About

Welcome to the Department of English's Center for Literary and Comparative Studies.

The Center serves as a dynamic venue for critical and creative work through lectures, symposia, conferences, readings, and other activities, all of which are open to the public.

The Center does not merely showcase the research and creative activities of the Department, but also helps to develop new knowledge in literary and comparative studies. The Center actively promotes collaboration with other departments and programs, such as the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures; Classics; Women's Studies; and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Program. In this way, the Center serves as a focal point within the University of Maryland for cross-disciplinary dialogue in the humanities.

For 2011-12, the Center continues to use as its theme "Reading: Histories, Practices, Futures"--which provides thematic integration to the department's public seminars, conferences, lectures, panel discussions, and other public programs.

Our big fall event for our third year is  "Rethinking World Literatures/Other World Literatures," a 2-day conference (November 3-4). One of the broad aims of the symposium is to enable a critical rethinking of global literatures.

We have two big events scheduled for the spring: "Science Argument and Rhetorical Media: A Rhetoric and Compositon Symposium Honoring Jeanne Fahnestock," March 9, 2012; and "U.S. Race, Law, and Literature: An Interdisciplinary Symposium," slated for March 29-30, 2012.

The Center sponsors a wide variety of activities every year. In the works for 2011-2012 are Petrou lectures; a Petrou Writer in Residence; a Work in Progress series for faculty and students; a Book Launch program; an Alumni Book Group; our regular lectures series, such as Local Americanists and Renaissance Reckonings; and our regular poetry and fiction readings, such as Writers Here and Now.  Keep an eye on our calendar, and please join us for an exciting second year of the Center at the Department of English's new home in Tawes Hall.

Robert Levine
Professor and Director
Center for Literary and Comparative Studies