Penn Professors on Writing in English

Dr. David Wallace

About the Professor

David Wallace is Judith Rodin Professor of English, University of Pennsylvania. He was Chair of English 2001-4 and Interim Chair of Romance Languages, 2005-6; he served as President of the New Chaucer Society from 2004-6 and served on the Program Committee for the 2010 (Siena) meeting. In Spring 2007 he was Visiting Professor, University of Melbourne, and in Spring 2008 Bain-Swiggett Professor of Poetry at Princeton. In Fall 2010 he was Roberta and Stanley Bogen Visiting Professor, Hebrew University, Jerusalem.

Dr. Wallace is a medievalist who looks forward to the early modern period; he works on English and Italian matters (and is a member of the Center for Italian Studies) with additional interests in French, German, women's writing, romance, "discovery" of the Americas and the history of slavery, and Europe. He has won fellowships from Cambridge University and the Mellon Foundation and has taught at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Minnesota. He was elected Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America in 2014, and he lectures on Penn alumni cruises.

Dr. Wallace's University Webpage

Personal Writing Process

Professor Wallace strives to master a subject before writing. To this end, he reads a text many times and deeply researches his topic. Along the way, he takes copious notes, then takes notes on his notes, then outlines his writing. When the time comes to write, Dr. Wallace aims for a creative synthesis.

Writing Tips

Dr. Wallace stresses the importance of style in writing. After reading thousands of student papers, he is irked by the "noun + 'is' verb" construction, which drains arguments of their energy. He advises to students to meticulously revise their work to create a draft that is "electric" with active and engaging prose. Dr. Wallace also urges students to avoid generalizations in their papers. By being more focused, a student can create a substantive and detailed argument.