I teach a lot of different courses in the English Department, many of them in my area of specialization, which is modernism -- British, Irish, and American -- and more generally, 20th century literature. But I also enjoy teaching introductory courses such as "The Art of Poetry" and the departmental survey of British Literature after 1660. My first book, a study of modernist satire, has recently (fall 2011) been published by Cambridge University Press, and I'm working on a second book for the same press, to be titled "The Cambridge Introduction to Satire." I also am developing a book on the role of Darwin's writing and thought in modernism.

In addition to my teaching and research, I serve as Deputy Chair. I do my best to make myself available to current and prospective students.

Modernism (British, Irish, American); 20th Century British; Comedy and Satire; Darwin and Literature; Literary Theory.

Cambridge Introduction to Satire

Part of the Cambridge Introductions series, this book aims to provide a general overview of satire for undergraduates and general readers. While it will draw upon satire from Aristophanes through Stephen Colbert, it will also place a heavy emphasis on modern and contemporary works, which have usually been neglected in favor of the ancient and Enlightenment canons.