Literature Has the Power to Change Lives
English
“What is wonderful about great literature is that it transforms the man who reads it towards the condition of the man who wrote.” - E.M. Forster
Our English faculty believes literature has the power to change the lives of our students. Not only do we study the classics, but we also introduce our students to diverse works we feel will have an immediate impact on their lives. From Homer and Hemingway to Joan Didion and James Baldwin, we value writing that transforms lives. Nothing is more important to our English faculty than to create a culture that fosters a love of learning. We have observed that a student’s emotional and social growth follow close behind an appreciation for the art of literature, fostered by close reading and classroom discussion.
The writing curriculum is strenuous and demanding and balances scholastic and creative projects to ensure students are prepared for college and provided ample opportunities for imaginative development.
Introduction to Genres, World Literature, American Literature, British Literature: these courses comprise the core of our curriculum, though eligible students can choose AP Language and Composition and AP Literature and Composition during their junior and senior years. For those literature lovers and committed writers, we also offer an assorted elective series. “Science Fiction,” “War in Literature,” “Film as Literature,” and “Creative Writing: Personal Narrative” are just a few of the electives we offer on a rotational basis.
News from the English Department
Meet the Faculty
Jay Farrell’s family tree is full of independent school educators.
The English instructor’s parents as well as a grandfather have preceded him, and Mr. Farrell gravitated towards the relational approach to teaching at Christ School.
Along with growing up on a school campus, Mr. Farrell experienced firsthand what it was like to be a boarding student when he did a postgraduate year at Pomfret School in Connecticut. He graduated from Ursinus College in 2017 with a B.A. in Media and Communication and began his teaching career last year at nearby Brevard Middle School.
Mr. Farrell has already gotten to know the baseball players by assisting the program's fall team. He played collegiately at Ursinus.
Outside of baseball and teaching, Mr. Farrell’s interests are literature, soccer, writing, fitness, film, and fly-fishing.
Spartanburg, S.C., native Will Gordon attended Clemson University and feels grateful to be just an hour away from his roots as he enters his sixth year at Christ School, carrying several different roles.
Mr. Gordon is the English Department Chair and teaches AP Language and Composition. He is the Head of Cuningham House, our youngest dorm for first-year eighth and ninth grade students, and an assistant golf coach.
When he has spare time, Mr. Gordon loves to write – he recently completed his Master of Fine Arts in Writing at the Vermont College of Fine Arts – play golf, go to any live show, travel, and spend time with close friends and family.
Wyatt Long continues his emergence as a young leader amongst the faculty by taking on the new role of Dean of Student Development for the 2025-26 academic year.
Mr. Long's responsibilities will be directing leadership development and a reenvisioned pillar of the Dignity of Manual Labor with school-wide larger job prospects by advisory. He will continue teaching English, along with serving as head of Gardner House and an assistant coach for our state-championship lacrosse team.
This will be Mr. Long's sixth year at Christ School. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in English from Hartwick College in 2019. After that, he returned to his high school alma mater (Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J.) to work in communications and coach lacrosse.
Mr. Long enjoys fishing, kayaking, hiking, cooking, and cheering on Philadelphia sports teams.
Dr. Spenser Simrill, a former Outstanding Teacher Award winner at the University of Georgia, joined the Christ School community after a decade and a half as a college English instructor in Athens, Ga.
Outside the classroom, he most recently presented "A Blueprint for Racial Healing" at the 2024 TEDx Asheville event and has been an assistant coach for cross country.
Dr. Simrill worked in the UGA Office of International Education as a Program Coordinator from 2002 to 2017. In the past, he has taught a semester-long project in digital media and storytelling through the Lovett School in Atlanta. Dr. Simrill graduated with a B.A. in English from UGA in 1998, and later a PhD in English from the same university in 2004. He has led or assisted programs dealing with outdoor education, photography, and publications.
He lives on campus with his wife, Maggie.
