Illinois Wesleyan
English

English Faculty

Image of Wes Chapman
Wes Chapman

Associate Professor of English

( Literary theory, poetry, modernism, postmodernism )

Dr. Chapman enjoys composing for acoustic guitar almost as much as he likes asking students to question what they know. 

Contact: (309) 556-3090wchapman@iwu.edu

Image of Joanne Diaz
Joanne Diaz

Isaac Funk Endowed Professor of English

( Creative writing--poetry, early modern literature )

When she’s not busy writing poems, Professor Diaz can be found chasing down the dropped “R” in the Boston accent.

Contact: (309) 556-3246jdiaz@iwu.edu

Image of James Plath
James Plath

Professor of English, R. Forrest Colwell Endowed Chair of English

( Journalism, creative writing--fiction, film, American literature since 1850 )

Professor Plath ran with the bulls in Pamplona and was the featured scholar on a Travel Channel show, “Hemingway in Key West.”

Contact: (309) 556-3352jplath@iwu.edu

Image of Brandi Reissenweber
Brandi Reissenweber

Associate Professor of English

(Creative writing--fiction)

Living in Jack Kerouac’s former home, traveling across Sudan, or exploring local trails in search of a quiet spot, Professor Reissenweber always can be seen with a good book.

Contact: (309) 556-3241breissen@iwu.edu

Image of Juan Rodríguez Barrera
Juan Rodríguez Barrera

Assistant Professor of English

(American literature with specializations in multicultural, African American, and radical literatures.)

Few things inspire Professor Rodríguez Barrera more than when his students discover that literature can be both an instrument for poltical critique and a means to envision what proletarian author Tillie Olsen once called the "not yet in the now."

Contact: (309) 556-3242jrodrig6@iwu.edu

Image of Michael Theune
Michael Theune

Robert Harrington Endowed Professor of English,  University Writing Program Director, and Department Chair

(Creative writing--poetry, contemporary American poetry, British romanticism)

Professor Theune’s love of surprises—in jokes, mysteries, The Prestige has led him, often with student assistants, to explore the art of the twist in poetry.

Contact: (309) 556-3168mtheune@iwu.edu

Adjunct Assistant Professors

Diana Jaher

 

Adjunct Instructors

Carol Lind
Kathryn Kerr
Kathleen Zurkowski

 

Professors Emeriti

Mary Ann Bushman
Barbara Bowman
Robert Bray
Lynn DeVore
Pamela Muirhead
Kathie O'Gorman
Alison Sainsbury
Dan Terkla

 

 

English News