Robert Erle Barham
Professor of English
English
On Faculty Since 2012
We are creatures who have an appetite for story and make sense of the world narratively, and our program helps students to understand and appreciate story in various forms—including the cultural artifacts all around us, as well as the stories from our lives. But students should come to Covenant for the people too: my colleagues are brilliant professors who are learned, winsome in their erudition, and kind, and Covenant students are bright, generous, and eager to think faithfully and deeply about language and literature.
Education
- PhD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- MPhil, University of Cambridge
- MA, University of Virginia
- BA, Louisiana State University
Interests / Specialization
- English Renaissance Literature
- Creative Nonfiction
- Contemporary Fiction
Selected Professional Work
- “When You Measured the World,” Short Reads. June 14, 2023.
- “Waiting,” Current. May 23, 2023.
- “For My Students,” Beautiful Things from River Teeth: A Journal of Nonfiction Narrative. May 1, 2023.
- “True Eccentric,” Current. April 6, 2023.
- “Marginalia Matters,” Current. March 14, 2023.
Get to know your professor
Q. Favorite movie?
A. Raiders of the Lost Ark
Q. Favorite local restaurant?
A. Easy Bistro
Q. Favorite food?
A. Coffee
Q. Personal Interests/Hobbies
A. Going on adventures with my family around Chattanooga.