Diary of an Ex-English Major

Deja interviews Renee, an ex-English major and current English Literature doctoral student. The two discuss discuss Renee's path into academia as a mature student, Toni Morrison, as well as the importance of keeping Black literature in the classroom.  Books Mentioned: Scattered and Fugitive Things: How Black Collectors Created Archives and Remade History by Laura E. Helton Black Girlhood in th...

In this episode, Deja discusses her entree into English graduate study, blurring the lines between literary criticism and book reviews, and the function of the book review in the 21st century. Citations bell hooks, "The Oppositional Gaze" - https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/english/currentstudents/postgraduate/masters/modules/femlit/bell_hooks.pdf "The End of the University and the Future of Criticis...

Bonus Episode [From the Archives]. Note: This episode was recorded in January 2024. In this bonus episode, Deja discusses the new age reader aesthetic and social media bookish influencers in the contemporary moment. Citations ​Barry Pierce, “In the shallow world of BookTok, being ‘a reader’ is more important than actually reading.” https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/booktok-tiktok-books...

Deja interviews Adrienne, an ex-English and Writing double major and current English master's student at the University of British Columbia. The two discuss continuing English education in grad school, the value of studying literature, as well as the importance of being a life long learner. Blog: ⁠cityofdeja.com

In this season 2 premiere, Deja discusses putting the humanities into practice and conducts a close reading of Taylor Swift lyrics from songs "the lakes" and "All Too Well (10 Minute Version). " Citations UT Austin Taylor Swift Course Article - https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/news/ut-english-course-takes-a-swift-turn List of Colleges with Taylor Swift Classes - https://www.bestc...

Deja interviews Jill, an ex-English Literature major and bookstagrammer from the account @booknerd_reads. The two discuss Jill's longtime reader status, publishing internships, and the ins and outs of the bookstagram community. Jill's bookstagram: @booknerd_reads

Deja interviews ex-Creative Writing major Alyxandria Ang, a podcast host, online content creator, and mental health advocate. In this episode, the two discuss the power of storytelling, shifting career paths, the woes of bookish content creation, and more. A is for Anxious: A Podcast Diary - https://open.spotify.com/show/0YNCdjhhnEGhLeVASWrW5v Alyx's Instagram - @alyxandriaang Alyx's YouTu...

Deja interviews Ryley, an ex-Journalism major by way of an English department. The two discuss the the process of following your curiosity and creativity, the character building that’s yielded from studying the humanities, questionable BookTok recommendations, and more.  Spors Girls Club Tiktok: @sportsgirlsclub Podcast Instagram: ⁠@diaryofanexengmajor⁠ Blog: ⁠https://cityofdeja.com

Deja chats about her 2023 reading thus far, attempts to define the concept of "mood reading," and shares how it affects her reading habits. Mid-Year Reading Check In Blog Post Yellowface Book Review Alone With You in the Ether Book Review One for My Enemy Book Review The Atlas Paradox Book Review Any Way the Wind Blows Book Review Podcast Instagram: ⁠ @diaryofanexengmajor⁠ Blog:  ⁠https:...

Deja interviews ex-English major and bookstagrammer Candace from the account @cecepointofview. The two discuss the life skills one can yield from being well read, literature as an art form, the special value of young adult books, and more.  Candace's Bookstagram: @cecepointofview Podcast Instagram: ⁠@diaryofanexengmajor⁠ Blog: ⁠https://cityofdeja.com

Deja interviews ex-English major (and creative writing minor) Lydia from the book blog P.S. I Still Read You. The two discuss the creative writing process, lost princess stories, and being a publishing hopeful. Lydia's Bookstagram: @ps_i_still_read_you Lydia's blog: psIstillreadyou.wordpress.com   Podcast Instagram: ⁠@diaryofanexengmajor⁠ Blog: ⁠https://cityofdeja.com

Deja discusses the concept of hype and popularity as it relates to books, its effect on reading enjoyment and expectations, and how she parses through the "hype bubble" to choose what books to read next. Should You Read The Raven Boys? Blog Post: https://cityofdeja.com/2021/05/31/should-you-read-the-raven-boys-review/ Podcast Instagram: ⁠@diaryofanexengmajor⁠ Blog: ⁠https://cityofdeja.com

Deja interviews ex-English major and Booktuber Simone from the channel @chasingpages. The two discuss the pervasiveness of English rhetoric, diverging reading tastes, and passion writing projects. Simone's Booktube: https://www.youtube.com/@chasingpages/featured Simone's Bookstagram: @chasingpagez Podcast Instagram: ⁠@diaryofanexengmajor⁠ Blog: ⁠https://cityofdeja.com

In the this pilot episode, Deja discusses her journey to becoming a book lover, joining the Bookstagram community of Instagram, and how she came to be an English major. Podcast Instagram: @diaryofanexengmajor Blog: https://cityofdeja.com

Who am I and how did Diary of an Ex-English Major come to be? Tune into this introductory trailer to find out all the good stuff. "The End of the English Major" New Yorker article: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/03/06/the-end-of-the-english-major My website : https://cityofdeja.com/