Department of English

His interdisciplinary approach to literature, ethics, and social and political thought will undoubtedly enrich our department and provide students with new avenues for critical exploration.

Dr. Dalton earned his Ph.D. from K.U. Leuven in 2006, where he worked closely with the Husserl Archives and the Center for Social and Political Philosophy. Before joining Indiana University, he was a Professor of Philosophy at Dominican University. His academic interests are broad and deeply interdisciplinary, spanning literary theory, ethics, aesthetics, and social and political philosophy. More specifically, his research examines the intersections of good, evil, truth, and beauty through the lenses of Phenomenology, German Idealism, Pessimism, Speculative Materialism, and Psychoanalysis. His work offers students and scholars alike a nuanced perspective on literature’s role in shaping ethical and socio-political discourse.

A prolific author, Dr. Dalton has published three books that engage with pressing philosophical and literary questions. His first, Longing for the Other: Levinas and Metaphysical Desire (2009), explored the ethical, social, and political dimensions of Emmanuel Levinas’ philosophy of desire. He expanded on these ideas in The Ethics of Resistance: Tyranny of the Absolute (2018), interrogating the role of the absolute in ethical and political reasoning. His most recent work, The Matter of Evil: From Speculative Realism to Ethical Pessimism (2023), ventures into metaphysics, examining how contemporary scientific research—particularly entropy—can inform philosophical debates on ethics and aesthetics.

Currently, Dr. Dalton is working on his fourth monograph, which will investigate the roots of our aesthetic sensibilities through the lens of pessimistic philosophy. This project aims to uncover the role of escapist fantasies in shaping our conceptions of goodness and beauty. By tracing the link between high art and popular culture, Dr. Dalton’s research continues to challenge conventional distinctions between the philosophical and the everyday, urging us to reconsider the foundations of our aesthetic values.

Beyond his books, Dr. Dalton has contributed numerous articles to top-tier philosophical and interdisciplinary journals, including Philosophy Today, Angelaki, The Journal of Aesthetics and Culture, and Epoché. His ability to bridge literature, philosophy, and cultural studies makes him an invaluable addition to our department.

Outside of academia, Dr. Dalton is a passionate jazz guitarist and a dedicated middle- to long-distance runner. He has an abiding love for modern architecture, vintage stereo equipment, and classic comedy, particularly the films of the Marx Brothers. His diverse interests reflect the breadth of his intellectual curiosity, offering students and colleagues a unique perspective both inside and outside the classroom.

We are excited to welcome Dr. Dalton to our department and look forward to the insights, scholarship, and creative thinking he will bring to our community. Students and faculty alike can anticipate engaging discussions, thought-provoking lectures, and new research directions that challenge conventional approaches to literature and philosophy.

 

With an impressive academic background and a commitment to literary recovery and preservation, Dr. Hardison’s expertise will bring new perspectives to our department, deepening conversations on race, gender, and social politics in literature and media.

Dr. Hardison earned her Ph.D. in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan, where she cultivated her interest in twentieth- and twenty-first-century African American literature, contemporary film and media, and popular culture studies. Her scholarship is characterized by a deep engagement with issues of race, gender, historical memory, and genre, making her a dynamic addition to our faculty.

Her book, Writing through Jane Crow: Race and Gender Politics in African American Literature (2014), received the Nancy Dasher Award and was recognized as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title. This seminal work examines how mid-twentieth-century African American authors navigated the complexities of race and gender within their writing. She has also co-edited African American Literature in Transition: 1930-1940 (2022) with Eve Dunbar, a volume that provides fresh insight into a transformative decade in Black literary history. Additionally, she collaborated with Randal Jelks to co-edit two special journal issues, including one for The Langston Hughes Review. Her scholarship extends across multiple academic journals and anthologies, with contributions to African American Review and Meridians, among others.

Currently, Dr. Hardison is working on an exciting new book project that investigates portrayals of African American social movement history across literature, film, and material culture. This research promises to provide a nuanced exploration of how Black activism and historical memory are represented in creative works, bridging literature and visual media to offer fresh cultural analysis.

Dr. Hardison’s academic contributions have been recognized with prestigious fellowships and grants from institutions such as the Ford Foundation, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Black Metropolis Research Consortium, and the Kansas Humanities Council. Her dedication to African American literary history extends beyond her research; she serves as the director of the History of Black Writing (HBW), a vital initiative dedicated to the preservation and recovery of Black literary texts. Additionally, she is the co-editor of Women, Gender, and Families of Color, a multidisciplinary journal that examines issues at the intersections of race, gender, and social structures.

Beyond her academic achievements, Dr. Hardison brings a passion for storytelling and historical inquiry that resonates through her research and teaching. Her interdisciplinary approach will offer students valuable insights into the evolving landscape of African American literature and media.

With her arrival, the department gains a scholar whose work not only sheds light on overlooked literary histories but also challenges and expands the ways we engage with literature and cultural narratives. We are excited for the new courses, discussions, and research directions she will inspire within our community.

 

With an extensive body of work that bridges classical rhetorical theory and contemporary discourse, Dr. Reames brings invaluable insight into the historical and philosophical foundations of rhetoric.

Dr. Reames earned her Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University in 2009, establishing a research trajectory that interrogates how language shapes our understanding of reality. Her first book, Seeming and Being in Plato's Rhetorical Theory (2018), explores the philosophical tensions between appearance and truth in Plato’s rhetorical thought. She also edited Logos without Rhetoric: The Arts of Language Before Plato (2016), a volume that examines rhetorical practices predating Plato’s theoretical interventions.

Beyond her scholarly monographs, Dr. Reames has contributed to shaping the study of rhetoric on a broader scale. She co-edited the 3rd edition of The Rhetorical Tradition: Readings from Classical Times to the Present (2020) alongside Patricia Bizzell and Bruce Herzberg, curating essential texts that trace the evolution of rhetorical thought from antiquity to modern times. Her latest book, The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself: The Power of Rhetoric in Polarized Times (2024), takes her expertise beyond academia, introducing general audiences to rhetorical strategies that can help navigate today’s increasingly polarized political landscape. This work highlights the enduring relevance of ancient rhetorical principles in fostering independent thought and civil discourse.

Dr. Reames’s scholarship extends across numerous esteemed academic journals, including Psyche, Epochê, Humanities Journal, The Journal of Comparative and Continental Philosophy, Philosophy and Rhetoric, Rhetorica, and Rhetoric Society Quarterly. Her research not only enriches the study of classical rhetoric but also provides frameworks for understanding contemporary debates about persuasion, ideology, and truth.

In the classroom, Dr. Reames offers courses on the history and theory of rhetoric as well as literary history, providing students with a deep understanding of how rhetorical traditions inform modern discourse. Her interdisciplinary approach encourages students to critically engage with language, argumentation, and the philosophical dimensions of communication.

With her arrival, the department gains a scholar whose work bridges ancient philosophical inquiry with contemporary societal challenges. Her contributions will undoubtedly enhance discussions on the power of rhetoric, the construction of meaning, and the role of persuasion in public life. We eagerly anticipate the insights and intellectual energy she will bring to our academic community.

 

With a background in Comparative Literature from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Dr. Watt brings a wealth of expertise in narrative theory, literary history, and digital humanities.

Dr. Watt’s research primarily explores medieval romance, focusing on how narrative constructs character, gender, and identity. Her work engages deeply with feminist, queer, and trans studies, offering fresh perspectives on medieval texts. Beyond traditional literary analysis, her scholarship also examines the transmission of classical and medieval narratives across different works and cultural traditions, incorporating insights from storyworld theory to understand how medieval themes persist in contemporary storytelling.

Her publications reflect this interdisciplinary approach. She has contributed articles on John Gower’s Confessio Amantis and Heldris de Cornualle’s Le Roman de Silence, investigating themes of gender, ethics, and identity. Additionally, she co-edited The Worlds of John Wick (2022), a collection that explores the worldbuilding strategies of the John Wick film franchise, demonstrating her interest in the intersections of medieval literature and modern popular culture. Her other works, published in Ethics in the Arthurian Legend, The Year's Work in Medievalism, The Medieval Feminist Forum, Neophilologus, and postmedieval, span topics from knight-horse relationships in Lybeaus Desconus to transmasculinity in medieval texts.

Dr. Watt’s teaching is deeply influenced by her research, blending medieval studies with contemporary media and digital humanities. She has designed courses on medieval literature, popular genres, and modern medievalisms, and she is passionate about introducing students to archival research and historical primary sources. She incorporates innovative methods such as mapping, multimodal composition, and virtual museum exhibits, ensuring dynamic and engaging classroom experiences.

A strong advocate for accessibility in education, Dr. Watt has committed to using Open Educational Resources and developing her own teaching materials to reduce course costs for students. Recently, she has been exploring podcasting as a tool for both research and pedagogy, embracing new technologies to enhance student engagement.

With her arrival, the department gains a scholar who not only deepens our understanding of medieval literature but also expands the ways in which we study and teach the past in relation to the present. Her interdisciplinary expertise and commitment to innovative pedagogy will undoubtedly enrich our academic community, and we look forward to the contributions she will bring to Indiana University.