The Common Room at Yale

Michael Cunningham

Pulitzer-winning author and senior lecturer Michael Cunningham discusses his winding path to Yale, how music facilitates his writing, and why teaching undergraduates sustains him.
Cunningham's novels include The Hours and The Snow Queen.
The Common Room is a production of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in the Yale Department of English. Cover art by Sarah Harford; editing and sound design by Robert Scaramuccia '19. 

Rebecca Amonor

English and African American Studies double major Rebecca Amonor '21 talks about her spiritual, social, and intellectual communities at Yale, and offers some useful words of advice about how to successfully transition from undergraduate to graduate study. 
The Common Room is a production of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in the Yale Department of English. Cover art by Sarah Harford; editing and sound design by Robert Scaramuccia '19. 

Cirũ Wainaina

PhD student Cirũ Wainaina describes the importance of mentoring black women undergraduates and celebrates the lyrics and performances of Jamaican poet Louise Bennett.
This episode features James Galway performing "The Flight of the Bumblebee," plus Nicki Minaj's "Moment 4 Life."
The Common Room is a production of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in the Yale Department of English. Cover art by Sarah Harford; editing and sound design by Robert Scaramuccia '19. 

Anastasia Ibrahim

Sophomore student and poet Anna Ibrahim powerfully describes how the lack of recognition of Middle East North African (MENA) people on official documents is part of a history of racial discrimination in the US, and talks about her fight to get the category of MENA recognized at Yale.
The Common Room is a production of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in the Yale Department of English. Cover art by Sarah Harford; editing and sound design by Robert Scaramuccia '19. 

Luta Fast Dog and Anna Smist

Luta Fast Dog ES '21 and Anna Smist BR '21 discuss how they've showcased Native American art, literature, and languages while at Yale, both in their theses and extracurricular efforts. 
 
The Common Room is a production of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in the Yale Department of English. Cover art by Sarah Harford; editing and sound design by Robert Scaramuccia '19. 

Erica Sayers

English Department Registrar Erica Sayers talks about her wide-ranging education, and offers some words of wisdom to students starting their degree programs at Yale.
 
The Common Room is a production of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in the Yale Department of English. Cover art by Sarah Harford; editing and sound design by Robert Scaramuccia '19. 

Priyasha Mukhopadhyay

Assistant Professor Priyasha Mukhopadhyay drops by the Common Room to discuss the contested role of functional documents in the colonial world—and how her students dive into Yale's archives for her course, "The Canon and the Colony."
 
The Common Room is a production of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in the Yale Department of English. Cover art by Sarah Harford; editing and sound design by Robert Scaramuccia '19. 

Kadiatou Keita

Kadiatou Keita is a junior in Branford College. She's a part of the Neo Collective, Yale's first Black arts collective, as well as a producer and host of the YDN podcast "Attune."
 
The Common Room is a production of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in the Yale Department of English. Cover art by Sarah Harford; editing and sound design by Robert Scaramuccia '19. 

Richard Deming

Richard Deming is a poet, art critic, and theorist, as well as the Director of Creative Writing in the Yale English Department. On this episode, he explains how making music informs his writing—and how writing, in turn, informs his thinking. 
 
The Common Room is a production of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in the Yale Department of English. Cover art by Sarah Harford; editing and sound design by Robert Scaramuccia '19.

Cajetan Iheka

Associate Professor Cajetan Iheka offers his coming-to-America and academia story, describes a typical working day, and chats about his forthcoming book.
 
His last book, Naturalizing Africa, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2018.
 
The Common Room is a production of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in the Yale Department of English. Cover art by Sarah Harford; editing and sound design by Robert Scaramuccia '19.