I think one of the main challenges I’ve encountered is knowing that I do not have an equal command of British and American literature. With 19th-century British literature as my primary area of specialization, I find that I may not be quite as prepared to respond spontaneously to students’ more challenging questions about American works and authors during class discussions. In these moments, I am very transparent with students, and I’ve found that they appreciate having someone go the extra mile to find out the answer(s) to their questions. Often they are questions we can find out the answers to together. It has been one way to get students excited to do a bit of research and also to practice research skills, and we get to learn together.
In my scholarly work, using public health or medicine and transatlanticism as lenses provide a starting place that have helped me narrow my research focus while also broadening my knowledge of both American and British culture and literature.