AUMEnglishPhilosophy

We're the English & Philosophy Department at Auburn Montgomery. We read cool books and talk about them. We're also all about language and writing.

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

Greetings! We are the Department of English and Philosophy at Auburn University at Montgomery!

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

Dr. Seth Reno delivered a keynote address titled "Alabama Banjo: A New History of America's Instrument" for Jefferson State Community College's UWRITE Conference, drawing from his current book project exploring the history of Alabama banjo players, songs, and related topics.

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

Here's a link for the New York Times obituary for professor emeritus Alan Gribben. https://t.co/MXl20otFvX

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

Our first print edition of Thirteen Bridges Review has been published, featuring the editors' selection of the best work they've published online over the last few years.

Copies are available on Amazon. https://t.co/gRvsQ4fEzK

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

We are mourning the loss of Professor Emeritus and former department head Dr. Alan Gribben, an internationally recognized expert on Mark Twain and long a valued member of our community.

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

As part of their Capstone projects this semester, Iris Guin, John Van Luchene, Ian Glass, and Noel Warrior presented at AUM’s Research Day on April 24. Projects ranged from analyses of The String of Pearls and Junky to a poetry chapbook.

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

Students in Dr. Joyce Kelley's Children's Literature class wrote and illustrated their own picture books for the course, and on Tuesday they read them to children at AUM's Early Learning Center.

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

At Honors Days last week, Iris Guin, our department's outstanding student for 2026, was also recognized as the Chancellor's Scholar for the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Congratulations, Iris!

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

Our department has had a very busy academic year! Check out what our students and faculty have done at https://t.co/Rz2rZgNBrr

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

Dr. Shannon Howard has received the Felicia Campbell Area Chair Award for outstanding support and service to the Popular Culture Association. Congratulations, Dr. Howard!

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

The 2026 Common Thread launch party is tomorrow! Please join us in celebrating the launch and our contributors.

Alongside some stellar literary and art pieces, we have also printed our High School Poetry Contest winners and will be showcasing our newly designed website.

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

Last Thursday our department and the English Club put on a Jeopardy! game night, hosted by Dr. Darren Harris-Fain @dharrisf . A former @Jeopardy champion, Dr. Harris-Fain also wrote five games for the event.

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

Next week is the launch party for the 2026 issue of Common Thread!

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

Last Friday Dr. Joyce Kelley and students in the English Club attended Alabama Shakespeare Festival's superb production of Much Ado about Nothing.

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

English major Iris Guin has had seven poems accepted for publication in summer and fall 2026, including in Santa Clara Review, The Chiron Review, and .The Wayne Literary Review.

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

On Tuesday, several students took advantage of a "browse the racks" event with the CLASS Clothing Closet, organized by Dr. Shannon Howard. The CLASS Clothing Closet provides students with free professional attire for interviews and the workplace.

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

Dr. Seth Reno is the recipient of ACETA's 2026 Eugene Current-Garcia Award for Distinction in Literary Scholarship, recognizing Alabamians who have distinguished themselves as men or women of letters, specifically in scholarly reflection and writing on literary topics.

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

At last weekend's ACETA conference, Dr. Michel Aaij accepted the 2026 William J. Calvert Award for outstanding scholarly or theoretical essay and read from his winning paper.

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

At the ACETA last weekend. Prof. Michelle Aitken and Dr. Angela Fowler co-presented a paper on Arthur Conan Doyle’s "The Adventure of the Abbey Grange" and Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, and Dr. Seth Reno gave a paper on the history of Alabama banjo music.

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

At last weekend's ACETA conference, graduate student Tyson Wilson received the James Woodall Award for his paper “A Reparative Framework for Southern Education: Teaching Black Counternarratives to Dismantle the Southern Narrative of White Supremacy.”

[AUMEnglishPhilosophy @aumeandp]

At last weekend's Southern Studies conference @aumontgomery Dr. Seth Reno presented a paper titled "Railroad Bill: Banjos, Blues, and Ballads" and student Mya McLean presented a paper titled "Breece D'J Pancake and the Grotesque in Appalachian Fiction." https://t.co/a5J6ZaIIPh