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 is the JV Baseball team's head coach and played the sport collegiately at Ursinus.
Outside of baseball and teaching, Mr. Farrell’s interests are literature, soccer, writing, fitness, film, and fly-fishing.
A triple threat in the best sense.
English Department Chair Will Gordon juggles his academic duties and after-school role as an assistant golf coach with being Head of Cuningham House, Christ School's youngest dorm for first-year eighth and ninth grade students.
Mr. Gordon is a Spartanburg, S.C., native who graduated from Clemson University in 2020. He earned his master's in Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Outside of school, Mr. Gordon's interests include writing, golf, going to live shows, travel, and spending time with close friends and family.
With great power comes great responsibility and Wyatt Long welcomes it all.
Mr. Long continued his emergence as a young leader amongst the faculty by taking on the role of Dean of Student Development for the 2025-26 academic year. He has been at Christ School since 2020.
Mr. Long's responsibilities are directing leadership development and a reenvisioned pillar of the Dignity of Manual Labor with school-wide larger job prospects by advisory. He teaches English, serves as the Head of Gardner House and is an assistant coach for lacrosse.
Wyatt 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 in 2019 after a decade and a half as a college English instructor in Athens, Ga.
Along with teaching, Dr. Simrill has been the faculty advisor for the Little Stump News broadcast journalism class and an assistant coach for Greenies cross country.
Outside of Christ School, he presented "A Blueprint for Racial Healing" at the 2024 TEDx Asheville event, and in 2025, CNN's The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper spotlighted the unique dynamics of Dr. Simrill's family in "Simril(l)s: A Family in Black and White." The documentary was nominated for an Emmy.
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 Ph.D. 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, and their children.
