Kathryn A. Laity

 

English Department                                                                              

University of Houston-Downtown                                                         

One Main Street                                                                                   

Houston TX  77002-1001

(713) 222-5372

laityk@uhd.edu

http://www.uhd.edu/~laityk                                                                   

 

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

 

2003-Present     Assistant Professor of English (Medieval), University of Houston-Downtown

2002-2003                  Instructor, University of Houston-Downtown

2001-2002         Instructor, Manchester Community College

1993-2002         Instructor/Graduate Assistant, University of Connecticut

 

EDUCATION

 

Ph.D. 2003, University of Connecticut — Medieval Studies

Dissertation: Local Heroes: The Sociocultural Context for the Development of Vernacular Saints’ Lives in Old Irish, Old Norse and Old English. Committee: Frederick M. Biggs (director), Robert J. Hasenfratz, Thomas N. Hall (University of Illinois-Chicago)

M.A. 1995, University of Connecticut — Medieval Studies

A.M.  1985, University of Southern California — International Relations

A.B.  1983, Michigan State University — James Madison College

 

TEACHING

 

UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON-DOWNTOWN (all courses have companion WebCT pages)

 

English 4390: Topics in Language & Literature—Medieval Texts on Film, Spring 2004.

English 4314: Major Authors—Chaucer, Fall 2005, Spring 2003.

English 3354: Film as Narrative—Horror Film, Summer 2003.

English 3340/HUM 3310: Cultural Criticism—Canterbury, 2006.

English 3315: Speculative Fiction, Spring 2005.

English 3309: Creative Writing, Fall 2003, 2004.

English 2313: British Literature from its Beginnings to 1800, Fall 2002-present.

English 1302: Composition II, Fall 2002-present.

 

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

 

English 112: Classical and Medieval Literature, Spring 2002.

English 111: Writing Through Literature, Fall 2001.

English 110: Seminar in Writing, Fall 2000.

English 109: Literature & Composition, 1994-2001.

English 105:  English Composition, Fall 1993.

 

MANCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

 

Writing & Publishing Genre Fiction, Spring 2002.

The Truth About Vikings, Spring 2002, Fall 2001.

Viking Magic & Mysteries, Excursions in Learning, February 2002.

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

§         BOOKS

 

Curing Elf-shot and Other Mysterious Maladies: New Scholarship on Old English Charms, with Richard Scott Nokes. In preparation. Includes my essay “A Charming Mother: The Body of the Earth in Anglo-Saxon Charms.”

 

Blood Feasts and Roof Riding: Women as Witches in Anglo-Saxon England. In progress.

 

§         ESSAYS

 

Medieval

 

“The Virgin Victim:  Re-imagining a medieval folk ballad in The Virgin Spring and Last House on the Left.” Forthcoming in an anthology compiled by the editors of Western Folklore.

 

“Smokescreens:  Transparent Disguises, Fog and Smoke in the Fóstbrœ∂ra saga.”  Under submission Scandinavian Studies.

 

“Living the Mystery:  Sacred Drama Today.”  Forthcoming The Journal for the Academic Study of Magic 3: (2006).

 

“Reconciling the Dominions: Brigit as Heroic Saint in the Bethu Brigte.”  Revising per reader comments from Modern Philology.

 

“Grimma Gaest.” Forthcoming anthology Cannibalism and Eating the Other.

 

“Translating Saint as (Vi)King: St. Olaf in the Heimskringla.”  Viator 35 (2004): 169-202.

 

“False Positives: The Katherine-Group Saints as Ambiguous Role Models.”  Magistra 7.2 (2001):  64-99.

 

Popular Culture

 

“Mr. Punch in Literary Space: Post-Apocalyptic Performance Ritual in Riddley Walker.” Puppetry International Magazine 19 (Spring and Summer 2006): 26-30.

 

“Picking up the chalk again.” Quiet Mountain Essays 3.4 (Oct 2005).

 

“Imagineer: Clive Barker’s Queering of the Conservative Bent of Horror Literature.”  The Dark Unknown: Racial and Social Constructions of the Gothic Other.  Ed. Ruth Bienstock Anolik. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, forthcoming 2006.

 

“Illusory Adversaries?: Images of Female Power in Sandman: The Kindly Ones.”  The Sandman Papers. Ed. Joe Sanders.  Seattle: Fantagraphics, 2006. 65-76.

 

“Clive Barker” and “Books of Blood.”  Supernatural Literature of the World: An Encyclopedia. Eds. S. T. Joshi and Stefan Dziemianowicz.  Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2005. 80-84, 138-139.

 

“From SBIGs to Mildred’s Inverse Law of Trailers: Skewing the Narrative of Horror Fan Consumption.”  Horror Film: Creating and Marketing Fear. Ed. Steffen Hantke.  Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi, 2004.  173-190.

 

“Clive Barker” and “Ramsey Campbell.” Supernatural Fiction Writers. 2nd edition. Ed. Richard Bleiler. Farmington Hills, MI: Scribners & Sons, 2003: 61-70, 177-188.

 

“Constructing a ‘Female Hero’: Iconography in Les aventures extraordinaires d’Adèle Blanc-Sec.”  International Journal of Comic Art 4.1 (2002):  163-169.

 

 “A High Steppin’ Filly:  Effluent Juissance in Dame Darcy’s Meatcake.”  Indy: Spring 1998. Online (25 ms pp) Reprinted as “Dame Darcy e os poderes da BD” in Quadrado 3:3 (2001): 46-52.

 

§         FICTION

 

“Fiasco.” Play. In preparation; presented in workshop reading by UHD English Department, October 2005.

 

“Vipunen.”  Short story.  New World Finn 6.3 (July-Sept 2005): 22-24.

 

“On Buffalo Bayou.”  Short story.  New Texas (2005): 92-108.

 

 “Sun Thief.”  Short story.  Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Sword and Sorceress XXI. New York: DAW Books, 2004. 133-142.

 

“Songs of Defiance.”  Poem.  Forthcoming Bayou Review.  1p.

 

“Eating the Dream.” Short story. Under submission Eureka Literary Magazine.  20 pp.

 

“Fear and Loathing in Deptford.”  Short story.  Under submission Word Riot.  15 pp

 

 “Kerttu.”  Short story.  New World Finn 4.2 (April-June 2004): 7-9. Forthcoming audio version, Writers in the Attic, January 2006.

 

Pelzmantel: A Medieval Tale.  Novel.  Niceville FL: Spilled Candy Books, 2003. Nominated for 2003 Aesop Prize, International Reading Association Children’s Book Award.

 

 “Wordgeryne.”  Short story.  Lovecraft’s Weird Mysteries 5 (May 2002): 42-46.

 

“Sinikka Journeys North.”  Short story.  The Beltane Papers 25 (2001): 14-19.  Reprinted in Mythic Passages (February/March 2004) < http://www.mythicjourneys.org/passages/newsletterp9.html>.

 

“Walpurgisnacht.”  Short story.  The Seeker Journal 13.5 (2001):  6-9.

 

 “A Gift House.”  Short story.  Masters of Terror’s House of Horror (April 1998).  Online.

 

“The Eleventh Commandment.”  Short story. Rictus 9 (1997).   Online.

 

“Another Metamorphosis: A Moral Tale About Obsession.”  Short story. Dream Forge (November 1996).  Online.

 

“Revelation.”  Short story.  The Official Clive Barker Page, Online, www.clivebarker.com. Winner, MGM/United Artists/Clive Barker’s Lord of Illusions Short Story Contest, November 1995.

 

 

§         TRANSLATIONS

 

“Against the Water-Elf Disease (Wiþ Water-Ælf Adle).”  Translation.  The Bayou Review Fall 2003: 28.

 

“Anglo-Saxon Charm Against a Wen.”  Dual-text translation.  The Seeker Journal 13.5 (2001): 12-13.

 

“Against a Swarm of Bees: An Anglo-Saxon Charm.”  Dual-text translation.  The Seeker Journal 13.3 (2001): 11.

 

“Erce:  Earth Goddess—An Anglo-Saxon Charm.” Dual-text translation. Avalon Rising 1.3 (1999): 14-15. Reprinted as “Erce: Earth Goddess.” The Seeker Journal 13.2 (2001): 18-19.  Reprinted as “Erce: Earth Goddess.”  The Pagan’s Muse. Ed. Jane Raeburn.  New York: Citadel Press, 2003: 80-82.

 

 

§         REVIEWS

 

Historical Dictionary of Witchcraft by Michael D. Bailey.  Book Review. Forthcoming Journal for the Academic Study of Magic 3 (2006).

 

Meet the Beatles by Steven D. Stark.  Book Review. Journal of Popular Culture 39.3 (2006): 504-505.

 

Anglo-Saxon Propaganda in the Bayeux Tapestry by Meredith Clermont-Ferrand.  Book Review.  English Language Notes 43.3 (2005): 84-89.

 

Troll: A Love Story by Johanna Sinisalo.  Book review.  New World Finn 5.3 (July-September 2004): 26.

 

Popular Music from Vittula by Mikael Niemi.  Book review.   New World Finn 5.2 (April-June 2004): 26.

 

 “Japanese Magic: The Girl-Friendly Films of Hayao Miyazaki.” With Wendy Goldberg.  Film review.  Femspec 5.2 (2005): 142-3.

 

Coldheart Canyon by Clive Barker. Book review.  The Beltane Papers 27 (2002): 54-55.

 

The Book of Zines: Readings from the Fringe by Chip Rowe. Book review.  Other Voices 1.2 (1998). Online.

 

 

CONFERENCES

 

“Sorceress  and Anchoress:  Visualizing the Lives of Medieval Women.” 41st International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, MI.  May 3-7, 2006.

 

Panelist, “Writing the Middle Ages for Young Readers: A Roundtable.” 41st International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, MI.  May 3-7, 2006.

 

“’Half a Giant’:  Performing ‘Green’ Masculinity in Sword of the Valiant:  The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” 36th Annual Popular Culture Association Conference, Atlanta GA. April 12-16,2006.

 

“Joy of Warriors: Juliana’s Masculine Ecstasies.”  Gender and Medieval Studies Conference, Cambridge, England.  January 6-8, 2006.

 

“’I would like to have him as my friend’:  Masculinizing the Conversion in Njal’s saga.”  Modern Language Association Conference, Washington D. C.  December 27-30, 2005.

 

“The Body of the Earth in Anglo-Saxon Charms:   An Eco-critical Perspective.” Texas Medieval Association Conference, Houston, TX.  October 14-16, 2005.

 

“How to Cure Elf-shot and Fend off a Wen.”  The Witching Hour: Harry Potter Symposium, Salem, MA.  October 6-10.

 

“A Dozen or So Weird (but true!) Facts about the Middle Ages.”  Trinoc-con, Raleigh, NC.  July 15-17, 2005.

 

“Casting the Circle: Ritual and the Body of the Goddess.”  The Conference on Women and the Divine, Liverpool, England.  June 17-19, 2005.

 

“You do not have the right to remain silent”: Women and Magic in the Corrector et medicus of Burchard of Worms.”  40th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, MI. May 5-8, 2005

 

“Imagineer: Clive Barker’s Queering of the Conservative Bent of Horror Literature.” 2005 NEMLA Convention, Cambridge, MA. March 31-April 2, 2005.

 

“The City as the Body of the Poet: William Blake’s London in Alan Moore’s Angel Passage. 35th Annual Popular Culture Association, San Diego, CA.  March 23-26, 2005.

 

Organizer, Medieval Popular Culture Area.  35th Annual Popular Culture Association, San Diego, CA.  March 23-26, 2005.

 

“Blood Feasts and Roof Riding: Women as Witches in Anglo-Saxon England.”  2004 South Atlantic Modern Language Association, Roanoke, VA.  November 12-14, 2004.

 

Co-Organizer. Thinking About Teaching: Approaches to General Education and the Core Curriculum, UHD, Houston, TX. October 1, 2004.

 

Public Relations Assistant/Academic Liaison. Mythic Journeys, Atlanta, GA.  June 3-6, 2004.

 

“’Viþ wif gemædlan’:  Women as Witches in Anglo-Saxon England.”  39th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, MI.  May 6-9, 2004.

 

“Medieval Research Without Tears.” Fantastic Genres, New Paltz, NY.  April 30-May 2, 2004.

 

Organizer, Medieval Popular Culture Area.  34th Annual Popular Culture Association, San Antonio, TX.  April 7-10, 2004.

 

“Alas, Comitatus!:  Writing about Medieval Texts in Sophomore Lit.”  Sharing Voices: Second Annual Conference on Teaching and Writing, Houston, TX.  February 27, 2004.

 

“Smokescreens:  Transparent Disguises, Fog and Smoke in the Fóstbrœ∂ra saga.”  38th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, MI.  May 7-11, 2003.

 

Organizer, Medieval Popular Culture Area.  33rd Annual Popular Culture Association, New Orleans, LA.  April 16-19, 2003.

 

“Living the Mystery: Sacred Drama Today.”  33rd Annual Popular Culture Association, New Orleans, LA.  April 16-19, 2003.

 

“Inevitable Enmity.”  Invited speaker, NEH-sponsored Symposium on The Book of Kings, Walters Art Museum, October 2002.

 

“‘It is a trifling matter for God, my lord’:  St. Óláf’s Practical Magic in the Heimskringla.”  37th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, MI.  May 2-5, 2002.

 

“Translating Saint as (Vi)king: St. Óláfr in the Heimskringla.”  36th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, MI.  May 3-6, 2001.

 

“Construction of a ‘Female Hero’:  Iconography in Les aventures extraordinaires d’Adèle Blanc-Sec.”  31st Annual Popular Culture Association, Philadelphia, PA.  April 11-14, 2001.

 

“‘Most Foul, Strange, and Unnatural’: Shakespeare’s Hamlet as Gothic Touchstone.”  30th Annual Popular Culture Association, New Orleans, LA.  April 19-22, 2000.

 

“Reconciling the Dominions: Brigit as Heroic Saint in the Bethu Brigte.”  34th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, MI.  May 6-9, 1999.

 

Panelist. Technology and Pedagogy Workshop and Roundtable Discussion: “Viking Studies: An Interdisciplinary and Interactive Seminar on the Language, Literature, History, and Culture of Medieval Scandinavia.”  34th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, MI.  May 6-9, 1999.

 

“Fairy Tales Told and Retold: Jeff Smith’s Bone and Linda Medley’s Castle Waiting.”  28th Annual Popular Culture Association, Orlando FL.  April 1998.

 

“‘Our Dreams Are Tales’: Female Comics Artists Reveal Their Sleeping Stories.”  International Comics and Animation Festival, Washington, D.C.  September 1997.

    

Panel Organizer.  “Saint Margaret.”  32nd Annual Conference on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University.  May 1997.

 

Panel Organizer.  “Virgin Saints and Cultural Hegemony.” 32nd  Annual Conference on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University.  May 1997.

    

Co-Coordinator, 15th Annual Medieval Studies Graduate Student Conference, University of Connecticut. April 1997.

    

“‘A High Steppin’ Filly’: Effluent Jouissance in Dame Darcy’s Meat Cake.”  27th  Popular Culture Conference, San Antonio.  March 1997.

    

“‘For the grure þaet grap hire’: Horrific Imagery in the Katherine Group Texts.” 31st Annual Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University. May 1996.

    

“Illusory Adversaries?: Images of Female Power in Sandman: The Kindly Ones.”  26th Popular Culture Conference, Las Vegas.  March 1996.

    

“False Positives: The Katherine-Group Saints as Ambiguous Role Models.”  30th Annual Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University.  May 1995.

    

“Evil Rival: Mebd in The Táin.”  12th Annual Medieval Studies Graduate Student Conference, University of Connecticut.  April 1994.

    

“‘Truth’ and ‘Gentillesse’ in the ‘Former Age’: Chaucer’s Franklin’s Tale.”  15th Medieval Conference, Plymouth State College.  April 1994.

 

 

RESEARCH AND TEACHING INTERESTS

 

Old and Middle English Languages and Literature; Old Norse Language and Literature; History of the English Language; Rhetoric and Composition; Comparative Mythology; Folklore; Women Writers; Feminist Studies; Popular Culture; Cultural Studies; Creative Writing; Film

 

 

RESEARCH LANGUAGES

 

Old English, Middle English, Gothic, Old High German, Middle High German, Modern German, Old Icelandic, Modern Swedish, Old Irish, Latin

 

 

PERFORMANCES

 

“Calling on the Mythic Muse.” Words and Music Workshop, Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow, Eureka Springs, AR, May 2005.

“Iberian Treasures III.” Collegium Mysterium (playing kantele [Finnish harp]). Houston, TX, February 2003.

“Light of the Nations.” CitySingers of Hartford (as reader).  Manchester & Bristol, CT, March 2002.

“Magic & the Creation of the Kantele.”  Louhi’s Daughters.  Kalevala Day, Finnish-American Heritage Society, Canterbury, CT, February 2002.

“Music and Magic of The Kalevala.” Louhi’s Daughters.  Finn Fest, Philadelphia PA, July 2001.

“Creation of the Kantele.”  With Minna Popkin.  Midsummer Festival, Saima Park, MA, June 2001.

“Kantele Trio.”  Louhi’s Daughters.  Midsummer, Connecticut Audubon Society, Glastonbury, CT, June 2001.

“Music and Magic of The Kalevala.”  Louhi’s Daughters.  Kalevala Day, Finnish-American Heritage Society, Canterbury, CT, March 2001.

“Anglo-Saxon Yule.”  Winter Solstice, Connecticut Audubon Society, Glastonbury, CT, December 2000.

“Väinämöinen and Aino.”  Louhi’s Daughters.  Kalevala Day, Finnish-American Heritage Society, Canterbury, CT, February 2000.

 

ACADEMIC SERVICE

 

National Area Chair, Medieval Popular Culture Area, Popular Culture Association, 2002-present.

Member, Editorial Board, International Journal of Comic Art, 1998—present.

 

Faculty Advisor, Bayou Review Literary Magazine, UHD, 2003-present.

Coordinator, Women’s Month, UHD, 2002-present.

Member, General Education University Committee, UHD, 2003-present.

Ex Officio Member, Student Publications Committee, 2003-present.

Member, Scholarships for Future Students University Committee, UHD, 2003-present.

Member, Art Acquisition University Committee, UHD, 2003-present.

Member, English Curriculum Committee, UHD, 2003-present.

Member, Composition/1302 Committee, UHD, 2002-present.

Member, Post-Colonial & Modern British Literature Search Committees, UHD, 2002-2003

 

Freshman English Orientation Committee, UConn, Summer 2001.

Workshop Leader for the Freshman English Storrs Workshop, UConn, April 2001.

Workshop Leader for the Freshman English Stamford Workshop, UConn, March 2001.

Workshop: “Putting Course Materials for Teaching on the Internet.”  UConn, Spring 2000; Fall 2000.

Assistant, London Study Abroad Program, UConn, Fall 1999.

Web Manager, Medieval Studies Program, UConn, 1995-1999.

Co-Coordinator, 15th Annual Medieval Studies Graduate Student Conference, UConn, April 1997.

Mentor for New Instructors, Freshman English, UConn, 1996-2001.

Editor, Medieval Studies Newsletter, UConn, 1994-1995.

Research Assistant for Professor C. David Benson, Spring 1994.

 

OTHER ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

 

Co-ordinator, Faculty Affairs, Harvard Medical School, 1990-1993.

Assistant, Registrar’s Office, Harvard School of Public Health, 1988-1990.

Graduate Affairs Advisor, Chemistry Department, University of Southern California, 1985-1988.

 

 

 

AWARDS AND HONORS

 

Winner, 2006 Finlandia Foundation Grant

Winner, 2005 UHD Faculty Scholarship/Creativity Award

Winner, 2005 Eureka Short Story Fellowship

Nominee, 2005 UHD Teaching Award

Nominee, Aesop Prize of the Children’s Folklore Section of the American Folklore Society 2003

Nominee, International Reading Association Children’s Book Award 2003

Pre-doctoral Fellowship, Medieval Studies Program, 1993—2002.

Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, Graduate School, University of Connecticut, 1999.

Winner, MGM/United Artists/Clive Barker’s Lord of Illusions Short Story Contest, November 1995.

 

PROFESSIONAL  MEMBERSHIPS

 

Phi Kappa Phi

Medieval Academy

Texas Medieval Association                  

Modern Language Association (National, South Atlantic, Northeast)

Popular Culture Association (National Area Chair—Medieval Popular Culture)

Mythic Imagination Institute, Education Committee

Societas Magica