My field of expertise is American, French, and German literatures: My focus is 19th century and early 20th century American literature. I am researching American women writers who have chosen France as their home: 'Edith Wharton in Europe' is my current project. Wharton uses actual sites to stage historical dramas of human dilemmas and struggles of artistic creation. The visual arts and architecture play a large role in my research, esp. Renaissance architecture and to some extend the Impressionist painters. Of course, this kind of research informs my teaching greatly.
