Does “Christian” actually mean anything?

By Dr. Kristin VanEyk, Assistant Professor of English, Hope College Hello! My name is Kristin VanEyk and I’m a recent addition to the English Department faculty where I teach writing and secondary English education courses. I’m a lifelong Christian educator. I’ve been teaching in Christian schools since 2006, first as a high school English teacher, and …

An Act of Remembrance: Visiting Writers Sumita Chakraborty and Noé Alvarez

Written by Elsa Kim, Creative Writing major Sumita Chakraborty—essayist, scholar, and author of Arrow—strode to the podium. Setting down her sheaves of notes, she held up her phone. “I’ve set a duck noise timer,” she told us with a smile, “When the duck quacks I know I’ve run out of time.” Having introduced us to …

Faculty Spotlight: On Martyrdom…and the Research Process

By Dr. Marla Lunderberg, Associate Professor of English, Hope College What words or images come to mind when you read the word “martyr”? Lions? Gladiators? Jeering crowds and public amphitheaters? Burning at the stake? A crucifix?  The images you draw on probably depend on the context behind your quest. If you’re in a religion class, …

Speaking Truth: Visiting Writers Melissa Valentine and Michael X. Wang

Written by Anna Snader, a freshman at Hope studying Social Studies Education with an interest in English Accompanied by soft piano music and the warm lights of Winants Auditorium, Michael X. Wang and Melissa Valentine read us their stories for the 40th anniversary of The Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series.  First, we heard from Michael …

A Sneak Peek of Opus Soup

Hi! My name is Eileen Ellis, and I am one of the co-editors of Opus Literary & Arts Magazine. Now, I don’t know about anyone else, but this semester has been a doozy. I mean, reeeaaally a dooooozy. And if you know me, you’ll have already heard me complain endlessly about my parking ticket and my …

Alumni Spotlight: “Ready to Listen” with Samuel Vega ’22

Written by Piper Daleiden, Hope College English and Psychology Major, Student Managing Editor for the English Department What role does a creative writing major play in a project focused on child development and education? This was one of Samuel Vega’s questions when he first joined a group of Hope students and faculty, as well as …

“Look Again: Trauma, Queerness, and the Healing Power of Comics”

English Department: Spring Course Descriptions

Registration begins on November 7th A list of ENGL 113 descriptions can be found on our website.

English Department Spring 2023 Course Preview

The time has come: Spring 2023 courses are here! Registration begins on November 7th Take a look at our upcoming offerings as you begin to plan. A list of ENGL 113 descriptions can be found on our website. A list of course descriptions can be located here.