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.

Every year the Center introduces a new theme which provides thematic integration to the department's public seminars, conferences, lectures, panel discussions, and other public programs, as well as the Call for Proposals.The Center's theme for both 2018-2019 and 2019-2020  is "Resistance."  Many of the Center's programs for this year explore this theme.

In support of and along with each year's theme, the Center sponsors a wide variety of activities: the Petrou lecture; Symposiums, Round-table Discussions, Book Launches, Salons, and Work in Progress series for faculty and students; an Alumni Book Group; our regular lectures series, such as Local Americanists and the Marshall Grossman Lecture Series; 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 year ahead.

Edlie Wong
Professor and Director
Center for Literary and Comparative Studies