The Newest Influencer: Macalester English

by Malcolm Cooke ’21

You might have missed it, but Marlon James is kind of a big deal. And I hear you asking, hypothetical reader, where might I find online content about this Macalester English Department superstar? Or perhaps a myriad of other posts relevant to all varieties of English Department goings-on? Look no further than our social media! Visit our Facebook (Macalester English Department) and Instagram (@macalesterenglish) for the most relevant articles, the most humorous of student worker photos, and a veritable content pipeline. All of this is curated for real people with an interest in Macalester English-related occurrences, instead of that dastardly algorithm giving you ads for socks using your stolen Facebook data.

Are you an alum? Miss the unending fun and quesadillas of Treat Night? Well, you can live vicariously through bright-eyed and bushy-tailed first-years, experiencing the bliss of Monday bagels in the lounge LIVE from our Instagram story. Get recaps of events and notifications of those upcoming. Never again will you forget about Apps and Alums.

Maybe you want to become a bit more involved. On Facebook, we recently launched the catchily monikered closed group MERGE or Macalester English Resource Group Exchange. You know it’s legitimate because it has a convoluted name in the service of a clean acronym. But there’s more to MERGE than its title. We’re hoping to cultivate a self-sustaining independent ecosystem where all English majors past, present, and future, as well as faculty and staff, can share tantalizing job offerings, community events, writing contests and more! Give our tireless department coordinator Jan a much-needed break from forwarding emails about that cool summer internship at Graywolf Press.

And we’ll get even more content from you! Our social media is only as good as our talented students, alums faculty, and staff. Send us pictures of your achievements, experiences, or maybe just of you luxuriously splayed out, reading your latest literary infatuation with a cute dog curled up at your feet. I’m told animals get a lot of engagement; last semester one of our most popular posts was literally a squirrel in the Old Main 2 office window.

Or maybe you’re interested in faculty. Last year’s intensive search brought about a brand new tenure-track hire, the lovely Michael Prior! Keep your eyes peeled and we might have some whimsical posts introducing him, along with other new Visiting Professors Steve Woodward, Melissa Cundieff, and Adam Lewis. Want to see what professors get up to on their sabbatical? Amy Elkins interviewed author Ali Smith, who appeared on her class syllabus, and it was published in the Los Angeles Review of Books! And the frequency of such exciting events is ever increasing!

All of these things and more can be found on our Facebook and Instagram! So what are you waiting for? Follow us @macalesterenglish on Instagram, Macalester English Department on Facebook, and learn about upcoming festivities and literary events by visiting the English Department Events Calendar. Also, make sure to request access to MERGE on Facebook to connect with the top minds from Macalester English!