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

Cartesian Theaters, Shakespearean Minds Cartesian Theaters, Shakespearean Minds

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...

image of Laura DeLuca

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!

image of Natalie Koch

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...

Image of Rachael Mulvihill

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. 📰⬇️

WI2026: This City Built on Poetry This year’s Winter Institute in Pittsburgh will feature a poets’ salon, a keynote conversation with poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil, and an appearance by U.S. poet laureate Arthur Sze.

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/...

Writing & Culture - Pre-College Programs - Carnegie Mellon University This page details Carnegie Mellon University's Pre-College Writing & Culture program and its associated eligibility requirements, application requirements, and frequently asked questions.

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

“Bend, and Snap!”: Legally Blonde’s Subversion of Gendered Stereotypes in the Legal Field Photo from Photofest. Though the majority of the film Legally Blonde takes place at Harvard Law, when one thinks of the 2001 romantic comedy, they may be quick to assume that this film doesn’t have…

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...

cover of WRITING DURING THE APOCALYPSE

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...

Image of Andreea Ritivoi speaking with Knausgaard.

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

'People We Meet on Vacation' Screenwriter Yulin Kuang Loves Romance — Here's How Emily Henry Inspired Her (Exclusive) Creator Yulin Kuang speaks with PEOPLE about carving her own space within the romance genre. The 'How to End a Love Story' author is also a screenwriter, who is working on several film adaptations of ...

“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-...

Living Precariously - Pittsburgh Review of Books Sport that wrinkled Care derides,And Laughter holding both his sides.L’Allegro, 31-2.

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...