DiscoverA Mug of Insights024: Do You Need An English Degree To Read Well?
024: Do You Need An English Degree To Read Well?

024: Do You Need An English Degree To Read Well?

Update: 2025-10-01
Share

Description

In this week's episode, let's talk about the value of an English Degree and whether you need one to become a better reader. On top of that, you'll also learn about the degree's unique history and how it still impacts our perception of literature today.


Sources mentioned in the video:

History of the English Degree from Peter Barry's book: Beginning Theory. https://www.jstor.org/stable/jj.28799978

Professing Criticism by John Guillory https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo181442592.html


Companion article for this episode:

https://www.amugofinsights.org/are-universities-ruining-the-pleasure-of-reading-and-how-to-get-it-back/


Want more food for thought and deeper insights for your reading life? Subscribe to my newsletter for free here for weekly bonuses and tips: https://www.amugofinsights.org/


Download the digital notebook I use to organise ideas for these episodes: https://www.rcwaldun.com/your-syntopicon


My classes on rediscovering the joys of reading & writing: https://www.rcwaldun.com/classes


Legal:

This episode was produced and published under the imprint of © Literary. Publication. Our design consultant for the show is Victoria Aitken, and the intro/outro music, 'Armchair Expert' was composed and performed under the music project 'The Woods' by © Johnny McFadzean.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2IG6UBvhnU3607AuOtCYFq

Website: https://www.musicfromthewoods.com/


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comments 
00:00
00:00
x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

024: Do You Need An English Degree To Read Well?

024: Do You Need An English Degree To Read Well?