Description / Biography

I teach courses in creative writing, American and Irish Literature, and journalism. My favorite courses to teach include Modern American Literature and Music, Writing about Music, Sports, and Culture, and a capstone seminar about James Joyce’s Ulysses. 

Something I love about teaching here is that our students often take courses outside their majors to satiate their intellectual interests and prepare themselves for purposeful lives after Beloit. My course on American Transcendentalism, for example, attracts students majoring in subjects like Environmental Studies, Philosophy, Media Studies, Anthropology, and, of course, Literary Studies and Creative Writing. Beloit is a wonderful place to engage in ideas and to learn alongside other students.

As the Director of the School of Media and Arts, I work closely with students interested in pursuing journalism, broadcast journalism, editing, and arts careers. Beloit alums are always willing to offer advice and information to current students about internships and jobs, and I keep in touch with as many of them as I can. My work with students draws on my professional experiences as a journalist, music critic, and editor.

Teaching outside the traditional classroom is important to me. I have led five Beloit College study-abroad trips to Ireland. In 2014, I taught creative writing to Beloit students at Eötvös József Collegium in Budapest, Hungary. This summer (2024), I am co-leading a global engagement seminar in Ireland. Students will study Irish history, film, and literature on campus and then travel as a group across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. After we return to the States, students will complete creative writing or media projects about colonialism, conflict resolution, Irish culture, and Irish independence.

If you are interested you can read one of my recent essays, “The Irish Gambit” published by an Irish Studies journal. It won recognition as a notable essay in Best American Essays 2019.