In our quest for relevance, we teachers of literature have ended up becoming unnecessary. This thought comes to mind every time I read the latest news about the crisis in the humanities. English degrees have declined by almost half since their most recent peak in the 2005-2006 academic year, despite the student population having grown by a third during the same period. Romance languages—my area of specialty in a teaching career spanning more than two decades—have done little better. German departments are in free fall. Doctoral students from departments that used to concentrate on literary studies are confronted with a frightening absence of jobs.
Read Full Article »
