I taught at the University of Washington in Seattle for eight years, including courses on Jane Austen, The Romantic Era, Eighteenth Century novels, and British Literature 1700-1900. I’ve also taught courses on Harry Potter, Fairy Tales, and Witches and Monsters! I now teach at Bishop Blanchet High School in Seattle.
I also teach low-cost, public-facing courses online through Humanities North Dakota’s Public University.
You can see a sample of classes I’ve taught below; please be in touch if you have questions on a class, or if you’re interested in having me speak on one of these topics!
Jane Austen and Her World
Why is Jane Austen so popular? Why are her novels important? This course contextualizes Austen’s novels and compares them to the conduct literature, novels, and essays of her day.
Witches and Monsters
How do we define a witch? A monster? This course combines monster theory with close-readings of The Odyssey, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Stoker’s Dracula, Madeline Miller’s Circe, and more, to investigate the prejudices at the root of ‘monstrous’ others and powerful women.
The Romantic Age
How did writers react to the various revolutions between 1770-1830? This course traces the literary movement of Romanticism, studying William Wordsworth, Charlotte Smith, Mary and Percy Shelley, John Keats, Mary Prince, and more.
British Literature 1700-1900
How and why did literature evolve over two centuries rife with social change? Why should we still read Mary Wollstonecraft, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, and the Brontë’s? This wide-sweeping course traces major developments in poetry, novels, and society.
Fairy Tales
What is a fairy tale? And how did they transform from gruesome, bloody warning tales for children to the Disney princesses of today? Exploring character tropes, morals, and societal pressures, this course was frequently reported to ruin students’ childhood – and give them a new appreciation for villains.
Rise of the English Novel
How did the novel as we know it today come to be? Was a linear plot always necessary? Could one justify a novel without a clear moral? Examining Daniel Defoe, Henry Fielding, Samual Richardson, Eliza Haywood, Frances Burney, and Jane Austen, this course explored the origins of the most popular literary form today.
