Community Outreach
The Department of English is committed to teaching and serving our ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ and Mid-South communities. Please contact us at 901.678.2651 if you would like to discuss ways we can work together.
WordSmith Writing Olympics
Middle and high schools are invited to submit teams of student writers to compete in a fun series of writing challenges. Contact Ms. Cathy Dice at cdice@memphis.edu or visit the WordSmith Writing Olympics webpage for more information.
English as a Second Language Classes
Take classes in English or advertise your programs for non-native English speakers. Contact Dr. Rebecca Adams a radams4@memphis.edu or visit our ESL Classes webpage for more information.
Talbot Summer Institute for English Educators 2025
Topics include: AI awareness, hands-on experience with AI applications, pedagogical adaptation, and critical dialogue on opportunities, challenges, and ethical considerations.
Download the presentation here
July 14th, 2025
Download the presentation here
July 15th, 2025
July 15th, 2025
Creative Writing Workshops @ novel. Summer 2025
Students and faculty from the MFA Program in Creative Writing at UofM will host four free creative writing workshops this summer at novel. bookstore. Participants are invited to write and share original works of poetry, nonfiction, and fiction. These events are free and open to the public. Writers of all skill levels are welcome, and no RSVP is necessary.
June 21st, 2025 | 6:00-7:30pm
June 28th, 2025 | 6:00-7:30pm
July 12th, 2025 | 6:00-7:30pm
July 19th, 2025 | 6:00-7:30pm
Compose Yourself: ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ Writes: A Creative Writing Workshop Series Spring 2025
Are you an aspiring wordsmith with ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ memories? ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ Public Library is offering a ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½-focused writing workshop for anyone interested in sharpening their pen, connecting with community, and learning some local history (curtesy of Dig ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½, MPL’s digital repository). While we’ll use digital collections from DIG ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ for prompts and craft instruction, when it comes time to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) you can choose to go off-prompt and forge your own path. At the end of the series, we’ll go hard—ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ style—with a reading, reception, and your own bound collection of the writing you produced. That’s right, your ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ memories will be immortalized forever.
Ever wonder what it was like to witness a duel at the state line? Or maybe you’ve
got a story from before the Coliseum shut down? This session will draw on ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½
history to offer instruction on how to turn a moment into a story using techniques
in narrative structure.
April 2nd | 5:30-7:00pm
Did you know ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ history is full of plot holes? DIG ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ has a digital collection
devoted to mysterious photos that lack a who, what, when and where. We’ll use writing
techniques to imagine what it would be like to be inside the mystery, turning it into
a poetic moment or a scene from a story and filling in the gaps with our poetic license.
April 9th | 5:30-7:00pm
What’s up, Doc? Have Mercy. Go home, Roger! Characters have distinct voices, and this session will focus on imagining and honing
a character’s unique voice, using portraits from the Nadia Price Collection for inspiration.
April 16th | 5:30-7:00pm
We all know that walking in ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ can inspire song, and this session will explore
the ways in which ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ city streets can inspire the written word. ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ Streetscapes
will give us a glimpse of ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ streets throughout history, and we will use them
to hone our language, painting streetscapes on the page with careful attention to
language.
April 23rd | 5:30-7:00pm
Compose Yourself: AI Literacy Workshop Series Fall 2024
A hands-on workshop series with UofM English faculty and the ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ Public Libraries on Artificial Intelligence. Below you will find a list of current series topics and registration information. This series will be hosted at the on Tuesdays from October 22nd - November 19th beginning at 6:00pm in room L-56.
Spotting AI content, misinformation, and scams online. October 22nd | 6:00-7:30pm
November 5th | 6:00-7:30pm, View the presentation
November 12th | 6:00-7:30pm, View the presentation, Download the worksheet
November 19th | 6:00-7:30pm
Compose Yourself 2.0: Digital Literacy Workshop Series Spring 2024
This 8-week workshop series - made possible by ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ Public Libraries and the ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ Library Foundation - invited the ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ community to learn from English and Communications graduate students on topics and skills necessary to navigate today's technological world. Below you will find a list of past series topics and the presentation that accompanied each session.
- Introduction to digital literacy, overview of commonly-used online tools such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Gmail.
- View the presentation
- Introduction to tracking methods and how to protect yourself online, common scam tactics and how to avoid them.
- View the presentation
- Online communication etiquette, ethics, and taking care of your mental health.
- Understanding Artificial Intelligence, the importance of fact-checking online information, and overview of OpenAI's ChatGPT 3.5.
- Methods for spotting and avoiding the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and fake news with an emphasis on algorithms and social media.
- View the presentation
- Navigating online job postings and LinkedIn as a social media site and networking community.
- View the presentation
- Preparing digital resumes, cover letters, and professional emails.
- Preparing for modern interviews, the virtual interview, remote work, and an overview of Zoom.