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Academics

English and Media Studies

To succeed in business — or any industry — you need to be able to communicate effectively. At Bentley, you’ll learn how to do just that, developing the skills you need to tell your story in a clear and compelling way. You’ll also explore literary genres and critical theory, learning how to interpret literature, film and other media within historical, political and cultural contexts. And you’ll examine how categories of “otherness” (such as race, class and gender) reflect and shape language and meaning in an increasingly globalized and diverse world. Our program encourages both creative and critical thinking, preparing you for success in any career requiring excellence in oral and written communication, such as publishing, journalism, marketing, public policy, public relations, law, education and more.

Headshot of professor Ken Stuckey

Stuckey examines Black masculinity in August Wilson

In “August Wilson in Context,” a forthcoming edited volume from Cambridge University Press, Assistant Professor J. Ken Stuckey contributes a chapter that examines themes of Black masculinity in Wilson’s plays. Stuckey notes that among all of Wilson’s characters, there are no queer men and only one lesbian couple: the title character of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and Ma’s girlfriend, Dussie Mae. Despite Wilson’s avoidance of gay male characters, his narratives tend to depict the most aggressively masculine characters as also being the most limited. The men who are the sensitive and introspective have forms of agency denied to hypermasculine characters, whose machismo is portrayed as self-destructive. 

 

Black and white photo of protestors holding signs that say "We are global citizens" and "Humanity is borderless."

Miranda explores interplay between Latinx/e culture and technology

Assistant Professor Jim V. Miranda, coordinator of Bentley’s Ethnic Studies Minor, specializes in Latinx/e literature and media, where he explores the intersection of border aesthetics, technology and cultural memory. His scholarly articles in “Latinx TV in the Twenty-First Century” and “Latinx Ciné in the Twenty-First Century” examine the mediation of the Mexico-U.S. border in the TV series “The Bridge” and Alex Rivera’s film “Sleep Dealer” and show the entanglement of narratives and technologies in framing, extending and challenging cultural representations. He is currently working on several projects that introduce interpretative strategies for understanding the relationship between culture and technology.  

Headshot of professor Stephanie Medden

Medden considers construction of collective identities

Assistant Professor Stephanie Medden is interested in the ways collective identities are constructed and deployed in response to political, economic and social turbulence. Her research explores ethnocultural identity, transnational migration, activism and solidarities, including how members and activists among Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking communities in the U.K. engage in identity work to forge alliances and respond to challenges. Her forthcoming project, “Citizens, Settlers, and In-Betweeners: Brexit and Divergent Experiences of Belonging in Lusophone London,” contributes to our understanding of language as a fulcrum for ethnocultural convergence and cleavage in the contemporary Portuguese-speaking diaspora. 

Writing Center

Writing Center

Need help with writing assignments? The Writing Center is here to help.

Few students find it easy to do all the writing required of them in college. Forms of writing assigned in college often differ from those assigned in high school, and college professors' standards are often higher than those of high school teachers. Bentley provides you with a special writing resource: the Writing Center.

The Writing Center is open days and evenings for one-to-one assistance with writing skills. It is staffed by a writing instructor and by peer tutors chosen both for the quality of their own writing and for their friendliness.

Learn More

Contact

Tzarina Prater
Department Chair
Associate Professor of English
Adamian Academic Center 075
781.891.3103
tprater@bentley.edu

 

Kathleen Sheehan
Senior Academic Coordinator
Adamian Academic Center 083
781.891.2629
ksheehan@bentley.edu