Essays and Articles
Welcome to my collection of essays and articles, where you will find researched commentary on literature, culture, media, and beyond. My exploration spans a range of influential works, from Shakespeare and Huxley to Rowling’s Harry Potter series and AMC’s The Walking Dead franchise. Within these pieces, I explore timeless themes of identity, the human condition, and what constitutes significant storytelling. Each essay offers insights that resonate with contemporary audiences while honoring the complexities of the original texts.
Upcoming Publication: 2023 Ohio Valley Shakespeare Selected Papers, Shakespeare and Social Justice
‘I am not that I play’: Shakespeare’s Non-Binary Viola/Cesario
Highlighted Works
My biggest, proudest works throughout the years
Graduate Thesis
‘God, Disentangled’: An Ecocritical Examination of Posthuman Transcendence in Ovid’s Metamorphoses
2024
This thesis studies Ovid's enduring legacy and transformation into a posthuman figure through the very text and continuous translation of the Metamorphoses. By analyzing the interplay between nature, identity, and the divine, the project argues that Ovid transcends mortal limitations and achieves eternal life through his literary creation. Furthermore, the thesis delves into the nuanced political commentary embedded within the Metamorphoses, particularly regarding Emperor Augustus's ambition for divinity. My examination reveals how Ovid's critique of Augustus’s aspirations resonates with contemporary discourses on power and immortality. Drawing on the philosophical insights of Friederich Nietzsche and Bruno Latour, the work interrogates the intersections of myth, politics, and ecological awareness, positioning Ovid as a poet of transformation and a pivotal figure in the discourse on posthumanism and environmental ethics.
Nietzsche’s Übermensch and Nature’s Challenge to Anthropocentrism in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
2022
This paper explores the intersection of Friedrich Nietzsche's Übermensch philosophy and the ecocritical dimensions of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to challenge anthropocentrism. Drawing on Nietzschean, Posthumanist, and Medieval frameworks, it argues that the Pearl Poet presents a vision of interconnected human and nonhuman realms, where nature serves as both adversary and guide. Through the Green Knight's symbolic balance of humanity and nature and Gawain's transformative journey, the poem critiques human exceptionalism and envisions a more harmonious coexistence. Gawain's trials in the natural world illuminate the possibility of transcending the human ego to embrace the openness and resilience of Nietzsche’s Übermensch, offering a profound meditation on the limits and potentials of humanity.
Hopelessly Alone: A Postcolonial and Biographical Analysis of Huxley’s Brave New World
2022
This paper explores Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World through postcolonial and biographical lenses, examining how the author’s conflicting views on eugenics and technology shape the novel’s dystopian vision. Through the foil relationship of Bernard Marx and John the Savage, the text interrogates themes of loneliness, community, and identity in a technologically advanced society. Bernard’s desire for solitude and individuality contrasts with John’s longing for inclusion and community, exposing the alienation wrought by imperialism and scientific manipulation. By analyzing Huxley’s familial influences, his fear of technological degeneration, and the postcolonial implications of the World State’s treatment of the “Other,” the paper reveals Brave New World as both a critique of scientific overreach and a cautionary tale about the dangers of dehumanization in pursuit of progress.
Industrialized Gods: The Synthesized Spiritualities of Brave New World and Klara and the Sun
2022
This paper explores the industrialization of spirituality in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun, focusing on the characters Bernard Marx and Klara as they navigate synthesized religious experiences in posthuman societies. Both novels depict worlds where technological advancements reshape divine connection: Bernard confronts the artificial worship of Ford in a dystopia that stifles individuality, while Klara reveres the Sun as a god-like source of nourishment and purpose. Through the lenses of Perception, Connection, and Reception, this analysis reveals how spirituality enables these characters to transcend their unnatural design, experiencing love, loneliness, and faith. Ultimately, both novels interrogate what it means to be human in an era dominated by mechanization, raising profound questions about the future of spiritual connection and human identity.
Longer Reads
-
The Language of Screams: Castellanos Moya's Senselessness
2023
This essay explores the psychological and ethical implications of translating trauma in Horacio Castellanos Moya’s Senselessness. It examines how the narrator’s descent into a realm of inexpressibility mirrors the limitations of language in translating “the Language of Screams.”
-
Most Macabre Monstrosities: Harry Potter Adaptations
2024
This essay examines the enduring medievalisms within the Harry Potter adaptations, from films and video games to theme parks, focusing on the integration of medieval bestiaries and folklore.
-
Storytelling as Connection in Jay Shetty's Think Like A Monk
2022
This essay Jay Shetty’s Think Like a Monk, emphasizing the author’s use of storytelling and personal vulnerability to connect with readers. Shetty provides actionable wisdom, fostering empathy and inspiring readers to find their own purpose through a "monk mind" approach to life.
-
Mountains of Growth: Spirituality and Departure in Appalachian Literature
2022
A.J. Grant’s essay explores themes of spirituality, departure, and personal transformation in Appalachian literature through the lens of Sheila Kay Adams’ My Old True Love and Gurney Norman’s Divine Right’s Trip.
Quick Reads
-
"Riddles In the Dark:" Tolkien's Edits to The Hobbit
This essay examines J.R.R. Tolkien's edits to The Hobbit to align it with The Lord of the Rings, focusing on how these changes transformed Gollum and Bilbo's characters, adding depth to Middle-earth while shifting away from the original lighthearted tone.
-
The Dual Nature of Gender in Swinburne's "Hermaphroditus"
This essay examines Algernon Charles Swinburne’s “Hermaphroditus” as an ekphrastic reflection on duality and fluidity. The interplay of gender, life, and death depicted in the sculpture and the poem challenges rigid binaries and explores the interconnectedness of genders.
-
The Veil of Femininity in Swinburne's "Before the Mirror"
This essay explores Algernon Charles Swinburne’s “Before the Mirror” as a critique of Victorian standards of femininity and societal constraints through the lens of James MacNeill Whistler’s Symphony in White No. 2.
-
A Portrait, A Mask, and A Wax Doll: The Many Faces of Madness in Lady's Audley's Secret
This essay examines the artistic representations of Lady Audley in Lady Audley’s Secret, focusing on whether Lady Audley’s madness reflects genuine instability or a rebellion against restrictive Victorian societal norms.
Journalism
-
Behind the Canvas- Art Drop Day
Artists hid their precious pieces of art in various locations on campus, posted a picture or a riddle revealing where the art was hidden, and waited as other students searched under benches, tables and even in some bushes trying to uncover the art.
-
Turchin Center: Opportunities for all artists
The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, located on King Street next to Appalachian State’s campus, is a lively center for young artists to get involved and observe others’ works.
-
First Year theatre and dance debut
First Year Showcase was held this past weekend from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1. App State first-year students with a love for theater and dance performed a display of new first-year college relationships.
-
Up the hill: Watauga Residential College
Watauga Residential College is an integrative learning experience for students who are looking to get a little more out of their educational careers here at App State.
-
Ransom Cafe: Music of the past
Ransom Cafe and Pub, located in downtown Boone on King Street, is home to eclectic pub grub and live music sessions, one being their weekly old time music jams.
-
Trivia night in Boone
For several years, the town of Boone has been a hotspot for trivia nights. With restaurants all over Rivers and King streets hosting weekly trivia nights, there is not a dull moment for those who wish to enjoy a meal while also testing their knowledge.
-
App's oldest club sport: fencing
Appalachian State Fencing, a club sport established in 1899, welcomes new members of all skill levels to participate.
-
Freedom of speech: App State hosts Panorama
Panorama 2018 was held Tuesday in the Parkway Ballroom of the Plemmons Student Union.
Multicultural Student Development Center: clubs and offices
For students looking to be more involved with diversity, Appalachian State University offers several offices and clubs dedicated to increasing diversity and safety on-campus.
Holi Celebrations at App State
Holi, an Indian festival known for celebrating the coming of spring, was held on Sanford Mall on Wednesday. This was the first Holi festival that App State has put on for the campus-wide Diversity Celebration week.
Pagan Student Association puts on Faerie Fest
The Pagan Student Association held their annual Faerie Festival Saturday. Held on Sanford Mall, the festival included several events such as inflatable jousting, maypole dancing and tarot or divination