Dean of Humanities/Professor of English
English / Academic
- Office:
- Sherman Hall 102
- Mailbox:
- 61649
- Phone:
- 903.813.2361
Education:
B.A., Oberlin College
M.F.A., University of Utah
Ph.D., University of Buffalo
Endowed Professorship:
The Henry L. and Laura H. Shoap Professorship of English Literature
Faculty Bio:
Creativity. What is it? How do we get it And what do we do with it once we have it? I love poetry and creative writing. With my students, we explore being creative together through a wide range of in-class activities, “laboratories,” and play. It’s important to me to help students encounter the many different ways poems can work, such as sound poems, found poems, blackout poems, procedural poems, and more.
Every student has a story to tell. My job is to help each student tell their story and to celebrate what makes each of us different. As a practicing poet, I had the opportunity to study at the renowned Poetics Program at the University of Buffalo where I was able to meet and study with many of the most influential poets writing today, like Robert Creeley, Susan Howe, Charles Bernstein, Rae Armantrout, and so many more. It’s my passion to bring this energy into the classroom for students.
I encourage all students, regardless of your major or whether you think of yourself as “creative” or not, to give creative writing a try. Writing creatively is a great way to boost confidence, get in touch with our emotions, and take pleasure in beauty for its own sake. Everyone can learn to write creatively. All that is required is a willingness to engage new ideas with enthusiasm. Come join us!
Recent Courses:
- Introduction to Creative Writing
- Poetry Writing
- Investigative Poetry
- American Modernism and the Visual Arts
- The World Turned Upside Down
Research Interests:
- Contemporary poetry and poetics
- Literary theory
- Asian American literature
- Thing theory
- Posthumanism