Academic Program: English

My dissertation explores the intersections of the publishing industry, #metoo, and the ‘me too.’
movement in relation to contemporary memoirs of sexual trauma. Merging literary analysis, close
reading of three recent memoirs, trauma research, and embodiment theory, I model reading
autobiographical trauma narratives as an act of ethical witnessing. My research expands
understandings of the community-building and therapeutic functions of trauma memoirs, proposing
their potential to address archival silences and to distinctively engage with readers.