Diary of an Ex-English Major

The Power of Teaching Literature with PhD Student Renee

Deja interviews Renee, an ex-English major and current English Literature doctoral student. The two discuss discuss Renee's path into academia as a mature student, Toni Morrison, as well as the importance of keeping Black literature in the classroom.  Books Mentioned: * Scattered and Fugitive Things: How Black Collectors Created Archives and Remade History by Laura E. Helton * Black Girlhood in the Nineteenth Century by Nazera Wright

The Book Review in the 21st Century

In this episode, Deja discusses her entree into English graduate study, blurring the lines between literary criticism and book reviews, and the function of the book review in the 21st century. Citations * bell hooks, "The Oppositional Gaze" - https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/english/currentstudents/postgraduate/masters/modules/femlit/bell_hooks.pdf [https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/english/currentstudents/postgraduate/masters/modules/femlit/bell_hooks.pdf] * "The End of the University and the Future of Criticism," Point Magazine's Substack. https://open.substack.com/pub/thepointmag/p/can-criticism-survive-inside-the?r=5hhw6c&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false [https://open.substack.com/pub/thepointmag/p/can-criticism-survive-inside-the?r=5hhw6c&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false] Blog: https://cityofdeja.com [https://cityofdeja.com] Podcast Instagram: @diaryofanexengmajor [https://www.instagram.com/diaryofanexengmajor/?hl=en]

The New Age Reader Aesthetic (Bonus)

Bonus Episode [From the Archives]. Note: This episode was recorded in January 2024. In this bonus episode, Deja discusses the new age reader aesthetic and social media bookish influencers in the contemporary moment. Citations * Barry Pierce, “In the shallow world of BookTok, being ‘a reader’ is more important than actually reading.” https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/booktok-tiktok-books-community * Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, “Reading is precious – which is why I’ve been giving away my books.” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/23/reading-is-precious-but-the-cult-of-book-ownership-can-be-smug-and-middle-class My reviews of The Atlas Complex and HOFAS have since been published on my blog: * House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas: A Lengthy, Cheesy, Whirlwind (Review). http://cityofdeja.com/2024/08/01/house-of-flame-and-shadow-book-review/ * Book Review: The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake. http://cityofdeja.com/2024/03/21/book-review-the-atlas-complex-by-olivie-blake/ Blog: https://cityofdeja.com

Embracing the Unconventional with English Graduate Student Adrienne

Deja interviews Adrienne, an ex-English and Writing double major and current English master's student at the University of British Columbia. The two discuss continuing English education in grad school, the value of studying literature, as well as the importance of being a life long learner. Blog: ⁠cityofdeja.com [https://cityofdeja.com/]

Taylor Swift & Putting the Humanities into Practice

In this season 2 premiere, Deja discusses putting the humanities into practice and conducts a close reading of Taylor Swift lyrics from songs "the lakes" and "All Too Well (10 Minute Version). " Citations * UT Austin Taylor Swift Course Article - https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/news/ut-english-course-takes-a-swift-turn [https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/news/ut-english-course-takes-a-swift-turn] * List of Colleges with Taylor Swift Classes - https://www.bestcolleges.com/news/these-colleges-have-taylor-swift-classes/ [https://www.bestcolleges.com/news/these-colleges-have-taylor-swift-classes/] * Why Taylor Swift Belongs on English Literature Degree Courses - https://theconversation.com/why-taylor-swift-belongs-on-english-literature-degree-courses-219660 [https://theconversation.com/why-taylor-swift-belongs-on-english-literature-degree-courses-219660] * Evolution of Snake: The Taylor Swift Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/70xT4aA9FayuPmrRAbMrSn [https://open.spotify.com/show/70xT4aA9FayuPmrRAbMrSn] * The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms (Book) Blog: cityofdeja.com [https://cityofdeja.com/]