Teaching Philosophy

Each classroom experience is an opportunity for me and students to encounter a text in a new way. I see my role as first to provide context: notable events that mark given pieces, formal features, and thought-provoking theoretical frameworks. Once students are given these tools, I am continually surprised and delighted by the discoveries we make together in a discussion-based setting. I believe conversation and the interchange of ideas in a classroom setting can be one of the most uplifting and exciting endeavors we undertake, as I believe we all have a fundamental need to exercise our intellect and better ourselves and the world around us.

Whether in the analysis of literature, or the production of creative writing or academic essays, we are offered spaces for the interchange of ideas spanning across centuries, but the journey is only worthwhile when everyone is included. As such, we continually acknowledge how diverse voices were (and are) locked out of much of literature, and how these works can operate as tools of the oppressor. At the same time, literature offers us a chance to explore complex ideas, to fight back against prevailing forces, and to admire something of beauty.

Degrees

• B.A. in English Literature, University of Louisville
• M.A. in Creative Writing, Miami University of Ohio
• Ph.D. in Creative Writing, University of Illinois-Chicago

Research Interests

Awards

• “Pronoun Confusion” chosen for Best of the Net 2019 Anthology