Work by English majors published in national journal

ISSUED: 10 May 2024
MEDIA CONTACT: Cecelia Mason

SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV - The works of three Shepherd University English majors have been accepted for publication in the 14th volume of the peer-reviewed academic journal LURe. The majors include Taylor Beam, Jane Lew, West Virginia; Lee DiFante, Shepherdstown, West Virginia; and Logan King, Paw Paw, West Virginia.

Beam's essay, "There Is No Witch: Wieland and The Blair Witch Project," was originally written for an American literature course led by Dr. Timothy Nixon, professor of English, which explored works up until 1900.

The essay juxtaposes the 1798 novel by Charles Brockden Brown with the 1999 film, and Nixon was delighted to read Beam's analysis.

"I share Taylor's love of good horror, so I wasn't the least bit surprised by her interest in writing about Wieland," said Nixon. "The resulting essay, however, was amazingly creative and insightful."

DiFante's essay was written for a seminar on Edgar Allan Poe taught by Dr. Heidi Hanrahan, professor of English, and is titled "Queer Reproduction in 'Morella,' 'Ligeia,' and 'The Fall of the House of Usher.'"

"Lee's essay is not only incredibly smart and compelling, making a unique contribution to Poe and gender studies, but it is also so much fun to read," said Hanrahan. "This essay made me think about these stories-stories that I have known and taught for years-in new and exciting ways."

DiFante is grateful that Shepherd's English program provides opportunities for students to extensively research and learn about authors.

"Being able to focus on just one topic for so long really opens students up to being able to produce some really insightful papers for undergrads,"DiFante remarked.

King's essay, "The Duplicity of Time in the Latin American Literary Tradition: A Comparison of Borgesian and Márquezian Time," was written during Nixon's seminar on 20th-century Latin American literature.

Upon reading King's essay, Nixon was immediately impressed.

"The moment I read Logan's paper for the Latin American literature seminar, I knew I was encountering some sophisticated, innovative analysis," said Nixon. "I have to commend Logan for not being put off by how challenging the works of Borges and García Márquez can be. Instead, he thought deeply and creatively about how to engage with their writing."

LURe (Literary Undergraduate Research in English) has been published by the Department of English and Philosophy at the University of West Georgia since 2010 and receives submissions from around the globe, publishing one volume every year.

With their already well-crafted essays, the three students engaged in careful revision processes for their work to meet the standards of the LURe editorial team.

The revision and publication process has been fulfilling for these students. Beam is especially excited to see her ideas continue to grow.

"The paper became a passion project and has helped me find a theoretical lens that is applicable to a lot of the ideas I have," said Beam. "It has been really fulfilling to write and revisit this paper with the reward of publication at the end. I hope to expand on the ideas in the paper and take them with me as I continue my academic journey."

A digital version of the 14th volume will be available on LURe's website: https://lurejournal.com/.

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