Julie Straight
Professor of English
Biography: I came to NNU in 2004, and I teach writing, British literature, American literature, children’s and young adult literature, and fantasy courses. I am NNU’s faculty representative to the Lilly Network of Church Related Colleges and Universities, an organization promoting thoughtful Christian higher education, and I have served on its national board. For a time I also co-directed Cornerstone, a first-year program that got students involved with local community service organizations. My current work includes exploring African literature in preparation for visiting Africa Nazarene University in the Spring of 2026, and my ongoing research focuses on theological issues in children’s and young adult literature. I enjoy playing my flute at church alongside my husband on guitar; jogging; biking to work; hiking; swimming, when it’s warm enough (and sometimes when it isn’t); and, of course, reading.
What is your favorite thing about working at NNU? I love teaching at NNU because our community is small enough that we can build friendships among colleagues across disciplines; I love learning from others’ expertise, both for my teaching and for my own growth. I’m also grateful to teach at a Christian school. I’ve loved teaching English in public institutions and in prisons; at the same time, we can have different conversations at NNU. Here, we value all students’ contributions to our community, whatever their beliefs, while also working intentionally to help young Christians grow more deeply and broadly in their faith, and I love being part of that.
Share a few facts about your specific area(s) of expertise that you bring to the classroom: I first fell in love with reading as a child, I had hours of happy reading with my own children as they grew up, and I now love teaching children’s and young adult literature, with the difficult questions these texts address and raise. My Ph. D. work focused on British literature of the nineteenth century, a time seething with intellectual questions about Christianity (such as those raised by Darwin), as well as practical questions about how to live out Christian faith in a complex and hurting world. My secondary area of training was in early American literature, which helps us understand our culture today.
Share a few pieces of information that represent your teaching experience and why you love working with students: I love getting to know students, both through class discussions and through one-to-one conversation about their writing. Seeing them grow in their understanding and their skills makes me happy! I’m passionate about asking questions and helping students discover truths new to them, whether they are seeking reliable sources on a current topic or struggling to understand a poem. In turn, students teach me every day, with new discoveries in our reading and new information and ideas in their papers. Jesus said that where two or three are gathered in his name, he is present with us; it is often with students that I’m most aware of his presence.