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Subject Spotlight: English and American Literature

Padraig Kirwan, Senior Lecturer in the Literature of the Americas, gives his insight one of the English and Comparative Literature (ECL) department’s courses: English and American Literature.

Hi there! Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?

I’m one of the five American literature specialists here in ECL. My research is primarily in the area of indigenous literature, and I joined the department in 2006. I did my PhD at University College Dublin, Ireland, and taught there. I also taught at the University of Dublin, Trinity College before coming to Goldsmiths.

Please can you give us a quick overview of the degree course?

Our students take four modules per year. One of those modules is entirely devoted to American literature in Year 1, where we cover key moments in U.S. history and culture by reading a broad range of texts and engaging with various moments in American history. The Year 1 syllabus consequently includes everything from Puritan sermons to twenty-first century Native American literature. In all three years of the degree students can also take modules which are open to everyone studying in ECL; students can choose from over thirty option modules in Years 2 and 3, but are required to take at least two American Literature modules in both years. In terms of U.S. writing, we teach everything from nineteenth-century American literature and Hollywood cinema to African American writing and climate change fiction. Students can also choose to study modules such as Shakespearean drama, Old and Middle English, British Romanticism and European cinema. As a result, English and American Literature students really get the best of both worlds, and can engage with literary theory, Victorian literature, and the wider literary canon. Assessment consists of a mixture of portfolio essays and a small number of examinations; we are very keen that our students develop their writing skills and offer feedback on early draft work in many instances.

What makes the Goldsmiths course distinctive?

The BA in English and American Literature is a really distinctive and unique degree, and is the only one of its kind at any of the University of London institutions. The amount of attention that we pay to specific texts, and the manner in which we link the writing to cultural contexts, is quite exceptional when compared to degrees offered on the other University of London campuses. Our students form a really tight-knit community over the three years, and we run events such as “America on Screen” – a bi-monthly gathering where lecturers briefly introduce a great American movie, and we all meet to watch it and chat.

What are you looking for in an applicant? Do you have any tips for a great personal statement?

I was the admissions tutor for this degree for two years, and then served as the Head of Admissions for ECL for four years. I read thousands of applications during that time! The ones that stick in mind gave me a highly personalised sense of the person’s enthusiasm for literature, explained why, exactly, they were excited at the prospect of reading for an English degree. I got a real sense of the energy and the rigour that those applicants would bring to their study, and could see exactly what it was that drove them to engage with literary texts and broader contexts. Write about yourself and your passion is my advice.

How does this degree support students practically for life after university?

Any degree in English is enormously practical. The students who I have taught have gone on to forge extremely rewarding and successful careers in a vast range of areas and companies: major publishing firms including Penguin, The Economist and Condé Nast; advertising and communications companies such as Freud Communications and AMV BBDO; and the creative industries such as ITV and the Tate Modern. Many students have become teachers, be it at university or secondary school level. Others have gone on to become lawyers. A few are writers, unsurprisingly enough. Anywhere that text and imagination is used, you’ll find our students!

And finally…tell us a joke!

Brexit?

To find out more about any of our courses in the Department of English and Comparative Literature, visit gold.ac.uk/ecl

Goldsmiths Young Writer Prize 2018: Winner

The winning story for the Goldsmiths Young Writer Prize 2018 was written by 17 year old Sally Piper. The prize will open again for applications in early 2019 for students aged 16-18. Students will be given a brief to follow when writing their 1,000-word entry.

‘One Day’

Across the river from Edna’s hotel was the town. She rarely let herself look across to the cluster of buildings that constituted it, except at night when the lights were softly glowing and the details were obscured.

Edna’s hotel was called The River’s Way, and she hadn’t been to the town in nearly fifty years. She had Angie, after all, the young girl who helped out a couple of afternoons a week, to run to the shops for supplies. But other than that, she could usually find everything she needed in the hotel. She had a good team of staff who didn’t tend to ask many questions and always kept things ticking over.

“I have no need to,” is what she said to anyone asking why she never went across the river; it was the truth, really, though not the whole truth. Edna didn’t believe in lies of omission; the guests did not need to know her whole life story. Besides, if she were to tell them that she had been turned out of the town by the torch-carrying villagers who held her in contempt, it might stop people visiting, and she was quite reliant on the town’s tourism.

It didn’t really matter that the people who lived in the town were quite foul. It didn’t matter that the night when they had come for her and Catarina was still enough to make her wake up sweating.

“Yes, I am the founder of The River’s Way,” she would reply when asked, and she allowed pride to inflate itself a little. “We – I bought it nearly half a century ago, can you believe it? Still going strong. Of course, at first I lived in the main town, but then… well, you know how prices rise! Plus, I personally never trust someone who owns a hotel and yet does not believe it good enough to stay there.”

That is what Catarina had said on the first morning after they had fled to try and reassure both of them; they were both shaking, holding each other for what felt like hours in silence. And then she had said that. Softly, quietly, in her special way, and Edna felt her heart beat finally start to ease. Catarina had always known exactly what to say to turn things into a positive.

But now, on cold mornings when the town was starting to stir and the harsh sound of it seemed to bore into Edna’s ears even over the flow of the water, there was nothing to break the silence. And Edna’s arms had been empty for several decades now.

“What happened to you?” the letter from her sister read; it was old and tattered, but looking at it still brought tears to Edna’s eyes. “When are you coming home? We miss you. Times are changing, Eddie, I swear – you and Catarina, you should come by. It’s Ma’s birthday tomorrow, and I know she’d like to see you…”

When the letter had first come, Catarina, with her now aching cough and premature greying, had stroked Edna’s back as she cried. Edna could still feel the touch when she scanned the blurry page. The times might have changed, but had the tides?

She wondered, with a pang, whether her sister would even recognise her now. It certainly wouldn’t be her mother’s birthday again any time soon. And yet…

“I’m popping out for a quick walk. I might take the canoe, you know. The sun is shining, after all, and Mr Sands said yesterday that he’s seen some baby moorhens along the bank…” she said to Angie out of nowhere, taking herself by surprise.

Angie knew, of course; she always knew. She smiled gently, and raised one eyebrow.

“Do you want me to come with you?”

“No, I’ll… I’ll be going alone. Won’t be long, though.”

“Take as long as you need.”

The canoe was small and a bit battered, but it was Angie’s preferred mode of transport to the town, so Edna felt obliged to trust it. It wobbled slightly in the water, but Edna got herself comfortable and took some deep breaths. Already, from her lower position in the water, the gargoyles that decorated the town’s church seemed far closer and far more grotesque than she was used to.

She almost got right back out again. But then she closed her eyes, and thought of Catarina. Of her smile. Of her softness and warmth and beauty. Of how, even after everything, she maintained a sense of pity for the townspeople who had turned them out; they were only doing what they believed was right by God, she had said. She said that one day they’d come to accept them, and she’d even made Edna promise not to ignore the acceptance when it came. She had died too soon to see the promise kept, but Edna decided in that moment not to break it completely.

So, with still-shaking hands and a head swimming with what could be, Edna dropped the oars into the water, throwing the rope into the river in a sudden movement to let it trail behind her like the wedding trains they never got to have.

And, as she began to drift towards the place that had been her home in childhood, and away from the place which had been her home ever since, she felt calmer than she had in years.

That’s the way the river flows, she supposed dreamily; one day it is turbulent and fierce, and the next day it calls out to you, honey-sweet and repentant. And, when the river calls, you answer.

Decisions, decisions, decisions!

GCSE choices are one of the first key decisions for students in education. Our Pre-16 Widening Participation Coordinator, Marlyee Copeland, gives her advice for your students.

Choosing your GCSEs is a really important and exciting part of your journey in education, as it is the first time you properly get a say in what you are studying. As you progress onto college or sixth form, and potentially university, you get even more choice, from a wider range of subjects.

Here are some top tips for choosing your GCSEs:

1. What’s compulsory? Maths, English and Science are compulsory subjects in every school, however some schools also say that their students have to study other subjects for their GCSEs such as Religious Education or a language. So, to begin with, find out what subjects are compulsory at your school.

2. Make sure it’s your choice! Lots of people, including parents and teachers, will have their own opinions on what you should study. Listen to what they have to say, however, make sure the final choice is yours, and choose subjects you enjoy as you will be the one studying them!

3. Choose the subject, not the teacher (or the friend). Some people may have a teacher at school that they aren’t so keen on, but don’t let this put you off choosing a subject that you love. There will always be people that you prefer over others, don’t let this stop you from learning or getting involved in something you enjoy or are good at. This works the other way as well, don’t choose a subject just because you really like the teacher. Sometimes teachers leave, but you will still be studying that same subject through to the end of year 11. The same goes for friends – don’t choose GCSE subjects because your friends are choosing them. The subjects they find interesting may be different to what you find interesting and this is ok because you can hang out at break and lunch times and after school!

4. Future studies…? Remember that what you choose to study for your GCSEs may have an impact on what you study in the future. Usually students end up studying A-levels or vocational courses that relate in some way to their GCSE subjects. Whatever you study at college or sixth form can also have an impact on what may you choose to study at university, or what job or apprenticeship you decide on. So even though that may all seem really far away, it’s worth considering what you really enjoy learning about now.

5. Keep your options open. If you really love creative subjects such as art or drama, maybe pair these subjects with a humanities subject such as history, geography or a language. This is a good idea as it keeps your future options open (see point 4). The more you learn about a subject (even if it’s not your favourite right now), the more you may discover you have a hidden talent or a new passion!