News

Assistant Professor in the Program of Literature Christina León joins the Duke faculty this year. (John West/Trinity Communications) “It’s okay not to have all the answers,” Christina A. León confides.  The assistant professor in the Program of Literature came to this realization as a first-year student at the University of Florida. “After graduating from a rather dogmatic Catholic high school, it was somewhat liberating as an undergrad when I didn’t need to provide… read more about In Caribbean Literature, Christina León Stays with Questions »

Assistant Professor of Literature Maya Kronfeld joins the Duke faculty this year. (Shaun King/Trinity Communications) Maya Kronfeld is truly a product of her environment.  The assistant professor in the Program of Literature grew up in Berkeley, California, with parents firmly rooted in academia, activism and music. Her mother, a professor of Middle Eastern languages and cultures who also translates Hebrew poetry, instilled an appreciation of verbal art that became a locus of… read more about Maya Kronfeld: Literature, Philosophy and All That Jazz »

As the annual spring dance between fauna and flora plays out across campus each spring, the Dance Program prepares for a concert of its own: ChoreoLab. The annual performance showcases original works from both Dance faculty and Duke students. “This annual concert series provides an excellent opportunity to present and experiment with new choreography while introducing students to the behind-the-scenes mechanics of a concert performance,” explains Professor Michael Kliën. “We’re always excited to see the… read more about Dance Provides Ph.D. in Literature Student Space to Grow as an Artist and Scholar »

A new program for Duke sophomores – which launched earlier this year – will include a Literature course this fall: “The Problem of Love” (LIT 205). The course is part of the new “Transformative Ideas” program that is designed to promote open and civil cross-disciplinary dialogue on questions and big ideas that change lives, link cultures and shape societies around the world. “The Problem of Love” – taught by Martin Eisner of Romance Studies – analyzes censored editions and translations of Boccacio’s Deameron to… read more about Literature Course Among Fall “Transformative Ideas” Offerings »

When Michaeline Crichlow moved from her native St. Lucia to upstate New York, she had a lot to learn — and not just in the graduate program she attended at Binghamton University. “I became a Black person not in the Caribbean, but in the United States,” said the professor and interim chair of African & African American Studies. Race wasn’t often discussed in St. Lucia, where the vast majority of the population is Black. The rare times it was, the conversation wasn’t about Black and white, but the Indo-Caribbean peoples… read more about What Decolonization Means »