Dr. Ben Bascom
<b>Department: </b>English<br><b>Research Area: </b>Masculinity and queerness in early and nineteenth-century American literature and culture
Department: English
Research Focus: I am finishing a book about masculinity and queerness in early and nineteenth-century American literature and culture
Potential Student Project(s): I am finishing up a book called "Feeling Singular: Queer Masculinity in the Early United States" that tells an alternative story about founding decades of the U.S. Through focusing on the stories and writings of an eccentric and motley set of characters, this book upends the predominance of the canon for the period's literary history, interrogates the presumed stability of early national cultural norms, and provides a compelling cast of under-examines figures who will expand scholarly and popular knowledge of the period. This project would be great for someone interested in literature, history, and/or popular culture.
Attributes/skills/background sought in undergraduate: I am looking for students who are curious about history and art, willing to learn more about early and nineteenth-century American literature and culture, and interested in expanding their writing and reading skills.
Mentoring Plan: The student researcher will work 5 hours per week on the project including one hour of 1-on-1 meeting with me. The student will read drafts of this book manuscript in small portions and then meet with me weekly to discuss the overall project. The goal is to make the manuscript as readable as possible, so these conversations will be most helpful to achieve that.
Contact: 765-285-8376, Robert Bell Building 242