Southern Lit and 20th Century American

[Let'sGetMetaPhysical]

Any enthusiasts out there? I'm just finishing up a three-week course on the short story, following a semester of Southern Lit and am slowly being pulled into the works of Faulkner, Robert Penn Warren, and Flannery O'Connor, among many others. I could definitely see it as a potential field of interest in the not so distant future (it's getting closer every time I turn around!), so I was wandering if there are any schools outside of the South that have a reputable Southern Lit program in addition to a strong American faculty. Schools in the South are welcome to the conversation as well.

[Phil Sparrow]

Carolina and UVa for sure (UVa has amazing Faulkner resources/archives in the special collections); Ole Miss. I know there are lots more in the South but those are the only ones I'm sure about. Outside the South...WUSTL, maybe? Just because I know they're strong in American studies and particularly African American studies (and there often tends to be overlap with Southern studies in particular areas of focus within AfAm lit). Not as sure about WUSTL, but I know that UNC, UVa, and Ole Miss are great.

[Let'sGetMetaPhysical]

On 6/3/2011 at 6:48 AM, Phil Sparrow said:

Carolina and UVa for sure (UVa has amazing Faulkner resources/archives in the special collections); Ole Miss. I know there are lots more in the South but those are the only ones I'm sure about. Outside the South...WUSTL, maybe? Just because I know they're strong in American studies and particularly African American studies (and there often tends to be overlap with Southern studies in particular areas of focus within AfAm lit). Not as sure about WUSTL, but I know that UNC, UVa, and Ole Miss are great.

UVa I would loooove but I can't afford to pay for an MA there. Doesn't mean I can't study up on what they've been doing up there though, thanks.

UNC is another dream school for me (my advisor's school) but I don't believe I have the credentials or a narrow enough focus to get into a PhD program right now

Ole Miss will most likely get an application with my name on it, but my interests would be split in three at that school.

-3.4 cumulative GPA, ~3.8 English classes, taking the GRE this fall, and I have a portfolio of papers that I've been revising/researching with: one Shax, one Orlando Furioso reading, an essay sketching the influence of John Donne on Tom Carew, a Keats work on repeated themes in some of his shorter works, a Warren-Faulkner gloss, and an O'Connor essay on "A Good Man is Hard to Find." These are all ~10-12 pages, so I'm trying to make them really tight but also trying to hit that magic 15 page mark. What's the deal with that **** number anyway?

Sorry, long night.

Wow WUSTL seems like a great school! I liked it at a glance, I'll check it out after this weekend's recovery. It sucks they don't have an MA-only program but I guess that's becoming more and more common these days...

[lyonessrampant]

I just wanted to note (though you probably already know this!) that you should try to match your writing sample to your stated research interests in your SOP, so one of your early modern papers with an SOP saying you want to focus on American lit, especially Southern lit, wouldn't jive as well as, say, a Faulkner paper. To make your papers longer, I'd focus on one or two (depending on how close you are to narrowing your interests down) and then doing some additional secondary research, focusing on articles/books written by people at the schools you are applying to. Try to incorporate their work to show you are aware of conversations in your field and trying to contribute to them. Good luck!

[Let'sGetMetaPhysical]

I just wanted to note (though you probably already know this!) that you should try to match your writing sample to your stated research interests in your SOP, so one of your early modern papers with an SOP saying you want to focus on American lit, especially Southern lit, wouldn't jive as well as, say, a Faulkner paper. To make your papers longer, I'd focus on one or two (depending on how close you are to narrowing your interests down) and then doing some additional secondary research, focusing on articles/books written by people at the schools you are applying to. Try to incorporate their work to show you are aware of conversations in your field and trying to contribute to them. Good luck!

Thanks, I'm trying to develop my early modern work by revising my sources to where they're more recent, i.e., within the last 10-30 years instead to 20-50...or 60...or 75. Wish I would have paid more attention to research when I was actually writing those in the first place. I noticed that the papers I used more recent sources on were the American Lit papers so I'm developing those as well in case my interests change.

[chester12]

Thanks, I'm trying to develop my early modern work by revising my sources to where they're more recent, i.e., within the last 10-30 years instead to 20-50...or 60...or 75. Wish I would have paid more attention to research when I was actually writing those in the first place. I noticed that the papers I used more recent sources on were the American Lit papers so I'm developing those as well in case my interests change.

Please research the interests of the faculty who share your interests at any school you are seriously considering. That helps you focus and gives you clarity. Then get in touch with faculty whose interests you share and begin a conversation about your interests and your intention to apply. Try to get some teaching experience if you need funding.

[ZeeMore21]

I probably would add Vanderbilt to your list...pretty strong in Southern Lit though it is not in the North of course. I'll be going there for African-American Lit.