About English at JMU
The core of the study of English at James Madison University is the exploration of our world and ourselves through words. Throughout human history, talented writers, poets, playwrights, and essayists have understood and used the power of creative, well-crafted language to inspire us, to persuade us, to make us reflect and question, to draw empathy from us, to entertain and awe us, and to expand our understanding – often many of these at the same time.
Upcoming Events
Nibbles & Narratives
March 26, 2025
5:00 - 6:00PM at Parentheses Books, Harrisonburg
Join JMU Creative Writing at Parentheses Books in Downtown Harrisonburg for abother installment of our student reading series!
Are you a current JMU student interested in sharing your work? Fill out the form
Be Advised! English Advising Sessions
Need help choosing your courses for the upcoming semester? Not sure how to fit everything into your schedule? Join the English Department at our Academic Advising Sessions for expert guidance on course selection for next semester, degree requirements and electives, and more!
Thursday, April 10 from 10 - 11AM in Keezell 214. RSVP
Wednesday, April 16 from 12:30 - 1:30PM in Keezell 308. RSVP
Diversity Statement
JMU English upholds the dignity and recognizes the worth of all members of the JMU community, inclusive of race, ethnicity, embodiment, identity, background, and rank. Our department believes that learning a range of experiences, perspectives, and modes of literary expression leads to a fuller, richer, and more equitable understanding of human existence. JMU English equally values all scholars and the questions they bring to the discipline. Our department amplifies traditionally marginalized voices in our teaching, research and writing activities, in the events and projects we organize, and through the substantial support we give to WGSS, AAAD, LAXC, and related interdisciplinary programs. In addition to our recruitment activities, our teaching and mentoring, and our connections with our alumni, our research and creative endeavors, our service commitments to the University and the discipline, and our programming all contribute toward building a complex, inclusive, and evolving ethical sensibility of what it means, and what it has meant, to share a planet over time.
