About Me

I am a PhD Candidate in the English Department at Duke University, and I will be defending my dissertation in July of 2026. 

My primary field is American fiction and film from the early 20th century to the present, although my teaching and research often intersect with studies of the novel, contemporary global cinema, and theories of genre and popular culture. My dissertation, for example, looks not only at how American fiction and film across four genres have shaped the popular understanding of the contemporary debt economy, but also how our narrative forms have changed in response to new economic logics. 

Though I love my research, my primary interest in academia has always been teaching. In my work as an instructor of record for two courses at Duke, I have, of course, guided my students in understanding works of literature and film through analysis, discussion, and writing. More than that, though, I’ve sought to help my students discover for themselves how the study of English offers not just practical skills, but something that will actively enrich their lives.