English courses at New River Community College help students improve their reading and writing skills, prepare for professional writing demands, and ignite an appreciation for literature. From a purely practical perspective, employers look for strong writing skills across fields, and New River’s classes ensure that students are ready for those demands. Our faculty also believe that literature has the power to speak to readers and writers across generations, illuminating our thinking, helping us to see the continuity of ideas through time, and inspiring us to higher levels of creativity and artistry. Our writing courses include business and technical writing and transfer-level college composition. Our literary offerings include British, American, and world literature, as well as Appalachian, children’s, and women’s literature. English faculty are also actively engaged in their discipline, producing academic scholarship and creative work.

NRCC English COURSES:

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Preparation for College Writing:

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Not sure which courses you need to take? Talk with an academic advisor for assistance or visit the catalog and choose your program of study.

Faculty Achievements

Ben Campbell’s book of poems, Darker Still, was published in November of 2020 and explores the coal-mining-shaped lives of southeastern West Virginia. Ben’s work also includes A Welcome Walk into the Dark, short stories from the coal mines of West Virginia and from blue-collar Appalachia, and he has been featured in Broad River Review, Bluestone Review, Floyd County Moonshine, and Clinch Mountain Review.

Megan Doney’s book Unarmed: An American Educator’s Memoir won the 2024 Washington Writers Publishing House nonfiction prize and will be published in October of 2024. Her work also appears on Earth & Altar, Creative Nonfiction, Ilanot Review, and Rappahannock Review. Megan earned an MFA in creative writing from Lesley University and more about her work can be found on her website www.megandoney.com.

Maddie Gallo’s poems have appeared in Rattle, THRUSH Poetry Journal, West Texas Literary Review, Artemis Journal, and many more. Her fiction has appeared in Beloit Fiction Press, Cordella Press, and others.

Other faculty members’ work can be found on their blogs and websites: Janet Hanks’ humor writing can be found at janetlindseyhanks.wordpress.com.

Enrollment Support:

ACADEMIC CALENDARS:

Sample Course Plans:

• ENG 108 Critical Reading and Study Skills (3 credits)
• ENG 111 College Composition I (3 credits)
• ENG 112 College Composition II (3 credits)
• ENG 115 Technical Writing (3 credits)

Plagiarism Awareness Information:

• Plagiarism Awareness Information

Helpful Resources:

• NRCC Library
• NRCC Academic Success Center
• Purdue's Online Writing Lab