I’m a writer and assistant professor of English at Macalester College. I teach courses on modern and contemporary British and Irish literature, visual & material culture, and modernism.
I’m currently hard at work on my first book project, which looks at how women authors have taken up art-making as a way to creatively—and materially—oppose inequality and violence. This topic started as a point of curiosity, but it ultimately pushed me beyond the usual ways that scholars have understood history, nationhood, and gender itself. This research on craft has taken me on a range of adventures, from shadowing a traditional bobbin lacemaker on the Isle of Wight to being 3-D scanned and printed to sitting for a tintype portrait to combing through modernist needlework collections.
I grew up in Arkansas and did a B.A. in English and Darkroom Photography at Hendrix College—an innovative, small liberal arts college with a strong focus on experiential learning and grassroots activism. Then, I headed to the Shenandoah Valley where I earned an M.A. in English from the University of Virginia. I also attended the Rare Book School, there, and learned to love the study of book history. Then, I moved to the vibrant city of Atlanta, where I did my Ph.D. in English at Emory University.
Outside of my scholarly pursuits, I play a bit of ukulele and spend a lot of time seeking sunny spots with my cat, Aspen, and my beagle, Oakley. I’m happiest in a canoe or on long walks through the forest but feel equally delighted by eating wonderful food or talking to strangers. This website offers some information about my current research and teaching with links to my Instagram and Twitter. Thanks for stopping by!
Contact Me:
aelkins@macalester.edu
Macalester Faculty Page
Curriculum Vitae
