English
The Department of English grounds students in the knowledge and practice of literary interpretation and history, as well as rhetorical theory and practice.
In addition, we train teachers in a variety of pedagogical models and encourage them
to reflect critically upon the teaching profession and their place therein. We produce
literate citizens and teachers of exceptional merit, with the ability to interpret
and contextualize acts of signification in relation to their conditions of production
and reception.
Department News and Announcements
Making the Hollywood Blockbuster: Screenwriting
On Wednesday, November 13, the Department of English and the Neal Cross Fund proudly welcome screenwriter, Alvaro Rodriguez, to campus. Mr. Rodriguez has been a screenwriter and/or producer for movies and shows such as Chicago Fire, Seis Manos, From Dusk Til Dawn: The Series, and Machete. This second installment of Making the Hollywood Blockbuster will start at 6pm in Lindou Auditorium.
Inaugural #UNCOTrickOrTweet Competition Winner Announced
Sydney Colby won the inaugural Trick or Tweet contest this year! Congrats, Sydney!
Her winning piece of flash fiction is: "A girl sat alone in an empty house when she
heard a scream. A hand wrapped around her mouth before she realized the sound belonged
to her. She couldn’t let out another scream before she was no more than a body and
a pool of blood. #uncotrickortweet"
Writing Center Director Receives Prestigious Award
Melody Denny, a new Compositon and Rhetoric faculty member and the current Director of the Writing Center, was presented with the Outstanding Article Award from the International Writing Centers Association for her article, "The Oral Writing-Revision Space: Identifying a New and Common Discourse Feature of Writing Center Consultations" which appeared in The Writing Center Journal. Congrats, Melody! We're glad to have you here and serving the students of the University of Northern Colorado! Learn more about the International Writing Centers Association at their website.
English Instructors Honored at Faculty Appreciation Night
On Saturday, October 19, one of our graduate assistants, Aaron Bush, and one of our new faculty members, Zach Lundgren, were each honored by a soccer player at the Faculty Appreciation Night. Thanks for being a positive influence on our students!
Witnessing History: Alexandra Zapruder
Alex is the author of Salvaged Pages: Young People's Diaries of the Holocaust. In addition, she is the writer behind the award-winning MTV short film, "I'm Still Here," about these young writers. Also, Alex is also one of the creators of the "Remember the Children: Daniel's Story " exhibit at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum -- one of the original and most visited exhibits in the permanent collection.
Alex is also the author of Twenty-Six Seconds: A Personal History of the Zapruder Film --this is the story of the "Zapruder tape" that caught the moment of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The tape, made by her grandfather with an old-timey "video camera," is perhaps the first example of a "citizen journalism."
In her campus-wide talk, Alex addressed what is it like to witness (and write about) important moments in history, especially the stories of young people who used their diaries to remind the world, "I'm Still Here.” She spoke on Monday, October 14 7:00p – 8:30p in the Panorama Room of the University Center.
Making the Hollywood Blockbuster: Visual Effects
On Monday, October 7, the Department of English as the Neal Cross Fund proudly welcomed the Vice President of Visual Effects at Sony Pictures Entertainment, Eric Torres, to campus. Mr. Torres has supervised the visual effects on such films as "Spider-Man: Homecoming," "Spider-Man: Far From Home," and "Stephen King's The Dark Tower." This first installment of Making the Hollywood Blockbuster started at 6:30pm in the Bear Pride Room of the Campus Commons.
UNC Professor Elected to Flagship National Body on Composition
Tara Wood, current Director of UNC's Writing Program, was recently elected to serve a three-year term on the Conference on College Composition and Communication Executive Committee (CCCC). Her three-year term starts January 22. Congratulations, Dr. Wood! Read more about Dr. Wood's election.
Writing Center
We believe every writer needs a reader, and all writers, even strong writers, can benefit from visiting with a Writing Center Consultant. Our consultants come from a variety of majors and backgrounds and are trained to work with writing of all types, from all disciplines. You’re the content expert. We’re the writing experts. Let’s work together!
Writing Center Services
- Free, confidential tutoring on an appointment-only basis
- Tutoring assistance for all writing from essays to scholarship letters to doctoral dissertations
- Help with all stages of the writing process
- Help with understanding and using documentation styles
- Useful handouts covering almost every writing concern from punctuation to documentation
- Help for those writing in English as an additional language
Contact The Writing Center
Email: melody.denny@unco.edu or English@unco.edu
Phone: 970-351-2056
Location: Ross Hall 1230
Regular Hours
Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. by appointment
Wednesday, 6 p.m.- 8 p.m. walk-in
(Michener Library)
Saturday, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. by appointment
Graduate Accountability Writing Group
Meets via Zoom on Mondays from 2:30-5:30pm. Those interested can email Melody Denny at melody.denny@unco.edu.
International Film Series
Administered by the English Department's Film Studies program, the International Film Series (IFS) at the University of Northern Colorado partners with campus groups and community organizations to bring you the very best international and domestic films!
Films are screened on Wednesday and Thursday evenings in Lindou Auditorium (basement of Michener Library). Learn more about IFS.
Johnny Guitar
The International Film Series proudly presents Johnny Guitar as part of Go West Film Festival
Catch the film on Thursday, November 14 at 6:30pm in Lindou Auditorium (located in
the basement of Michener Library.)
The History of Bookmaking
English 495, The History of the Book, demonstrates how books were created before the printing press.
Being able to get a true feeling of all the components of the book, from how it's made to how it began, has been immensely satisfying as an English major and fellow book lover.
Rory Harbert, Class of 2019
