Completely Lost...Help Me.

[roxyshoe]

Hi all,

I am a senior at University of Michigan with a double-major in Creative Writing & Literature (basically an english degree with an equal proportion of creative writing and literature courses) and Psychology.

Psychology has been my main focus throughout college, although my real passion has always been for my other major. I have four years of experience as a research assistant in a social psych lab and lab manager experience, two years experience teaching a course on research methods to social science undergrads, one year works with the advisory board for counseling services, etc!

What do I have for English?? A's in all my lit and creative writing classes (don't have this for psych- mostly b's), and a creative writing senior honors thesis, and a strong background in German language and some in its literature.

I have been tremendously concerned about my future. I always felt pressured to go into psychology, but the more I think about getting a PhD in psych, or even an MSW, the more unsure I am.

Tonight I realized I should utilize my natural talents for literature, and my pure passion for it, and pursue a PhD in English. However, this relief was soon trampled by the numerous sites I've found disparaging doctoral degrees in English. "Don't do it!" "You will be in debt!" "You will hate your life!" "This is meant for aristocrats ONLY!" So basically, I'm back to freaking out.

...I know what you are going to say, "You just decided on this TODAY! You need to know for a FACT that you want a PhD before you get one!" I do realize that...unfortunately I am so indecisive and fickle that I never know anything for sure. I need your help to aid me in coming closer.

A few notes: My creative writing major is through a program called the residential college which is a lot more flexible in terms of requirements for my lit courses. Basically - I don't have a background AT ALL in certain realms of lit. My studies have been extremely centered on central and eastern european modern lit, especially 20th century. If I end up going the lit route, I will take a few more lit courses to broaden my knowledge in my final semester, but grad schools would not see that on my transcript. Will they think I'm pretty lame for having such a specific background?

Also, will they look at my resume, see all my awesome psych experience, and be like, why is this girl not applying to psych grad school? What is she doing in this application pile? *spit*

In my personal statements, I plan on utilizing my psych background as something which has strengthened my ability to critically analyze literature and pay attention to details, plus gives me extra knowledge that sets me apart from the typical applicant. Is that rational?

Finally...I do want to go to a really good school. I haven't looked into things enough yet. But if I really, truly, seriously care about 20th century lit...to the point that I have a poster of Franz Kafka above my bed...will I be happy in an english program where I can specialize in this? or will I realize I just romanticized it all and hate myself for my bad decision?

Sorry this is long...thanks so much for your help. any insight you can give...give away! xx

[Timshel]

I think it could work well for you if you try to make a secondary focus of yours psychoanalysis in literature. That is what my focus is, and a background in psych would work perfectly for it. Even if that isn't what you end up sticking with, it's a way you can sell yourself to departments, and then you can always change if you want.

[dimanche0829]

First, don't panic! Your concerns are very real and very much a part of the application process. Have you thought about dabbling in some psychoanalytic theory in Literature to combine your psych and literature majors; or, are you pretty much over the psych aspect?

Also, don't be put off by the future of literary studies. Sure, it's not looking too good, but you can do A LOT with an English degree in the non-academia realm. My best advice is to just read up on the areas that interest you and invest some time in researching potential schools. Look into the faculty, see what they're working on, contact programs and ask about their research/funding. Most importantly, keep reading this forum! I felt very lost in the application process when one of my TAs suggested I join here. This forum has seriously helped me keep sane in the application process and has offered some incredibly useful information. Good luck!

[dimanche0829]

Also, regarding the "you will be in debt!" part, DO NOT enter into an English program that does not offer full funding. You absolutely should not be paying for a PhD in English Lit.

[roxyshoe]

Thanks so much for your quick replies!! I DEFINITELY want to use psychoanalysis in whatever I do for literature. I find the combination quite fascinating I'm definitely going to keep using this site, I am already feeling better

One more question - I am noticing several programs, like B.U's, don't even have classes about literature that isn't pretty much American or British. Is this common for a lot of schools? Is translated literature more of a comparative lit thing?

[dimanche0829]

It really just depends on the school. Finding one that truly fits your interests is, IMO, the hardest part of the application process (and one of the biggest reasons applicants are rejected). Some schools specialize in British literature, whereas other schools offer few to no British lit courses. For psychoanalysis, you might want to start looking up schools that are more research-based and known for their sciences. You might find a larger pool of psychoanalytic theorists. Unfortunately, I don't know enough about that area to know where the best schools are, but a quick google search can probably get you on a starting path. I'm finishing up my undergrad at Rutgers and know that we have several professors who specialize in psychoanalysis.

[Alephantiasis]

In addition to psychoanalysis, which is, don't get me wrong, perfectly fine, you could consider looking into cognitive cultural studies or neurocriticism. Your background in psychology would prove itself to be invaluable. I very much doubt that Lacan is commonly (if at all) used in recent research in psychology. It's a very specialized field, but if you find it interesting and apply to a school with faculty involved in cognitive criticism, that should increase your "fit factor". Not to mention that it's (in my opinion) the next big thing in literary theory.

[Phil Sparrow]

You don't usually see English departments offering grad courses in non-English literatures because graduate-level work is (or should be) professional or near-professional level. In other words, you rarely do work in translation, with particular exceptions for critical theory (and then if it's a major focus for your own research, it should probably be read in the original). You can certainly study works in translation, but probably only if your focus has something to do with the act of translation itself, in which case you would have to be able to work with the original text as well as the translated one in order to compare the differences.

If you want to study 20C Central European lit, why not look into a PhD in German? A PhD in English is not shorthand for "literature, generally." It's a degree in [the language and literature of] English. That's not to say that work in English can't have a comparative bent; my own work, which I consider fairly staunchly "English" in its focus, has me working in 3-5 other languages/literatures as well. But if you don't want your main focus to be in English literature, think about why you want a PhD in English. If you want your focus to be in English and ________ literatures, avail yourself of courses and faculty in other national departments. Most friendly and collegial programs are very happy to have you take classes and find committee members outside of your home department.

Edited August 22, 2011 by Phil Sparrow

[Phil Sparrow]

In addition to psychoanalysis, which is, don't get me wrong, perfectly fine, you could consider looking into cognitive cultural studies or neurocriticism. Your background in psychology would prove itself to be invaluable. I very much doubt that Lacan is commonly (if at all) used in recent research in psychology. It's a very specialized field, but if you find it interesting and apply to a school with faculty involved in cognitive criticism, that should increase your "fit factor". Not to mention that it's (in my opinion) the next big thing in literary theory.

Also, this. Cognitive psych + literary studies is HOT.

[indalomena]

In addition to psychoanalysis, which is, don't get me wrong, perfectly fine, you could consider looking into cognitive cultural studies or neurocriticism. Your background in psychology would prove itself to be invaluable. I very much doubt that Lacan is commonly (if at all) used in recent research in psychology. It's a very specialized field, but if you find it interesting and apply to a school with faculty involved in cognitive criticism, that should increase your "fit factor". Not to mention that it's (in my opinion) the next big thing in literary theory.

Ooh yes, this is a field I am becoming increasingly interested in, and I've already read a few fascinating texts that deal with these issues. I'm new to it though -- do you happen to know what departments are particularly strong in this area? I'm looking at both US and UK

to the OP -- I am quite envious of your psychology background, and I often wish that I had better knowledge of it! You can definitely turn it to your advantage if you think that literature is what you really want to do. Good luck!

[Jbarks]

Ooh yes, this is a field I am becoming increasingly interested in, and I've already read a few fascinating texts that deal with these issues. I'm new to it though -- do you happen to know what departments are particularly strong in this area? I'm looking at both US and UK

to the OP -- I am quite envious of your psychology background, and I often wish that I had better knowledge of it! You can definitely turn it to your advantage if you think that literature is what you really want to do. Good luck!

I have a secondary interest in psychoanalytic theory. My primary interest is medieval literature, which makes for a fun combination. I know SUNY Buffalo has a strong program; the Center for Psychoanalysis and Culture is affiliated with the English Department. UCSB and BC are also good options.

[indalomena]

I have a secondary interest in psychoanalytic theory. My primary interest is medieval literature, which makes for a fun combination. I know SUNY Buffalo has a strong program; the Center for Psychoanalysis and Culture is affiliated with the English Department. UCSB and BC are also good options.

Thanks for the info -- I'm already interested in SUNY Buffalo for other reasons, so I'll check it out again! I'm a little reluctant to go to California, it just feels that bit too far away from home (I'm English.) I don't mean psychoanalytic theory exactly though -- sorry that wasn't clear from my post -- but rather cognitive aesthetics, which seems to be a new-ish but rapidly growing area of enquiry.

[Two Espressos]

In addition to psychoanalysis, which is, don't get me wrong, perfectly fine, you could consider looking into cognitive cultural studies or neurocriticism.

Woah, I've actually never heard of this. Could you elucidate? Or, can you point me towards articles/books/websites that would serve as an introduction?

A friend of mine is a former neuroscience major taking a semester off while he contemplates switching to English. He and I have had great conversations about our futures and grad school (we both are interested in getting PhDs). I would love to introduce him to neurocriticism: it sounds fascinating, and I think he would be quite interested in it!

Edited August 22, 2011 by Two Espressos

[indalomena]

Woah, I've actually never heard of this. Could you elucidate? Or, can you point me towards articles/books/websites that would serve as an introduction?

A friend of mine is a former neuroscience major taking a semester off while he contemplates switching to English. He and I have had great conversations about our futures and grad school (we both are interested in getting PhDs). I would love to introduce him to neurocriticism: it sounds fascinating, and I think he would be quite interested in it!

I'd recommend Elaine Scarry's Dreaming by the Book as a nice introduction to this way of thinking about texts. It's very short, engaging, and beautifully written. Then there are a couple of books from 2010 -- Lisa Zunshine (ed.) Introduction to Cognitive Cultural Studies and Alan Richardson's The Neural Sublime. The former is a collection of essays and the latter is a short but fascinating look at the applications of these ideas to Romantic aesthetics. Then there's Mary Thomas Crane's Shakespeare's Brain which I didn't quite get so much out of but some love it. Can't think of any more right now but I'd definitely recommend Scarry to start.

[Alephantiasis]

Ooh yes, this is a field I am becoming increasingly interested in, and I've already read a few fascinating texts that deal with these issues. I'm new to it though -- do you happen to know what departments are particularly strong in this area? I'm looking at both US and UK

to the OP -- I am quite envious of your psychology background, and I often wish that I had better knowledge of it! You can definitely turn it to your advantage if you think that literature is what you really want to do. Good luck!

It's a fascinating and very diverse area... I know that Peter Stockwell works at the University of Nottingham. I had a wonderful discussion with one of his students last spring during a conference. In the US, I'd say Case Western, British Columbia, UT Austin or Connecticut if you want to work with Patrick Cohn Hogan.

I would also recommend readingsome of Reuven Tsur's works, since he is considered as the founder of cognitive poetics. Stockwell's Cognitive Poetics: An Introduction can also be useful. Wolf's Proust and the Squid, The Story and Science of the Reading Brain is a good introduction too.

[Two Espressos]

I'd recommend Elaine Scarry's Dreaming by the Book as a nice introduction to this way of thinking about texts. It's very short, engaging, and beautifully written. Then there are a couple of books from 2010 -- Lisa Zunshine (ed.) Introduction to Cognitive Cultural Studies and Alan Richardson's The Neural Sublime. The former is a collection of essays and the latter is a short but fascinating look at the applications of these ideas to Romantic aesthetics. Then there's Mary Thomas Crane's Shakespeare's Brain which I didn't quite get so much out of but some love it. Can't think of any more right now but I'd definitely recommend Scarry to start.

Thanks for the suggestions! You haven't been the first person to recommend Scarry's work; I definitely need to read her!