I applied to Penn State with the premise of studying late 20th century (1960’s-80’s) literature from the Southern Cone (Peru, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay), Francophone West Africa (list of countries disputed due to colonial nature of the designation), and Japan for the relationship between disability and national identity formation. I am proud to say I was admitted and accepted the position for the fall of 2023.
After passing my Qualifying Exam in the Fall of 2024, I have honed my research focus with feedback from my committee. Acquiring Japanese to the level required became logistically difficult after my summer immersion program in Kyoto in 2024, and so I have narrowed my dissertation research to solely Francophone Africa (expanded to include francophone areas of Central Africa and Indian Ocean archipelagos) and the Southern Cone. My primary research question for this portion of my career will be along these lines: what does disablement by the despotic state complicate about debility and disability representation in literature and performance published under these regimes immediately following decolonization in Francophone West Africa and the election of leftist leaders in the Southern Cone? What does the choice of medium (literature/performance) afford to works within these cultural discourses? What are the similarities and differences in how disability and disablement function in the literatures and performances of these regions?
The PhD program is described as below:
The M.A. and Ph.D. programs in Comparative Literature offer a global breadth of study of literature and other cultural productions. Drawing upon multiple languages and cultural contexts, students consider new configurations such as the Global South or Inter-American studies as well as traditional regions of comparison. Students combine a shared series of seminars in comparative research methods and theory (ancient through very current) with coursework in their own areas of interest. In addition to specializations including—but not limited to—comparative medieval studies; comparative Middle Eastern studies; comparative modernisms; ecocriticism and the Anthropocene; human rights, ethics, and critical health studies; migration, diaspora, and globalization; poetry and poetics; postcolonial and decolonial studies; translation studies; and world literature, doctoral students can take an interdisciplinary dual-title degree with African Studies, Asian Studies, Visual Studies, or Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Our graduate programs emphasize research experience, pedagogical theories and practice, and career preparation.
Penn State Comparative Literature Graduate Majors Page
