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  • WC2B 6NR

    United Kingdom

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Personal profile

Research interests (short)

Victorian literature and culture; media history, especially in the 19th century; 19th century journalism; serialization; Anglo-American queer studies; queer visual cultures; Anthony Trollope; Oscar Wilde; Derek Jarman; Forrest Bess.

Biographical details

Originally from America, I came to London for graduate school, and did my MA (UCL) and PhD (Birkbeck) at University of London. I have been based in the King's English Department since 2000. Previously, I taught at Roehampton University in London. At King's I have helped to develop the field of 19th century studies, urban studies and queer studies, the areas in which I teach modules at BA and MA level. I was Head of English at King's from 2006-10.

Research interests

My research interests and publications fall into two broad categories: 19th century literature and culture, especially related to media history, the novel and journalism; and, Anglo-American queer studies. My current projects include work on the idea of seriality in the 19th century, in relation to what I have termed 'the unruliness of print' in the period. In queer studies, I am working on a long term project about the Texas based artist Forrest Bess (d. 1977), a self-proclaimed 'hermaphrodite' who large cache of letters provide a poignant and challenging exploration of sexuality and gender in mid-century America.

At King's, I was one of the founders of the 'Queer@King's' research centre, which launched in 2003-4, and I continue to be active in the centre's events. With colleagues in the 19th century, I have helped steer the 'Shows of London' research group, which provides a forum for discussion across a range of topics, mostly related to material cultures. I am a member of two research clusters in the Dept of English -- 'Visual and Material Culture' and 'Gender and Sexuality'.

Recent publications include the first fully annoted edition  of Oscar Wilde's journalism (2 vols, co-edited with my colleague at KCL, Prof John Stokes), published in OUP's collected works of Wilde series. A number of chapters in books have been published connected to that long project. I have also recently published articles on the culture of seriality in the 19th century, as part of a long-term exploration of the meaning of periodicals and serials as organizing forms in the period. Other work in this area has focused on temporality and serials, the proliferation of cheap print, and generic instability in serial literatures.

My current research in queer studies is focused on the letters and art of Forrest Bess. Bess was one of the artists based at Betty Parsons's important Manhattan gallery in the 1950s-60s, and I'm interested in the queer constellation of artists connected to her and her gallery, in addition to Bess's visionary thinking and work. I have broad interests in queer visual cultures and in 20014, I curated an exhibition marking the 20th anniversary of Derek Jarman's death:  'Derek Jarman: Pandemonium' (held in the Inigo Rooms, East Wing, Somerset House). The exhibition was widely reviewed in the press, in print and broadcast. Other artists about whom I've written include David Wojnarowicz and Edward Hopper. I'm currently working on a catalogue exhibition on the drawings of Alice Attie, a New York based contemporary artist.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 5 - Gender Equality

Education/Academic qualification

English, Doctor of Philosophy, Trollope and the Magazines: Gendered Issues in Mid-Victorian Britain, University of London

Award Date: 1 Dec 1995

Anglo-American Literary Relations, Master of Arts, University of London

Award Date: 1 Oct 1991

English and French, Bachelor of Arts, Hampden-Sydney College

Award Date: 1 Jun 1989

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