I am Professor of English Literature (with specialisms in American Literature and Contemporary Literature) at the University of Stavanger.

My research is focused mainly on representations of masculinity in literature. I have published two monographs and a range of articles that discuss representations of men and masculinities in 19th, 20th, and 21st century American writing. I also have broader interests in beards and masculinity, the flaneur and urban writing, American periodicals, and trauma, memory, and literature.

My most recent monograph is Beards and Masculinity in American Literature (Routledge 2020). This book celebrates canonical beards in canonical works of American writing – from Walt Whitman to Ernest Hemingway – as well as discussing the range of issues that beards evoke with regards to the everyday performance of masculinity. 

I also have a podcast called Writing Beards. It can be found on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

I teach American Literature, Contemporary Literature, and Literary Theory courses at BA and MA level. I also supervise BA and MA theses on a range of topics connected to British, Irish, and American Literatures. Recent successful theses have included ecomasculinities in 20th century American Literature, representations of trauma in contemporary Irish literature, and hegemonic masculinity in contemporary African Literature.