bloomsbury Academic), with a launch event at Pittsburgh's Stay Gold Books on 2/17. Ed also appears on 2/4 to discuss another recent book: pittsburghlectures.org/lectures/ed-...

The Keynote Speaker for Bridges and Borders has been announced! Dr. Eric Vázquez, LCS Ph.D. 2015, will speak on Friday, March 20. Want to get involved? The deadline for proposal submissions has been extended until 1/23. Details here: www.cmu.edu/dietrich/eng...

On Thursday, January 15, Professor Andreea Ritivoi interviewed internationally-renowned Norwegian novelist Karl Ove Knausgaard during his Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures appearance.

“I thrive when there are creative bounds for myself. It's really interesting to see what you can do." People magazine recently interviewed screenwriter and novelist Yulin Kuang, a 2012 graduate. people.com/yulin-kuang-...

Part Milton criticism, part John Carey obit, & part reflection on his own cancer treatment, Willy Maley's moving essay is an astonishing testament to lives in criticism and reason 1A I'm so proud that @cmuenglish.bsky.social launched the @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social pghrev.com/living-preca...

The Keynote Speaker for Bridges and Borders has been announced! Dr. Eric Vázquez, LCS Ph.D. 2015, will speak on Friday, March 20. Want to get involved? The deadline for proposal submissions has been extended until 1/23. Details here: www.cmu.edu/dietrich/eng...

The @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social is a valuable opportunity for our students to gain experience in writing, editing, and publishing. Read a piece by current M.A. in Literary & Cultural Studies student Suzy Liss ⬇️

A team from the CMU Entertainment Technology Center (ETC), working with Professor Ralph Vituccio, won the Best Student-Developed Game award at a national competition for “Speak Your Heart,” a game exploring freedom of speech and academic freedom. Read the full story: www.cmu.edu/dietrich/new...

Making a big bet on “computational humanities,” CMU will introduce new academic programs and resources for students and researchers to blend traditional humanistic inquiry — literary interpretation, historical research and cultural critique — with computational methods. www.cmu.edu/news/stories...

Congratulations to Professor and Department Head Christopher Warren, whose Print & Probability project has been selected as a 2025 Humanities and AI Virtual Institute (HAVI) awardee by @schmidtsciences.bsky.social! Read more about the awarded projects here: www.schmidtsciences.org/havi-2025-an...

Congratulations to Professor and Department Head Christopher Warren, whose Print & Probability project has been selected as a 2025 Humanities and AI Virtual Institute (HAVI) awardee by @schmidtsciences.bsky.social! Read more about the awarded projects here: www.schmidtsciences.org/havi-2025-an...

"While she weaves data and research into her work, it’s always driven by finding the narrative that readers can hold on to." Read about how Elizabeth Currid-Halkett's studies in the Carnegie Mellon English department inform her work as a professor of public policy. www.cmu.edu/engage/news-...

This week at the @pghreviewofbooks.bsky.social, read a piece by current M.A. in Professional Writing student Sarah Steinberg ⬇️

Bridges and Borders will take place from March 19-21! For this year’s conference, we invite proposals for papers, roundtable discussions, creative pieces, workshops, and pre-constituted panels from graduate students by Jan 15. Full details are available on our site: www.cmu.edu/dietrich/eng...

Professor Kathy M. Newman will be facilitating the Q&A for Beth Macy's talk at @pghartslectures.bsky.social this evening. Tickets are still available: pittsburghlectures.culturaldistrict.org/production/9...

A new piece by Professor of English David Shumway! 📚 ⬇️

Giving directly to the Pittsburgh Review of Books is another way to support our department! The journal gives our students critical experience in editing and publishing that leaves them well-prepared for the world beyond campus. #GivingCMUDay

Read all about it: Neema Avashia '01 interviews author and journalist Beth Macy in advance of her appearance at @pghartslectures.bsky.social next week. ⬇️

In our department, we’re proud to cultivate the skills that last a lifetime. Our graduates go on to become doctors, authors, venture capitalists, filmmakers, lawyers and CEOs. An English education at CMU provides more than a degree — it provides equipment for living. givenow.cmu.edu/schools/Carn...