Oftentimes, we as academics celebrate the successes of a completed work, but there is so much more that goes into a novel, film, or theatrical piece that deserves recognition and discussion throughout the entire creative process. The idea behind this new event stemmed from this notion, that we should be able to acknowledge and engage with the development, experimentation, and challenges that occur along the way, not just the polished final product.

The inaugural event was centered around Dr. Justin O. Johnston’s work in progress, Helio Fictions. The work focused on three theoretical structures: solar punk, solidarity, and declinism. According to Professor Johnston himself, the analysis of each was “part literary criticism” and “part speculative framework.”

He shaped each of the aforementioned literary frameworks as similar genres, each with a different primary focus. The discussion investigated how solidarity explored the energy break as we move on to cleaner forms of energy. Instead of mentioning or focusing on the clean energy revolution, tying those ideas to the incredibly artistic genre of solar punk. Johnston then dug further into Solairty’s socio-economic relevance, mentioning how “imagining the end of the world is easier than planning a better world.”

The feasibility of a better world remained a constant in the discussion, especially when discussing the third and final theme, declinism. Professor Johnston asked the audience how fictions of societal collapse feel far more feasible than ones of progress and how a “medium future” seems like a far more possible future than a happy one. 

The talk ended with an examination of these three themes and their effects on future societal views of utopia, especially with the rising threat of climate change. Professor Johnston’s exploration of these themes and ideas reminds the audience to engage with these utopian and dystopian ideas and analyze them as they parallel our future.

Evelyn Dong is a sophomore at Stony Brook University, majoring in Biology and minoring in English, with an anticipated graduation in Spring 2027. She is especially interested in exploring the intersection of STEM and the humanities, with a focus on bioethics.

What made you choose English as your minor, and what got you interested in the subject, even if it’s not your primary study area?

I first decided to minor in English because I came from an early college high school, so I had some credits that could transfer from the classes I took there. I decided to continue taking English classes at Stony Brook because my high school focused a lot on the humanities, and I thought it could be interesting to continue that trajectory in college. With the credits I already had and the ones I was gaining from taking more courses, it made sense to declare a minor. 

How do you think your English minor connects to your major? Have you noticed any ways that the two work well together or help you understand things better?

There are a lot of ways that Biology and English connect, especially since one of the English classes I’m taking right now is related to the conversation about bioethics and disease in terms of English literature. Both biology and English focus on interdisciplinary studies. It’s exciting to connect STEM with humanities which leads to very interesting conversations.

What’s been the most enjoyable or meaningful part of studying English so far, whether it’s a class, project, or just something you’ve learned along the way?

I think it kind of goes back to what I mentioned earlier; I feel like it gave me sort of a different perspective of looking into a lot of STEM subjects, conversations, especially those about bioethics. I am looking at the conversation from a different perspective and can analyze things I usually learned in a STEM-related area in a more holistic way which is pretty interesting.

Do you have a career in mind for after you graduate? Will your English minor help you, maybe through your writing, communication, or thinking skills?

I’m currently a pre-med student. I’m considering working in health-related fields in the future. I feel like having an English major is definitely helpful in terms of medical school applications. I have learned a lot about writing more personalized statements and have grown in terms of interacting with other people. Having an English minor or just an education in humanity would be helpful in a career as a doctor or in healthcare fields in general.

And finally, what advice would you give someone thinking about adding English as a minor but isn’t sure yet? What do you think they should know before deciding?

Before they decide, I would talk with advisors in the Department of English. All of them are really friendly and willing to help you if you express your interest in minoring in English or even taking some classes. And if you’re not sure, I suggest you take a course you find interesting and then, if you are interested, continue taking more classes.

Dr. Benedict Robinson, Professor of English and Departments of English and Theatre Arts Chair. Dr. Robinson started at Stony Brook University in Fall 2021. His primary specializations are in early modern literature, with interests that include the history of emotion, the history of literary theory, the history of science, and topics related to race and religion.  

Where did you attend undergrad and grad school? What do you think prepared you most to be a professor and, ultimately, the chair of the Department of English?

My undergraduate studies were at the University of Chicago, which I applied to because the train from my hometown went past it. It maybe wasn’t the best reason, but it turned out to be a great place to be an undergrad. Chicago has a reputation for being tough and cultivating a kind of love of misery, but I really enjoyed my time there. I then went to Columbia for grad school, which is when I first came to the New York area, and I’ve stayed here ever since.

As for what prepared me, a lot of things prepared me for becoming a professor. Ultimately, a professor spends most of their life around schools, so kind of everything is training you for that. But becoming a chair—nothing really prepares you for that. You become the chair, and then you try to figure it out. It’s been an interesting experience. As a professor, much of the work is solitary, aside from the time in the classroom; but as chair, you’re involved in meetings and administration. Above all there’s a real sense of responsibility: the things you do, or fail to do, can have an immediate impact on peoples’ lives.

What drew you to your current occupation?

As an undergrad, I was an English major and knew I wanted to be an English major from high school. I thought about other careers, but none appealed to me. Going to law school seemed interesting, but I couldn’t see myself actually being a lawyer. I initially thought I would focus on late-20th-century fiction. But I took a required class on literature between 1500 and 1700, which focused on Renaissance poetry, and I found it weird but compelling. The professor was inspiring–Douglas Bruster, now at UT Austin–and that led me to keep exploring. In grad school, I became more focused on Shakespeare and drama, because that was the emphasis in that department. Ultimately, a fascination with the subject and the joy of engaging with it drove me.

What classes have you taught at Stony Brook? Do you have any favorites?

I’ve taught a wide range of classes at Stony Brook, primarily in my area of specialization, but I’ve also taught other classes, including a 100-level film class that I now teach with some regularity. Film is a significant interest, and I’ve studied it in different contexts. It’s interesting to me as an entirely different medium from literature that nevertheless you can approach in the same basic way as, say, poetry or drama: the starting-point for me is always thinking about what the medium makes possible, what the tools are that it gives anybody working within it. At Stony Brook, there’s a fair amount of freedom to teach what you want, and I enjoy learning things both within and outside my specialty. I think as a teacher you have to keep learning, too. I wouldn’t say I have a clear favorite, but at the undergraduate level, I’ve been focusing on 100- and 200-level classes in recent years, like the one you took with me (EGL 205). Many students are not English majors, so you have to teach a little differently. It means engaging a wider audience. I take the work of refining core courses as a challenge: I never teach these classes the same way from year to year; I’m always trying to think about what I can or should do differently, whether that means changing the readings, changing the assignments, changing how I present material, and so on. I don’t think I’ve gotten it absolutely right yet, but I’m working on it.

Many New York residents view Stony Brook as strictly a STEM school. Do you think the English department is making enough strides to change that perception?

We’re aware of that perception and trying to change it. The administration is also very conscious of the need for all fields to be supported, including the humanities. There’s a desire to ensure that all students are supported in their academic pursuits. But there’s probably more we as a department can do to shift that perception. Our department, and the humanities in general, could benefit from increased visibility.

Do you hope to see any specific changes at the university level that will help change people’s perceptions of Stony Brook?

One big change recently is the arrival of Alyssa Bergman, who focuses on communications, programming, and outreach for the department. She’s been instrumental in several initiatives that will make a big difference in terms of our visibility. We’ve been doing good work in the department, in terms of teaching, research, and creative activity, but haven’t always been great at  communicating it. Alyssa’s efforts will help make what we do more visible to the university and the community.

We’re also currently doing a comprehensive review of all our programs, evaluating both undergraduate and graduate offerings. Professor Scheckel is leading a committee that’s looking at the undergraduate BA and the minors; Professor Cabat is leading another committee that’s reviewing the English Education program; and with the help of the Graduate School, we’ve hired a consultant (Katina Rogers) who is reviewing our graduate programs, both the MA and the PhD. We’re striving to ensure that our students receive the best education possible and that we’re preparing them for the world as it is now, not as it was when I was an undergrad, a million years ago. All of that is really exciting, and I hope the changes we’re making will lead to a stronger future for the department.

Film Screenings Amplifying Authentic Immigrant Experiences via Drama come at a time when the immigrant voices have been ruthlessly silenced. The Humanities Institute at Stony Brook alongside Department of English Assistant Professor Neisha Terry Young are working to amplify those silenced voices, trying to dissolve social and political barriers. The discussion pushed for the idea that by fighting this anti-immigrant rhetoric, we create a safer environment for not only immigrants but also Americans.

The experience was held on April 8th in the Humanities Institute. It featured experts from several fields of study, bringing graduate and undergraduate students together. The event showcased Voice, a 2023 film that described and portrayed several immigrant stories from around the U.S., showcasing the difficulties of immigrant life through immigrants themselves. The presenters emphasized the importance of immigrant perspectives rather than someone else simply detailing those points of view.

After the film, each speaker opened the floor up for questions, many of which highlighted the dangerousness of the current rhetoric and view toward immigration as a whole. All of them, however, stressed the importance of not losing hope despite the harsh circumstances the country is facing.

Though times may seem bleak, hope is our most important resource in these trying times. Protesting, signing petitions, and demonstrating allyship toward immigrant communities are more important now than ever. By connecting with those diverse communities, we can better understand the immigrant experience, allowing nonimmigrants to further their stories and aid with the issues affecting their communities.

Professor Mikulski is currently a PhD student at Stony Brook University. Researching topics such as James Joyce and Modernism while teaching multiple courses for Stony Brook Students.

What led you to go for doctoral studies?

I started on my undergrad as a physics major at UC Santa Barbara in California and before I went to college, I worked some summers in a physics lab. It was with my friend’s dad, he was a professor at UC Riverside, and I always looked up to him. I had this very idealistic view of maybe I should go along a similar academic path and become a professor too, do my PhD. That idea of having a profession that embodies doing what you love and you never have to work a day in your life. I started out in physics, and I said, no, I don’t think it’s physics for me, I think it’s English. I switched to English my second year of college, and I got pretty invested in going to graduate school pretty right away.

What drew you to Stony Brook?

The first thing that I found very appealing about it was, you know, I’m from California, so I had never been out here to New York, to New York City or to Long Island. Part of the appeal to me was the location, the amenities, and all the things being close to New York City can provide you. You can take classes in other universities nearby through the Inter Consortium, so you can take classes at Columbia, Rutgers, CUNY, or wherever. But for me, the first thing I thought of was the proximity to New York City as a cultural place, to go to museums and experience city life. The other thing was the faculty aligned with my research interests. When I first applied, I was interested in working with Celia Marshik, who’s the dean of the graduate school now, and Mike Rubenstein, who’s really into James Joyce, which was my obsession. That’s really why you choose to go to places you know? Your research aligns with the faculty and you think you can write a good project with them.

What has your time in the English program been like? Has it changed since you first started?

My path here at Stony Brook has been kind of circuitous in that I started in fall of 2020, which was when COVID was still very much in effect. I moved out here from California and lived in Queens, even though class was on Zoom. Because of COVID and remote learning, I didn’t get the most immersive graduate school experience, especially socially. I took a leave for about a year, and then decided not to come back and extend my leave further. A year and a half went by, and I came back for real in fall 2022 when everything was back in person. Since then, it’s been much better. It’s been great to see how different professors teach and to teach my own courses for the last three semesters. The coursework has been very stimulating and engaging. Every faculty member is very amiable and ready to help you with whatever you need. Even if you just took a course with them, you can still have this connection where you keep in touch and go to them for guidance. I’ve also had the freedom to explore my own interests.

What has your experience been like teaching?

It’s been great. I’m glad I wasn’t thrown right into teaching. At some universities, like my undergrad institution, graduate students don’t usually get to be instructors of record, they teach discussion sections for bigger lectures. Stony Brook is very generous in giving PhD students many opportunities to teach, which is great for later applying for jobs. TAing was a good first start to see how different professors teach. When I first taught English 130 a year ago, it was really fun for me because the course catered to my interests — literature, science, and technology. I taught it again over the summer and in the fall with slight alterations. Now I’m teaching World Literature (English 112, Modern World Literature), and it’s been a lot of fun. I have the freedom to design my own course, put the things I want on the syllabus, things I think will be good for students and spark discussion. The freedom to design the curriculum has been great.

Kay Sohini, Class of ’22

Kay Sohini will be holding a book talk about her new Graphic Novel This Beautiful, Ridiculous City this upcoming Fall Semester sponsored by the Department of English

When did you know you wanted to be a writer? 

I have wanted to be a writer all my life. I did not know that I wanted to make comics up until maybe five years ago. Inspired by Nick Sousanis, I drew my doctoral dissertation as a comic, and started working on my first book This Beautiful, Ridiculous City the same year I graduated. 

What led you to writing Graphic Novels specifically?

Drawing autobiographical comics is the closest you can get to seeing an overview of your life, see it from another perspective. It offers some sort of a distance, even as you are intimately engaging with the subject for months on end while making the book. There is a certain unique efficacy in relying on two modes of communication, especially in the comics medium where there’s a certain time space magic going on. And in my case, using words and pictures together to recall an event and conjure it from the depths of your memory, even as it tries to slip away, was something that set apart this medium from others. 

What is the best/most frustrating/most challenging/most satisfying part of being a writer?

Getting to write for a living is such a privilege, I do not take it lightly. I work from home most of the time, which means I get to spend hours on end sitting in the Sun by my very large window that looks over the city. . I guess the challenging part is that it can be a precarious spot to be in if you come from modest means. It does not necessarily have the stability of a 9-5. I make a decent living off it for the time being, but there’s no way to tell what the future will bring. 

How did your PhD/Stony Brook help you on your track to becoming a writer? Do you feel that getting a PhD helped you on your journey?

I am immensely grateful to my Professors in Stony Brook, especially Dr Jeffrey Santa Ana, Dr Lisa Diedrich and Dr Peter Khost, who encouraged me early on to experiment with how I present  my research. In my dissertation, “Drawing Unbelonging” my goal was to engage the sociopolitical through the lens of the personal. One of the things I focused on was to draw attention to the temporal and spatial scale of climate change and show how it disproportionately affects marginalized communities. I used art to combine my interest in public health and climate change, and to explore how belonging is usually tied to the trouble of conforming, rather than to the issue of a geographical space. The PhD taught me how to distill complex information into engaging stories and laid the foundation for the writing career I have today. 

This Beautiful, Ridiculous City would have never happened without my dissertation “Drawing Unbelonging” and the space I was allowed to experiment, and most importantly, learn through practice. The dissertation committee I had was truly the absolute best.

What is a favorite memory or experience of your time at SBU?

Strangely, I think it is the day I took my comprehensive exam and advanced to doctoral candidacy. It was a wonderful experience thanks to my committee. 

What advice would you give to someone who is interested in becoming a writer? 

Just write. Do not let yourself be overwhelmed by the bigger picture, your first objective is to put enough words on paper. It can be difficult to get a foot in the door, but there are people who are willing to be generous with their time and mentorship. When you are beginning, your only focus should be the craft. Write as much as you can, and read more than you write. Read widely, not just in the 1-2 genres that appeal to you. Read both contemporary works and classics. 

With a little luck, the rest will fall into place.