School of Letters Staff and Administration

Administrative oversight of the program is provided by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, under whose authority the program operates. The dean appoints the program’s director and faculty. In their oversight of the program the dean is assisted by a standing committee, the School of Letters Committee, chaired by the director of the School of Letters, ex officio with vote, and consisting of the chair of the Department of English, ex officio with vote, the associate dean of the College, ex officio with vote, Current member of the School of Letters faculty to be appointed by the Director, ex officio with vote, and two college faculty members elected by the College Faculty, four year term staggered.

Justin Taylor is the author of the novel Reboot, published by Pantheon Books in 2024, following the success of his 2020 memoir Riding with the Ghost. He has authored three other books of fiction: the story collections Everything Here Is the Best Thing Ever (2010), Flings (2014), and the novel The Gospel of Anarchy (2011). His work has appeared in the New Yorker, Harper's, BOMB, the Sewanee Review, the Oxford American, and Bookforum. He has taught writing at the graduate and undergraduate level in programs across the U.S., including Columbia University, the University of Southern Mississippi, and the University of Montana. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

April Alvarez is the Associate Director for the School of Letters. She worked previously in Sewanee's Alumni Office. She holds a BA in English and journalism from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an MFA in creative writing from the Sewanee School of Letters. April worked for the National Geographic Society before moving to Sewanee, where she lives with her husband, photographer Stephen Alvarez. They have two children, both Sewanee graduates. She is currently producing a podcast on the author Ely Green. 

Mary Bullard is a 2023 graduate of Sewanee, where she earned her degree in psychology with minors in French and art history. She also took a lot of English classes, and co-directed a theme house for creative writing. She enjoys reading, cooking, and going on walks around campus. 

Eleanor Knox graduated from Sewanee in 2024, earning her degree in creative writing with a minor in anthropology. While an undergraduate student, she worked as a copy editor with the Mountain Goat Journal and served as vice president and treasurer of Alpha Tau Zeta sorority. In her free time, Eleanor enjoys writing, playing with her cat, and trying new foods.

Phone: (931) 598-1636

Email: sletters@sewanee.edu