Penn Professors on Writing in English

Dr. Jim English

About the Professor

Professor English received his MA from the University of Chicago and Ph.D from Stanford University. He specializes in contemporary and modern British fiction. He is currently the Director of the Penn Humanities Forum. At Penn, Professor English teaches a wide array of literature courses ranging from literary theory to British film to contemporary Anglophone fiction.

Personal Writing Process

Professor English's writing process includes a lengthy period of reading and research and numerous revisions of his written work. Previously, when working on a major piece of writing, Professor English would immerse himself in his drafts for five or six hours at a time. Now, he is trying a new strategy of breaking his day into much shorter work units, with refreshing breaks for a cup of tea or a walk in between.