Research Interests
Much of my research has centered on the relationship between Victorian social reform fiction and philanthropic innovation. My most recent book project, Bazaar Literature: Charity, Advocacy, and Parody in Victorian Social Reform Fiction (Oxford 2022), reorients our understanding of Victorian social reform fiction by reading it in light of the copious amount of literature generated for charity bazaars. A collection of essays co-edited with Frank Q. Christianson, Philanthropic Discourse in Anglo-American Literature, 1850 - 1920 (Indiana UP 2017), brings together scholars of literature and philanthropy in the transatlantic world.My current research projects include compiling an anthology of nineteenth-century children's literature of faith, tracing the influence of religious communities in advocating for literacy, reinforcing ethnic identity, and negotiating scientific advances; and a study of the novel range of narrative prose fiction genres called into existence by Victorian periodical publication.
Teaching Interests
I teach classes in literature and composition, with a focus on British literature of the nineteenth century. Some of my favorite literary texts to teach are deliciously long Victorian novels such as those written by the Brontë sisters and Charles Dickens, as well as poetry by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Gerard Manley Hopkins.I aim to cultivate skills in close reading, fluid writing, careful analysis, and persuasive argumentation. My courses often involve real-world application of these skills in projects such as designing exhibits, contributing to academic websites, participating in conferences, or editing and annotating texts for a digital anthology.
Honors and Awards
- MEG, ORCA Office/College of Humanities (2015 - 2016)
- Teaching Award, English Department (2011 - 2012)
Memberships
- North American Victorian Studies Association
- Research Society for Victorian Periodicals
- Interdisciplinary Nineteenth Century Studies Association (2018 - Present)
- Modern Language Association (2018 - Present)