Academics > Colleges/Schools and Departments > College of Humanities and Fine Arts > English and Philosophy > Faculty > Carrie Jerrell
Carrie Jerrell
Assistant Professor of English
Associate Director, MFA Program in Creative Writing
"In every class I teach, I have the same broad goal: to foster students’ understanding of the world around them and their appreciation of the beauty and complexity of it. My attempts to reach this goal always begin with a no-holds-barred, unabashed, full-out demonstration of passion for the literature we read, and I think my enthusiasm encourages my students to develop and express their own. The study and creation of literature requires rigorous attention, and I stress this to my students, too–every element of a poem is worthy of examination and, for young writers still discovering their voices and styles, emulation. Writing is difficult work, but when it’s done with the support of classmates and instructors who are as serious about your poetry as you are, the paybacks can be positively life-changing.”