It comes as no surprise that Loyola has been selected as Louisiana’s “Hidden Gem” of higher education. Joining such distinguished schools elsewhere in the country as Reed College, Haverford College, Kenyon College, Wellesley College, Davidson College, Trinity University, and Sewanee University as a “Hidden Gem,” Loyola University New Orleans has quietly built a reputation for outstanding academic programs and faculty dedicated to providing a student-centered education. As one of the leading programs on campus, the English department has made a substantial contribution to that reputation. For example, in just the past three years, the English faculty have published 14 books and 106 articles, poems, and stories; had 18 play productions or staged readings of their work; and made 92 professional presentations. In the coming year, they will publish at least 7 more books. English faculty engage in sustained research and creative production not at the expense of their work in the classroom but because the department views scholarship as the foundation of effective teaching in the major as well as obviously essential for joint faculty-student research. This newsletter notes some of the past year’s achievements by English faculty and students. It also offers faculty recommendations for summer reading and details on how to stay in touch. Most importantly, it gives a sense of why nearly 200 students have chosen to major in English at Loyola this fall.