“Words, words, words.” - Hamlet, William Shakespeare.
If you love words – reading them, writing them, speaking them and interpreting them – you will find kindred spirits here. The English department at AACC is home to composition, literature and creative writing. The aim of the English department is to prepare you to be a more effective reader, writer and thinker and to help you develop your abilities to understand and appreciate literature and other cultures.
Whether you struggle or excel in English, we meet you where you are. At every level we work to improve your mastery of English grammar, punctuation and sentence structure, as well as your capacity to organize and express ideas in writing. In our English classes, you will develop critical thinking and analysis skills. Along the way, we can help you explore literature of the Americas and the world's many cultures, great writing informs both new and old, and classic literary themes in their cultural contexts. In our Creative Writing courses, explore your boundless imagination, sharpen your critical thinking and hone your writing skills for our student publications and beyond.
Study with faculty in the English department and work toward earning a credential in English or Creative Writing.
The English and Communications department offers degrees in the following areas of study:
Wayne Kobylinski, Ph.D.
410-777-2299
[email protected]
HUM 203A
Margaret Boas
Associate Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2735
HUM 113H
Dean Bowers, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-1407
HUM 203G
Hannah Bredar
Assistant Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2802
HUM 113F
Garrett Brown, Ph.D.
Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2809
HUM 113G
Steven Canaday, Ph.D.
Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2140
HUM 203B
Darius Cureton, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-1149
HUM 203B
Katy D’Angelo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-1218
HUM 203C
Shelley DeBlasis, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2551
HUM 203B
Jennifer Dix, Ph.D.
Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2459
HUM 215F
Paul Gabriel Tucci
Associate Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2806
HUM 113J
Candice Hill, Ph.D.
Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-1409
HUM 203C
Robert Hurd, Ph.D.
Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2119
HUM 215K
Wayne Kobylinski, Ph.D.
Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2299
HUM 203A
Johnny Lew, Ph.D.
Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-1410
HUM 203G
Jaque Lyman-Thomas
Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2802
HUM 113G
Timothy May
Assistant Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2298
HUM 203D
David Meng
Associate Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2892
HUM 113I
Marjorie Paoletti
Associate Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2185
HUM 203H
Sage Perkins
Assistant Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2330
HUM 113F
Jessica Rabin, Ph.D.
Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2118
HUM 215G
Brian Riley, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2957
HUM 203I
Grace Sikorski, Ph.D.
Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2186
HUM 203J
Suzanne Spoor, Ph.D.
Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2448
HUM 203F
Simon Ward
Assistant Professor, English
[email protected]
410-777-2144
HUM 203B
Brian Weber
Instructor, English
[email protected]
410-777-1242
HUM 203D
Amaranth is AACC’s student-run journal for the creative arts. Published every April, Amaranth showcases student writing and visual art from the college community and its alumni. Taking on the role of editor-in-chief, managing editor, publicity manger or staff member gives students the opportunity to develop job-related skills in a creative field. Students run staff meetings and advertise the journal while soliciting submissions, working within a budget and coordinating with a print shop to produce a volume worthy of the creative work contained within its pages. Staff members can also earn college credit while working on the journal. Amaranth has been recognized with numerous awards, including the College Media Association’s Pinnacle Award, the Community College Humanities Association’s Literary Magazine Contest and the prestigious Pacemaker Award from the Associated Collegiate Press.
Coffeehouse is a monthly open mic event hosted by the staff of Amaranth where participants are invited to read their poems and stories, present and discuss visual art or short films, or perform music, monologues, comedy sketches or dance.
Coffeehouse is a great opportunity for students to get to know each other and share their creative talents, for prospective students to get a glimpse of AACC's creative community and for alumni to see old friends and catch up.
Every April, the final Coffeehouse of the year is a release party for the latest edition of Amaranth. Magazine contributors read and discuss their pieces, awards are presented, and family, friends and faculty are invited to support and celebrate the amazing creative work produced by our students.
Due to current concerns with COVID-19, Coffeehouse events are virtual until further notice.
Writers Reading at AACC hosts an array of writers including poets, fiction writers, essayists, songwriters, memoirists, playwrights, journalists and screenplay writers. Guest writers read from their work and engage in discussion with the audience about things such as their creative process, the arc of their careers and advice for beginning writers.
Writers Reading events are sponsored by the School of Liberal Arts and are free to students, faculty, staff and members of the community.
The Creative Writing program actively promotes the writing of its students. All enrolled students are eligible to submit their writing to college awards for potential cash prizes and inclusion in Amaranth. Our program is also affiliated with the League for Innovation, which hosts a Student Literary Competition. Students who win our local League for Innovation competition at AACC are sent forward to compete at the league level for cash prizes and international recognition in the League for Innovation journal.
The Writing Center provides continuous help to students from all disciplines by providing one-on-one tutoring on a walk-in basis. English department faculty tutors are happy to assist in preparing written assignments, offer help in understanding errors on graded papers, and provide additional training in grammar, punctuation and usage.
The Virtual Writing Center offers the same high quality tutoring experience as our face-to-face Writing Center locations in a synchronous, voice-interactive online environment. It is open to all enrolled AACC students and can be accessed using Canvas and Blackboard Collaborate.
Learn more about the Virtual Writing Center.
The Honors program is for high-achieving students who wish to excel in a diverse and interdisciplinary learning environment. The focus is on collaboration in learning, critical thinking, effective communication and ethical leadership. The Honors program maintains academic rigor while allowing flexibility for qualified students in all majors to receive recognition for their achievements. Courses are defined by a different method of teaching and learning.
Suzanne Spoor’s philosophy of teaching is this: help students find their voices and grow. Whether the class is on writing, African American literature or gender studies, she designs the experience so students encounter ideas they find outrageous, thereby uncovering more about themselves.
Learn More About Suzanne