RISD
Literary Arts
and Studies

The Department of Literary Arts and Studies provides an education in literary and media studies and creative writing that is historically and culturally diverse and representative of the main forms of critical inquiry in the discipline. Our curriculum offers the possibility for focused study in various areas/fields of literature and writing, including: American and British literatures, critical theory, ecocriticism and environmental cultures, film studies, gender and sexuality, global literatures, poetry and poetics, postcolonial literatures and cultures, race and ethnicity. By focusing on the interaction of literature, writing, art, and design, our courses invite students to make connections between literary studies and studio practice. Our small class sizes, discussion-based pedagogical methods, and reading- and writing-intensive courses position students as active participants in the practice of literary studies.