I have taught Spanish at CSU since 2003. Though I teach all levels and several different topics, I tend to specialize in Spanish literature and philosophy from the Generation of 98 to the present. My seminars have focused on Spanish Postwar culture, the Silver and Golden Ages, Spain and Film, and Fantastic Literature, among other things.
I have also designed and directed the CSU in Spain program since 2005 and had the pleasure of directing our Costa Rica program in 2008. Study Abroad was a life-changing experience for me, both as a participant and a friend of foreign students in the U.S., and I enjoy spreading the word about this great opportunity.
I have been faculty advisor to the Club de Español since its creation, and I regularly participate in the Mesa Hispana. As often as I can manage, I help students organize extracurricular activities, like movie nights and the Club de Español events. Working with students inside and outside of the classroom is one of the most rewarding aspects of my profession.
I received a PhD. in Comparative Literature from SUNY Buffalo. My publications have brought continental philosophy to bear on Hispanic writing. My articles on Juan Benet draw on Heidegger, Todorov, Auerbach and others to talk about Benet¿s poetic concerns in a broad theoretical context. A recently published anthology chapter on Borges and nihilism includes discussions of Nietzsche as well as the status of the theatrical in Diderot and Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe. I am currently expanding on another recent article about María Zambrano and the concept of Europe into a book-length study of the relationship between literature and philosophy in Spanish letters.
A native of Kansas, my first experience with Hispanic culture was brought on by my parents¿ decision to take the family to Ecuador with the Peace Corps. My most intense experience has been with Spain, though; I was an exchange student with a family in Barcelona after high school. I received a BA in Spanish from the University of Kansas and spent my junior year abroad in Germany, studying, among other things, Latin, French, and Spanish.
I live on the West Side of Cleveland and enjoy this great city, with its museums, art galleries, parks, neighborhoods, and the lake.