“English, eh? So what are you going to do with that?”

It is the ever-nagging, ever-unanswerable query that is not limited to English majors. History and Philosophy department heads everywhere insist that one can do “anything” with a liberal arts degree, but who has the patience to explain that in casual conversation?

As students near the second half of their undergraduate career, there is a sudden scramble to come up with a definite answer. Many consider graduate or law school and some will pursue fellowships or service opportunities, while others begin to consider testing out different internships to gain a better idea of what feels like the best fit.

For those of us who like writing and are realizing that—yikes!—it’s going to take more than an internship to find a paying job within this interest, perhaps a visit to the Kelly Writers House on UPenn’s Locust Walk will offer some inspiration.

This October, the Writers House has invited a host of success stories to share their work with the public. One worth highlighting also happens to be the first guest of the month.

On Thursday, Oct. 1., Esteemed editor Lewis H. Lapham will be speaking at the Arts Café in an event co-sponsored by the Critical WritingProgram and the Penn Humanities Forum.

Founder and editor of Lapham’s Quarterly, a magazine published four times a year, each under a single, unique theme, Lapham is a prolific writer whom Vanity Fair has compared to Mark Twain and Tom Wolfe has compared to Montaigne.

In his upcoming discussion at the Kelly Writing House, Lapham will touch on his experience in journalism, editing and even filmmaking; for those ambitious students curious about how major editors find their way to the top, this is a must-attend evening.

If you can’t make it to this event, be sure to visit the Kelly Writers House website because the people behind this rich center for today’s poetry and literature are constantly updating the web calendar, adding speakers and readings that will bring hope to any discouraged English major.

Some events and classes will require registration or special permission, so always check the fine print before attending.