Ian J
- Research Program Mentor
PhD candidate at University of Virginia
Expertise
English; 20th & 21st century literature; postcolonial literature; Anglophone literature; literary criticism; writing; the writing process; creative nonfiction; cultural criticism
Bio
Hi! My name is Ian, and I'm in the third year of my PhD in English at the University of Virginia. Before coming to UVa, I earned my BA in English in Oklahoma, and my MA in English at Georgetown University. Over the course of my undergraduate and graduate career (almost nine years of studying English), I've worked as a teaching assistant, writing center tutor, research assistant, and as a writing instructor for high school students, and a writing tutor for veterans. My academic fields include twentieth- and twenty-first century literature (with a focus on the contemporary novel), global Anglophone fiction, queer theory, feminism, and gender and sexuality studies. My dissertation project examines the relationship between queer life and political, aesthetic, and affective conceptions of freedom, as seen in contemporary works of fiction. When I'm not reading or writing, I love to lift weights, take long walks, explore art museums, and spend time with friends and family. I love dogs, coffee shops, and new music. I'm excited to work with students who are interested in literature, philosophy, creative writing, essays, and the writing process!Project ideas
Research paper (any level)
This project would allow you to do two big things: 1) formulate a research question; develop a claim; summarize, analyze, and synthesize critical, peer-reviewed sources; and write a persuasive, compelling essay in support of your ideas, and 2) throughout this process, discover how you write most effectively: how does the writing process work for you? How do you move from brainstorming, through research and drafting, to final revisions? What tools, strategies, and approaches can you keep in your writing toolkit for your future endeavors?
Review / Cultural criticism
The review--far from being only a positive or negative evaluation of something--is a compelling and thoughtful form for thinking through not only a work of art (a book, an album, a film, a TV show, a painting, etc.), but also its larger significance. What does it mean? Why does it matter? For whom? Writing a review requires close attention to your subject: how do you describe it with words? How do you summarize its intentions, features, and effects? How do you deconstruct all of this, and then figure out what you think about it? Putting the object of your analysis in context--a time, a place, a cultural moment--can open up fascinating questions, ones that you can answer from your own unique perspective!
Creative essay
The "essay" is a wide, ever-shifting form that you can make your own. Creative nonfiction--a genre that includes the personal essay, cultural criticism, memoir, life-writing, and more--is a way to explore your own experiences and perspective on the world. This project would focus on using writing as a tool of exploration, a way to ask questions, narrate your experiences, and figure out what meaning and significance you might make from it all. Your essay could be experimental -- with numbered sections, out-of-order storytelling; it could be short or long; it could be funny or introspective; you could ask questions you don't know the answer to. More than anything, the creative nonfiction essay is a place for you to be curious and inquisitive, to write about the subjects and ideas that make you feel most alive!