English & Modern Languages

Academics

Organizations

Dr. Mark Harris 

Director, M.A. in English
Associate Professor of English
mharris@liberty.edu
DeMoss 2137
582-2238
 
Biography
I was born in Kentucky in 1961 and have also lived in New Jersey and Pennsylvania before coming to Virginia.  I have been a Christian, since I responded to an altar call given by Keith Green at a “Jesus” festival in August 1978.  The Lord has blessed me immensely.  My wife Beth and I have been married since 1986, and we have three sons, Sam, Henry, and Jared.  
 
Degrees
Doctor of Philosophy, English, Lehigh University, October 1991
Master of Arts, English, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 1987
Bachelor of Arts, English, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 1986
 
Courses Taught 
Advanced Composition
American Literature I
American Literature II
American Modernism
American Realism and Naturalism
American Romanticism
Business Writing
Composition and Literature
Contemporary American Literature
Developmental English
Early American Literature
English Composition
English Internship
Faulkner Seminar
Honors American Literature I
Honors American Literature II
Honors Composition
Honors Composition and Literature Internship in English Composition
Introduction to Linguistics
Literary Criticism
Modernism and Postmodernism
Shakespeare
Women and Minority American Writers
 

Scholarly Publications/Presentations

Publications
“An American Literary Christmas.”  Nantahala Review, 2003
“Drive-Thru Life.”  Nantahala Review, 2003 
“Morning, Sickling.”  Nantahala Review, November 2001
“A New Version of Borges’ ‘Three’,” Contra Mundum, Winter 1998
“The Failed Dream:  A New Reading of ‘Ethan Brand,’” Studies in Short Fiction, Winter 1993-94
“The Wives of the Living?  Absence of Dreams in Hawthorne’s ‘The Wives of the Dead,’” Studies in Short Fiction, Summer 1992
“Theodor’s Imperfect Creation:  The Mysterious Stranger,” Cithara, May 1992

Editor/Reader
Lit (Literature Interpretation Theory), 1996 - present

Readings/Lectures Given
“Be”’s Are Good”:  Eight “Be”’s I’ve Learned from Teaching.”  Outstanding Faculty of the Year Presenter, September 2002, Virginia Intermont College.
Poetry Reading, Java J’s, Spring 2001
Faculty-student poetry reading, Virginia Intermont College, 1999 – 2003
Participant, Faculty Roundtable Discussions, 1999 – 2003
College literary magazine, poetry readings, 1993- 1998
 
Awards and Honors
Nominated for Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate Award, 2002
Outstanding Faculty Award, 2002
Nominated for Outstanding Faculty Award, 2001, 2002
Who’s Who, 1997, 2001
Faculty of the Year Award, 1996-1997
 
Interests
Bible study, American lit. (esp. William Faulkner), Shakespeare, humor, games, music, creative writing, meat and potatoes (esp. meat).
 

Institutional Service
Director, Master of Arts in English, 2007-present
Chair, Department of English and Modern Languages, 2003-2008
Chair, Graduate Committee, 2003-present
Member, Freshman Writing Committee, 2003-present
Academic Advisor, 2003-2006
 
Community and/or Christian service
Gospel for Asia
Far-Reaching Ministries
Arise Medical Mission
Calvary Chapel, Lynchburg
Marathon Ministry