I hope everyone is enjoying the summer!
I'm a US-based student with a BA in English and several post-bac History and Art History classes under my belt. I'm planning to apply for an MA in one of those two fields, with the ultimate goal of writing academically-informed literary nonfiction. Given my interdisciplinary interests, I’m having a hard time deciding what kind of program to aim for, and I’d be thrilled to get any advice!
I hope to research both the evolution of cities over time (shifting street morphology, social classes of citizens, etc.), and evolving conceptualizations of history over time (examining both the texts of historians and material culture). I realize these sound like two separate topics, and I understand that my thesis will need a more precise focus (perhaps one city from the Late Medieval to Early Modern periods). Before that, though, I would like to study a range of eras and disciplines as I integrate and narrow my topic. I’ve tried to get that broad range as a post-bac student, but I’m finding both architectural and intellectual history classes hard to come by, and it’s getting a bit expensive to keep this up without working toward a degree.
In my thesis, I hope to interpret my research according to aesthetic criteria. I’m particularly interested in the concept of the sublime, though there’s a lot I have yet to learn about aesthetic theory. My sense is that this method lends itself more to Art History than History – is that accurate?
I’m also curious if either History or Art History is more nurturing to aspiring literary nonfiction writers. I’m excited to do scholarly writing and research in the program, but some support for my later career goals would be wonderful.
Thank you!
