{"id":2695,"date":"2025-08-01T21:01:39","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T21:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english\/?page_id=2695"},"modified":"2026-02-23T06:17:04","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T06:17:04","slug":"english-and-creative-writing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/","title":{"rendered":"English and Creative Writing"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"introduction block-container\" >\n    <div class=\"introduction__content\">\n    \t        \t<p class=\"introduction__copy\">You\u2019re here because you care about stories. Maybe yours. Maybe someone else\u2019s. At Macalester, we engage with those stories seriously and joyfully. <\/p>\n    \t    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Words have power.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As a department, we emphasize connections: between English and Creative Writing, Shakespeare and fantasy fiction, the novels of Toni Morrison and contemporary social justice movements. Expect to build connections of your own here, both inside and outside the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n<section   class=\"callout-resource block-container callout-resource--inner\">\n    <div class=\"callout-resource__inner\">\n        <div class=\"callout-resource__lockup-column\">\n            <div class=\"callout-resource__lockup\">\n                <div class=\"base-lockup\">\n\t\t\t\t    \t\t\t\t    \t\t\t\t        <h2 class=\"base-lockup__heading\">Each Day is a New Story.<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t    \t\t\t\t    \t\t\t\t        <p class=\"base-lockup__copy\">One week, you\u2019re reading a novel; the next, the author might be sitting in your classroom. You\u2019ll write about love, justice, grief\u2014whatever matters to you\u2014and we\u2019ll help you shape those ideas into something powerful.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t    \t\t\t\t<\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"callout-resource__content-column\">\n            <ul class=\"callout-resource__links-container\">\n                                    <li class=\"callout-resource__link\">\n                        <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english\/facultystaff\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    Meet Our Faculty and Staff\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                    <\/li>\n                                    <li class=\"callout-resource__link\">\n                        <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english\/majorsminors\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    English Major and Minor Requirements\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                    <\/li>\n                                    <li class=\"callout-resource__link\">\n                        <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english\/courses\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    Explore English Courses\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                    <\/li>\n                            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"context-image block-container context-image--left\" >\n    <div class=\"context-image__inner\">\n        <div class=\"context-image__image-column\">\n            <div class=\"context-image__image-wrapper\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"context-image__texture\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/images\/texture-context-image.png\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Two students sit at a small table in the English department office space, while one stands behind them. All three are laughing and eating bagels, or have a bagel on their plate. Another student sits with their back to the camera, just out of focus.\" class=\"context-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/601\/2025\/10\/English_bagelmonday_2.jpg\">\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"context-image__text-column\">\n            <div class=\"base-lockup\">\n\t\t\t    \t\t\t    \t\t\t        <h2 class=\"base-lockup__heading\">You Belong Here.<\/h2>\n\t\t\t    \t\t\t    \t\t\t        <p class=\"base-lockup__copy\">Bagel Mondays. Literary salons. Weekly coffeehouses. Theater trips. Karaoke nights. Creative writing workshops. Our classrooms\u2014and our hangouts\u2014are built on community. We read together, write together, laugh a lot, and try to make sense of the world.<\/p>\n\t\t\t    \t\t\t    \t\t\t<\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"context-image block-container context-image--right\" >\n    <div class=\"context-image__inner\">\n        <div class=\"context-image__image-column\">\n            <div class=\"context-image__image-wrapper\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"context-image__texture\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/images\/texture-context-image.png\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A group of English students pose on a colorfully-lit stage.\" class=\"context-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/601\/2025\/10\/English_slamnight_4.jpg\">\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"context-image__text-column\">\n            <div class=\"base-lockup\">\n\t\t\t    \t\t\t    \t\t\t        <h2 class=\"base-lockup__heading\">Where will an English major take you?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t    \t\t\t    \t\t\t        <p class=\"base-lockup__copy\">Our graduates write for Marvel and DC Comics, work on television shows like Succession, lead teams at Amazon, publish in The Wall Street Journal, develop video games, and build careers in fields ranging from human rights to environmental conservation, theater, and law. So really, what can\u2019t you do with an English degree?<\/p>\n\t\t\t    \t\t\t    \t\t\t<\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"callout-quote block-container\" >\n    <div class=\"callout-quote__inner\">\n        <div class=\"callout-quote__container\">\n            <div class=\"callout-quote__image-column\">\n                <div class=\"callout-quote__image-wrapper callout-quote__image-wrapper--landscape\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\"\n                        src=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/601\/2026\/02\/Megan-Ritchie.jpg\"\n                        alt=\"Megan Ritchie '09\"\n                        class=\"callout-quote__image\"\n                    >\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"callout-quote__image-wrapper callout-quote__image-wrapper--portrait\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\"\n                        src=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/601\/2026\/02\/Megan-Ritchie.jpg\"\n                        alt=\"Megan Ritchie '09\"\n                        class=\"callout-quote__image\"\n                    >\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"callout-quote__text-column\">\n                <blockquote class=\"callout-quote__quote\">\u201cI believe a good writer must be curious \u2014 about other people&#8217;s experiences and perspectives, about life itself \u2014 and my time at Mac cultivated my curiosity about the world around me, and grew my hunger to learn more about it.&#8221;<\/blockquote>\n                <cite class=\"callout-quote__name\">Megan Ritchie &#8217;09<\/cite>\n                                \t<cite class=\"callout-quote__title\">Screenwriter for <i>Severance<\/i> and <i>Sugar<\/i>, English major<\/cite>\n                                \t                <div class=\"callout-quote__cta\">\n\t                    <a class=\"base-cta-secondary\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/the-words\/home-2\/the-words-november-2025\/waffles-and-goat-sweaters-severance-screenwriter-and-macalester-alum-shares-wisdom-with-students\/\" target=\"_self\">Read Megan&#8217;s story<\/a>\n\t                <\/div>\n                                <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"callout-quote__ornament\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/texture-quote.svg\">\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"statistic-group block-container\" >\n\t<div class=\"statistic-group__container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"statistic-group__header-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"statistic-group__header-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"base-lockup__heading\">English in the Cities<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"statistic-group__header-copy\">We connect students to internship opportunities with local publishers, theaters, nonprofits, and human rights organizations.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"statistic-group__stats\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"statistic-group__stat\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"statistic-group__stat-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"statistic-group__stat-heading\">47<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"statistic-group__stat-copy\">Faculty-sponsored internships in the last five years<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"statistic-group__stat\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"statistic-group__stat-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"statistic-group__stat-heading\">40+<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"statistic-group__stat-copy\">Publishing houses in the Twin Cities metro area<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"statistic-group__stat\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"statistic-group__stat-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Blue icon of an open book\" class=\"statistic-group__stat-icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/601\/2025\/12\/icon_book.png\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"statistic-group__stat-copy\">Field trips to nature preserves, recycling facilities, and book arts demonstrations<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why study English now?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Because stories still matter. Because language still has power. Because AI can\u2019t replace your voice, and because books are being banned for a reason. In a world that feels increasingly fractured, the ability to understand and tell human stories is a radical and necessary skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<span>\n<p class=\"introduction__copy\">English isn\u2019t just about making a living. It\u2019s about making a life <em>worth<\/em> living.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/span>\n\n\n<section class=\"callout-featured-media block-container\"\n >\n    <div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"callout-featured-media__accent callout-featured-media__accent--cyan\"><\/div>\n    <div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"callout-featured-media__accent callout-featured-media__accent--red\"><\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"callout-featured-media__lockup-row\">\n        <div class=\"callout-featured-media__lockup-column\">\n                    <div class=\"callout-featured-media__lockup\">\n                                                    <h2 class=\"callout-featured-media__lockup-heading\">Are You a Future English Major at Macalester?<\/h2>\n                                                    <p class=\"callout-featured-media__lockup-copy\">If you\u2019re considering Mac, let us know. We\u2019ll keep you up to date on application deadlines and visit opportunities.<\/p>\n                                                    <ul class=\"callout-featured-media__lockup-cta\">\n                                                    <li class=\"callout-featured-media__cta-item\">\n                                <a class=\"base-cta-primary\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/admissions\/request-information\/\" target=\"_self\">Introduce Yourself<\/a>\n                            <\/li>\n                                                                    <\/ul>\n                            <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n            <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Two English students sit in class, chatting and smiling.\" class=\"base-background-media base-background-media--image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/601\/2025\/12\/English_class_5-scaled-960x0-c-default.jpg\" srcset=\"        https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/601\/2025\/12\/English_class_5-scaled-720x0-c-default.jpg     480w,         https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/601\/2025\/12\/English_class_5-scaled-960x0-c-default.jpg     720w,         https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/601\/2025\/12\/English_class_5-scaled-1280x0-c-default.jpg    960w,         https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/601\/2025\/12\/English_class_5-scaled-1440x0-c-default.jpg    1280w,         https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/601\/2025\/12\/English_class_5-scaled-1920x0-c-default.jpg    1440w            \">\n    \n    \n        <span class=\"base-background-media__overlay\"><\/span>\n    \n        <div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"callout-featured-media__accent callout-featured-media__accent--yellow-long\"><\/div>\n    <div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"callout-featured-media__accent callout-featured-media__accent--yellow-short\"><\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Words have power. As a department, we emphasize connections: between English and Creative Writing, Shakespeare and fantasy fiction, the novels of Toni Morrison and contemporary social justice movements. Expect to build connections of your own here, both inside and outside the classroom. Why study English now? Because stories still matter. Because language still has power. [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":881,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template_2020_level_2.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2695","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2695","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/881"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2695"}],"version-history":[{"count":53,"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2695\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3245,"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2695\/revisions\/3245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/english-and-creative-writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}