Will it hurt my future prospects to only attend institutions in the American South?

[Cotton Joe]

Say for example that I do undergrad in Tennessee, MA in Mississippi, and PhD in Tennessee: would a record like that limit me to only teaching and working in the South in the future? Additional question: Can I study the same time periods and authors if I attend a school in Chicago as I would if I stayed in Tennessee? Is it possible to work through a PhD studying Southern literature in a school like University of Chicago or CUNY, or some other prestigious school outside of the region?

[echo449]

The short answer is: you should attend the best possible university with the best placement that you can if you want to go on the academic job market. At any decent PhD program, with professor's in your field (meaning: 20th american literature as a whole), you'll be able to pursue that project. The only difference is that the schools may not have seminars specifically on southern lit while you are in coursework. 

[Bumblebea]

No, there's nothing special about Southern institutions that make them uniquely positioned to grant PhDs about US Southern literature. 

I mean, if you want to stay in the South, then you really can't do any better than Duke, Emory, Vanderbilt, UT-Austin, UNC, or UVa. But on the whole, any program that's strong in American literature more broadly (because that would be your field area--not U.S. Southern lit) will be a good bet. And as echo449 said, the strongest programs are strong regardless of region.

As far as the job market goes--there are very few jobs coming available these days. Your limits aren't regional; your limits are that only 15-20 jobs come available every year to begin with.

[modernecho]

"Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.” ---Faulkner

Need I say more? But let's see. If expanding your school list is not a problem definitely go for 'em top ones. But more than ranking or location, as you may know, it's the fit that matters. Like you've been suggested Duke, Emory Vandy are good schools in the South. You could definitely study Southern lit let's say at Harvard, UChicago or even Columbia. I second what echo449 has mentioned that you might not be able to attend seminars specifically for Southern lit in schools outside the South. In any case, it's good to at least apply outside Dixie and see what's on offer. 

You might know that Prof. Jay Watson (Ole Miss) went to Harvard, Leigh Anne to UChicago and Adam Gussow to Princeton.

Can't say much about the job market but it's definitely hard to get one, especially in academia. But don't let that dissuade you from dreaming big! Good luck!

Edited June 28, 2017 by modernecho

[Cotton Joe]

@modernecho I did know this about those Ole Miss professors. However, I have a current mentor/adviser who consistently tells me to get out of the South. She has specifically expressed dislike of U. of Mississippi, which she let be known after I told her it is a target school for me. She does so, generally, I think, only because it is in Mississippi. I am mostly wondering if her urging me to leave the South is valid, or if it is derived from some less savory impulses like weird prejudices and misunderstandings of the region. I do believe it is also a touch of the same theme I have seen of professors recommending me to go to their alma mater. I have had a U. of Arizona grad tell me to go to Arizona, a Wisconsin-Madison grad tell me to of to Wisconsin-Madison, a UConn grad tell me to go to UConn, Ohio State grad to Ohio State, etc. etc. Perhaps this is just another case of that same urge.

Nonetheless, Vanderbilt and UNC Chapel Hill are dream schools for me, though I am sure they are dream schools for many other, more qualified and more brilliant people. Thanks for reminding me to keep my head in the clouds and keep dreaming.

[modernecho]

Well, like I said it won't hurt to think ouside the South if you've no obligations/problems/commitments. Always take the advise with a grain of salt. Ultimately it's you who is going to spend the time in grad school. Sure others can help you make the decision. It's also helpful to keep in mind that you're going to have a life outside the dept, so location/environment/folks everything is going to matter to an extent. If you have profs who are willing to supervise you in your area and you're okay living in Oxford (in your case) I don't think it's much of an issue. Did you ask your mentor the reason behind her dislike of Ole Miss? In any case, apply broadly and wisely. Hope this helps. 

Edited June 29, 2017 by modernecho

[klader]

I don't know about the south specifically, but my undergrad professors have explicitly told me to get my MA and PhD in states other than my home state if I want to end up teaching in my home state. They told me that at least when they screen applicants, they like to see some variety in one's educational and professional experiences (so, not all three degrees from the same school and apparently not even all three degrees in the same state).

This probably depends on specific departments and people, but that's what at least my alma mater has to say on the matter.

[Cotton Joe]

@klader That seems to be sound advice.

The state college in my home state has great faculty, but they don't offer bunk for funding, even for PhD students. I don't plan to apply there anyways. There is, however, a certain highly ranked and historically English-centric private university in my state to which I have considered applying. I doubt that attending there would hurt my chances of being employed elsewhere in the state, but I also doubt my ability to get into that program, so overall I am likely not attending in my state.

[cowgirlsdontcry]

Cotton Joe, stipends for English Departments seemed low all over the US, when I was applying last fall. The few that surpassed $20K were in areas that had very high costs of living, although things in the South aren't that much lower as I have learned during the rental process this summer.

[Cotton Joe]

@cowgirlsdontcry I recall that you are attending U of Alabama. I also found Tuscaloosa to be more expensive than expected as well while I was searching their rental listings. Those smaller college towns have largely been more expensive than most other places. For example, Oxford, MS rivaled places like Chattanooga, TN and Louisville, KY in rent which seems bizarre considering Chattanooga and Louisville are large metropolitan cities with industry and tourism while Oxford is a small town which barely reaches 20,000 in population. 

[rising_star]

Small town rents can be more expensive because of simple supply and demand--there's fewer available options, which means people can charge more for the things that are available. It's definitely not uncommon, though it is annoying.

[klader]

3 hours ago, rising_star said:

Small town rents can be more expensive because of simple supply and demand--there's fewer available options, which means people can charge more for the things that are available. It's definitely not uncommon, though it is annoying.

Yes! My school is in rural Ohio. There's literally nothing around for at least 20 miles, so you can spend up to $900/month getting a place in town (or get a place about an hour away, pay normal prices, and drive a ton). 

My department does give generous funding, though, with the PhD students making a bit more than 20k with opportunities for summer work. Food and gas is cheap in Ohio, but cost of living can be high if you're trying to live in town. 

[archist]

I'd like to second this question for art/architectural history instead of lit. However, I only want to work in the South and I'm willing to take non-tenure track or non-academic positions, so my situation may be a bit different. Generally, my research interests center on the architecture of the American South, and it's my impression that architectural history and historic preservation are fairly regionally focused. So I have a suspicion that staying in the South would allow me to do more relevant research and networking, but I don't know if the benefits of an Ivy League degree would outweigh those advantages (assuming I could get into an Ivy program). 

@Cotton JoeI'm pretty sure that we're in the same state and I'm attending the "historically English-centric private university" you reference. I love our English department and Southern lit and would be happy to message you privately about it if you want!

(I know this is a lit forum, but I don't know how to copy this topic to art history so here we are)