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 new English instructor’s parents as well as a grandfather have preceded him, and Mr. Farrell looks forward to the relational side of learning with his students 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.
Empowering his students inside and outside the classroom motivates Will Gordon on a daily basis as a Learning Resource and English teacher.
Mr. Gordon graduated from Clemson University in May 2020 with a B.A. in English and minors in Film and Sports Communication.
Mr. Gordon has also been a dorm parent and coach for JV soccer and golf. His favorite pastimes include spending time with loved ones, watching movies, and golfing.
Katharine Hoffman has been an honorary Greenie for as long as she can remember.
“It is because of Christ School that I grew up having the neatness of my bed-making skills tested with the bounce of a quarter,” said Mrs. Hoffman, who joined the English Department starting with the 2023-24 school year.
Her father, Edward “Bru” Izard ’69, was the fourth boy in his family to attend Christ School and passed on much of its values.
Katharine has been involved in education since 2011, most recently as an Environmental Educator and Administrator at the Green River Preserve in Cedar Mountain, N.C., and a substitute/after-school teacher in Asheville.
She is expected to complete her master’s in English Literature from the Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English in 2026 and graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South in 2011 with a B.A. in Theatre Arts and English with a minor in Shakespeare.
Mrs. Hoffman has backpacked solo in more than 15 countries and has been an outdoor educator for more than a decade. She gravitates to the inherent sense of community found in boarding schools and summer camps.
Mrs. Hoffman is married to Richard, a fellow teacher. The couple enjoy hiking and getting outside. Mrs. Hoffman encourages students to seek her out for creative explorations or creative solutions and likes crafts, traveling, jokes, and putting to use interesting facts with crossword puzzles.
Now coming up on his fifth year, Wyatt Long is a Learning Resource/English instructor and assistant varsity lacrosse coach.
Mr. Long 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.
Emily Pulsifer P'15, P'17 champions Christ School at every opportunity, having seen what the curriculum and culture has done for her sons, Liam '15 and Zach '17, as well as many other students.
This passion translates into her daily work as Dean of Academics.
Mrs. Pulsifer has been a member of the faculty since 2009, was formerly the chair of the English Department, and was named 2019-20 Teacher of the Year.
Mrs. Pulsifer has also been a longtime faculty advisor for the Struan, the school’s art and literary magazine, an assistant coach for cross country and track, and a writing coach for seniors as they prepare college applications. She earned her B.A. in History from Emory University, and her master’s in Creative Writing from the University of Southern Maine. Mrs. Pulsifer previously taught at Kents Hill School in Maine.
She reads, runs, and cooks in west Asheville with her husband, Andrew.
Watch the Faculty Spotlight on Emily Pulsifer
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.
