English is more than just the reading and writing of words. The study of literature fosters critical thinking of the relationships among literature, culture and history. Our English faculty use the classroom to collaborate with students on the invention of new knowledge, revealing that literature is itself one of the most “interdisciplinary” cultural achievements, and therefore making the English department one of the most “interdisciplinary” departments at Wesleyan. As students become adept literary critics of poetry, novels and plays, they also learn to read and write critically in political speech and documents, popular culture and in the discourses that structure everyday life.