Introduction For Early American Literature

Hello!

My name is Rachel Johnston and I am in my second year of the PhD at TCU (Go Frogs!)  I have a masters from TWU in Denton and BA's in English and Theatre from Berry College, Rome, GA.  Though I moved back to Texas from Hawaii, I was born and raised in a small, dusty, agricultural town-- Vernon, Texas. It's a place that cultivates a quiet relationship to nature and an almost spiritual dependence on wide open spaces-- spaces which make you feel truly and delightfully alone, separate from the exhausting observation of others.  That may be why Milan Kundara's Immortality is such a moving book for me- the main character, Agnes, also feels that solitude is rejuvenating, however this book does not encourage repeat readings.  I read The Other Side of the Sun by Madeline L'Engle every year-- the humanity and sacrifice for others of Aunt Olivia makes me feel hopeful and challenged.  I also read The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery each year.  It's like mac-n-cheese: a sustaining comfort and reminder to live like you're dying.  I do read "junk" too, like Calvin and Hobbes anthologies, but the worst teacher (and class--- Junior year American Lit.) I ever had made us read a modern, mainstream murder mystery by Mary Higgins Clark and it almost killed me.  That or mono. . . 

 I enjoy reading classical literature, Shakespeare, Swift, Pope, and Defoe. . . that may explain how I am as a reader.  I enjoy puzzles and irony and humor-- even couched in outdated language.  And I can read for hours non-stop with pretty good understanding (usually).  Writing is harder.  I write to learn-- and to think sometimes.  It seems to take a full semester for an idea to form into a paper, and then it may be a few months of ignoring it before I really know the best way to form (or even understand) my own idea.  Its frustrating and exciting at the same time, as if I know there is something fascinating right around the corner but I can't quite put it into words yet.  This semester I want to write papers which get to the heart of whatever fascinating idea I come up with (and it will be fascinating, I'm sure!) instead of touching the surface, I want to re-learn French, and I want to make transatlantic connections between my British eighteenth century authors, and American print culture (interesting copyright things emerging in both areas at the time could be a nice lead for me).  

 I know very little about the U.S. 1770-1830 outside of types and styles of clothing left over from costume design classes.  I have some vague ideas of witch trials (from The Crucible) and memories of reading sermons (Sinners in the Hands...) as well as your basic political, war, frontier, transportation of English criminals to the U.S. (Moll Flanders!), and slavery information, but I'm afraid it has all become somewhat garbled.

"12) Tell me three things that I ought to know about you." 1).  I like that you skipped from 7 to 12 in numbering these questions and hope there is a "good" (i.e. fun) reason (allergies to 8,9,10,and 11?  Are they bad luck like the 13th floor in buildings?) 2.) I commute from Denton.  3).  I have a good (but odd) sense of humor and usually have some pretty silly jokes and puns hanging around that no one laughs at (except when they laugh at me laughing for at them. *sigh*).