English department heads often find themselves walking a tightrope, trying to keep the various elements of their departments in balance. Yet despite the diversity of interests, English departments should maintain a united house. In fact, separating disciplines--such as writing and literature--into different departments would be negative for both parties, since from a practical and political perspective both sides would lose the clout essential in the fight over the institutional budget. All members of the English department should remember what unites them as a discipline--the written word, whether as finished product or as process. Different perspectives on this common subject are complementary, not antithetical. A reconciliation needs to occur between the literature and writing faculty in order to ease existing tensions. Faculty from each area should be promoted and tenured. In addition, a dialogue between faculty members can be fostered by insuring that committee memberships reflect all departmental constituencies. This type of shared responsibility requires dialogue, eventual understanding, and finally, mutual respect. As the emphasis on the importance of writing in the curriculum continues to grow, the faculty with expertise in writing and rhetoric will gain the respect of other faculty members. Everyone can share in the benefits generated by the strength of the writing program. (MM)