Human life doesn’t come in neat compartments and neither does human learning. For example, my Shakespeare classes are structured with roots in world history, a solid trunk of literary analysis, and branches shooting out into stage and film performance. My approach to this material is always interdisciplinary. I believe that storytelling provides a unique possibility of creating community and deepening our understanding of ourselves and others. I see stories -those we read and listen to, as well as those we tell ourselves - as a powerful way of becoming. I am as interested in Shakespeare’s plays as I am in anonymous folktales, and as compelled by stories of leaders and change agents whose names are familiar as those whose names history has never recorded. Who tells these stories and how are they crafted? How does the way a story is told shape our understanding of the world around us? How does it reflect ideologies and structures of power? In my classes, we examine how narratives are embedded in complex historical conditions. My teaching is concerned with the power of storytelling, and examines narratives of history, of power, of love, of war and of the struggle for social justice. I teach a wide range of literature, history and writing courses, which are often global in scope. Creative Writing and English Literature, Temple UniversityĮmail: Box 358530, 18115 Campus Way NE, Bothell, WA 98011-8246 Teaching

International Studies, Johns Hopkins University

The Amethyst Road by Louise Spiegler