When author Erica McKeen arrives at Western this week, she’ll retrace steps she walked as a student, as well as those she imagined for the protagonist in her debut novel Tear. The walk between ‘what’s real and what’s not real’ is central to …
English and Writing Studies
How to die like Bowie, or, we can be heroes
By now, everyone has heard the news of David Bowie’s death of cancer at 69 years of age. Bowie’s death came two days after his birthday and the simultaneous release of his newest album, Blackstar, and so many fans and Bowie aficionados likely received this news after...
Book reviews, Jan. 7
Fresh Strange Music By Donald S. Hair McGill-Queen’s University Press Donald S. Hair, an English and Writing Studies professor emeritus, undertakes a sonorous task; namely, demonstrating how the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning has integrated musical rhythm as an...
Western News Newsmakers 2015
How will we remember 2015? Probably through one or more of these faces. Join us in this spotlight, in brief words and striking images, of some of our favourites from the last year.
Bentley puts Canadian identity in the spotlight
English professor David Bentley, the 2015 winner of the Killam Prize, delivered the second address in the President’s Lecture Series, ‘Simile, Metaphor, and the Making and Perception of Canada,’ to a packed audience Wednesday in the Paul Davenport Theatre.
Solga: Preparing to raise the curtain on Destination Theatre
One thing I’ll say about my life as an academic: It involves a lot of travel, and plenty of that travel is a real pleasure. Two weeks ago, I was in London, England, at the school where I used to work, Queen Mary University of London. I was there with my colleague from...
Arts define hearts and minds, not Ivory Towers
For David Bentley, an English class is a meeting ground of sorts – a crossroad where people, disciplines, the past, present and future all meet. That’s what makes literature enticing to him. Magical, even. “The way poetry and literature work in our lives fascinates...
Professor plugs into what it means to game
She was worried her husband was spending too much time reading. And so, Jonathan Boulter’s wife bought him his first video game system, an Xbox. “She wanted the gaming device to work as a sort of diversion from my academic work,” laughed the English and Writing...
Trio of scholars named to Royal Society of Canada
With the naming of Western scholars Kathryn Brush, John Leonard and Jesse Zhu, the university now boasts 55 Royal Society of Canada Fellows, starting with Microbiology and Biochemistry professor Robert Murray in 1958.
Bentley earns Killam Research Prize
English and Writing Studies professor David Bentley has been named one of five winners of the Killam Prize, presented by the Canadian Council of the Arts in recognition of his exceptional career achievements.
USC celebrates the best in the classroom
Left to right, French professor Sebastien Ruffo, Chemistry professor Felix Lee, English and Writing Studies professor Larry Garber, French professor Mario Longtin and Chemistry professor Mark Workentin were honoured for their classroom excellence Monday night during...
Read All Over book reviews, March 26
Health Literacy in Canada: A Primer for Students By Lorie Donelle, Laurie Hoffman-Goetz and Rukhsana Ahmed Health literacy should not be underestimated with regards to its importance to sustaining and improving the overall health of a population. In fact, the authors...
Trio honoured with Distinguished University Professorships
Western’s latest honorees of Distinguished University Professorships (DUP) join a select group of faculty members recognized for exceptional scholarly careers.