Between a humanities degree from the University of Chicago and his current graduate work in philosophy, Samuel has spent years doing the kind of close reading that literature courses demand — identifying narrative structure, unpacking symbolism, and building arguments about a text's meaning. He teac...

Matt approaches literature the way an engineer approaches a system — by breaking it into components and asking how each part functions within the whole. Whether it's analyzing symbolism in a novel or tracing a poem's shift in tone, he teaches close reading as a skill that can be practiced and sharpe...

Reading a novel closely means asking why an author made specific choices — narrative structure, point of view, recurring imagery — not just summarizing what happened. Elizabeth brings an analytical mindset to literary texts, teaching students to build interpretive arguments that are grounded in text...

Reading a novel for class and actually analyzing it are two different skills, and Mary bridges that gap by teaching students to interrogate a text — asking what an author's word choice reveals, how narrative structure creates meaning, and why a character's arc matters thematically. Her experience su...

Currently pursuing a PhD in Literature, Sophie lives inside novels, poetry, and critical theory every day. She's especially skilled at teaching students how to move from a surface-level reaction — "I liked it" or "it was confusing" — to a precise argument about how a text's language, form, and histo...

Daniel's journalism training taught him to read for subtext — what a source leaves out, how word choice shapes perception, why structure matters as much as content. That same instinct translates directly to literary analysis, where he teaches students to trace how an author's deliberate craft choice...

Reading a novel or poem closely means noticing what the author chose to do — and what they chose not to do. Elise teaches students to dig into literary devices like symbolism, narrative structure, and point of view by connecting texts to the broader human questions they raise. Her arts background gi...

Reading a novel is one thing; analyzing its themes, symbolism, and narrative choices is another skill entirely. Blaque's sociology training at Rice sharpened her ability to read texts through multiple lenses — examining how power, identity, and social context shape a story. She teaches students to b...

Reading a novel and analyzing a novel are two completely different skills, and Joseph bridges that gap by teaching students to notice craft — why an author chose present tense, what a recurring image is doing, how dialogue reveals power dynamics between characters. His history degree adds a layer th...

Reading literature is really about learning to ask better questions — why does a character make this choice, what does this symbol carry, how does the author's structure shape meaning. Monica's arts education trained her to analyze creative work across mediums, and she brings that same interpretive ...