Department of Writing, Literature, and Publishing

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View Faculty in the Department of Writing, Literature & Publishing

The Department of Writing, Literature and Publishing is dedicated to developing the skills of students who are training to become poets, writers of fiction and nonfiction, planning to enter the publishing industry, or preparing to go on to graduate-level study in writing, literature, and publishing. To that end, it offers courses and workshops in each of these areas taught by published authors, courses in publishing by experts in the field, and literature classes by scholars from multiple areas in the field of literary studies. It also offers courses in literature and French and Spanish languages. All classes are designed to produce graduates whose specializations are enriched by a broad, culturally inclusive, and interdisciplinary understanding of literature, a sense of history of their chosen genres, an understanding of the practice and effects of publishing, and an overall sense of what it means to write and communicate today in a global community. The department is also dedicated to providing courses in expository writing that develop basic skills in writing and critical thinking for all students at the College.

Programs

The programs of the Department of Writing, Literature and Publishing (WLP) are designed to prepare students for a wide range of professional careers and for personal creative development and fulfillment; they also have pre-professional value for those intending to pursue graduate education. Undergraduate students may pursue the BA degree in Writing, Literature and Publishing; the BA with a Literature concentration; the BA with a Publishing concentration; or a BFA degree in Creative Writing.

The department’s curriculum includes coursework in writing, literature, languages, and publishing. Writing courses expose students to a variety of forms, including fiction, poetry, nonfiction, screenwriting, and magazine writing. Literature courses cover a broad range of literature in English, US/American literatures, and world literatures. Language courses include studies in elementary French and Spanish. Publishing courses prepare students for careers in the world of commercial publishing, and include offerings in magazine design and production, desktop publishing, copyediting, literary editing, and book production and design. Internships in a thriving Boston publishing community provide valuable learning experiences in the field.

Students majoring in fields outside of the department may choose to minor in writing, literature, or publishing. They also may pursue a double major or design an independent major involving writing, literature, language, or publishing as one of their major subject areas.

Policies

Class Enrollment Policy

Any student enrolled in a course in the Writing, Literature, and Publishing Department who does not attend class during the first four class hours, and who has not made prior arrangements with the instructor, may be dropped from the class, and that place may be taken by another student. This action takes place at the instructor’s discretion regardless of prior registration of the student for the course in question. Students dropped from a class for this reason will be readmitted only with the approval of the course instructor.

Workshop Policy

An undergraduate may take no more than two writing workshops in one semester, and they must be in different genres.

Co-curricular Activities

The following co-curricular activities are available to students interested in Writing, Literature, and Publishing.

Concrete

Concrete literary magazine is produced annually by the undergraduates of Emerson College. It is entirely student-run and features poetry, prose, and photography by Emerson College undergraduates.

Emerson Review

The Emerson Review is an annual undergraduate literary publication that features fiction, poetry, interviews, and photo essays. The Emerson Review staff is a dedicated and eclectic mix of students of all ages and majors who are devoted to putting together a publication of the highest quality.

Gauge

Since 2001, Gauge has been pushing the limits of the magazine format. Focused on innovative design and content, the award-winning glossy features photography, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction that are important and impactful to the Emerson community. Theme and design of the magazine change each semester.

Stork

Since 2010, Stork has been an annual fiction journal dedicated to demystifying the publishing process and improving student writing. Stork is founded on the idea of communication between editor and writer and provides an outlet for budding writers to take their work to the next level.

Minor Programs

All minors require four courses (16 credits) of related coursework, two of which must be taken at Emerson College. Where applicable, students may apply 4 credits from the Liberal Arts requirements toward a minor.

Programs

• Writing, Literature, and Publishing, B.A.
• Writing, Literature, and Publishing: Literature Concentration, B.A.
• Writing, Literature, and Publishing: Publishing Concentration, B.A.

• 4+1 Combined Publishing and Writing, B.A./M.A.

• Creative Writing, B.F.A.

• Fiction Minor
• Literature Minor
• Poetry Minor
• Publishing Minor
• Writing Minor

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