Colonial and Early American Literature; Early Modern Drama; Literature and Intellectual History; Literature and Religion; Nineteenth Century American Literature
"In my courses I try to instill a sense of community among my students in the midst of what, at a vibrant research institution, can sometimes seem like an impersonal environment. Making unfamiliar literature and historically distant cultures relevant and ‘respectable’ to a diverse body of students—and making those objects of study worthy of their time and energy—is a challenge that I enjoy. I’m especially gratified when my students learn, and even come to love, these unfamiliar texts and contexts.
Murray Hall, Room 023, College Ave Campus
American Gothic
British-American Survey
Gospel of Realism
Introduction to the Novel
Law and Literature
Postbellum Literature of Urban Reform
Shakespeare
American Religious Vernaculars
Anglo-American Puritan Literature and Culture
Best Paper Prize for “What Would Jesus Do?,” Religion and American Culture Caucus of the American Studies Association, October 2005
CLS-Andrew W. Mellon Junior Faculty Fellow, 2005
Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award, University of Arizona, 2003
Gregory S. Jackson Awarded both a Board of Trustees Research Fellowship for Scholarly Excellence and a Presidential Fellowship for Teaching Excellence, 2009