English majors at Xavier study a wide variety of literature by men and women from various periods in Britain, the United States and the rest of the world.

Modern Irish Literature

Poetry, drama, and fiction by a variety of Irish authors, including Yeats, Synge, Joyce, and Friel.

Dante and the Modern Reader

Close reading of Dante's "Vita Nuova" and the canticles of the "Commedia."

War and Peace in World Literature

The representation and interpretation of war and peace in literature of the last 100 years from Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The Middle East receives special attention.

Literature of the American West

Examines novels and short stories set in the American West, past and present, by authors such as Stephen Crane, Dorothy Johnson, Cormac McCarthy, Sherman Alexie, E.L. Doctorow, and Annie Proulx.