Undead Update

Katie D.

May 3, 2009 - 3:00 PM

Ghosts walk among us. Oh yes, friends and fans, they surely do. And in this case, they haunt our waking hours with approaching deadlines.

I'm talking, of course, about the essay I am writing for this year's edition of the NOMAD magazine, which publishes undergraduate Comparative Literature students' scholarly articles. This year's theme is The UNDEAD. I have already blogged about this, so if this topic is confusing you should check out my other blog on the topic.

Anyway, I'm writing with an update to say that I survived. That's right: I am still living and breathing even after prolonged exposure to undead elements. The battle is not over, but I have passed a major hurdle in my long quest.

Our final drafts to the editor were due on Friday. "Final draft" in this case means a completely polished product, edited and reedited by both myself and my graduate student mentor. This means that everything I had to say on the subject has been said: the research is complete, insights and interpretations recorded, bibliography formatted, footnotes clarified, and a title finally chosen. I am done. Finished. If the editor likes my essay, I will be included in the NOMAD magazine. If he doesn't, then all this work will have been nothing more than an exercise in research and writing.

This process has been an exhilarating one. I have truly enjoyed working with my mentor, and (believe it or not) became really excited about my research topic. If I choose to complete the honors in Comparative Literature by writing a thesis, I will probably focus on the literature of the Hispanic population in the United States. It has been a real pleasure to research and read so much about this culture that I am so interested in, and that I have gotten to take a small part in, both here in the US and through my travels.

But writing this paper has also been a real challenge for me. I have never written for nonfiction publication before, and have found the process to be completely different from writing fiction, poetry, or less-formal blogs. It is also very different from writing essays for class, since course papers are written with the expectation that only one person will ever read it. Writing this essay has been a huge effort for me, both in quality of writing and research. Also, all this has been without the support and structure of a class environment, but instead has happened completely during my free time. I have learned so much about myself as a writer and a scholar during this process, and hope to apply this understanding and my research in new projects in the future.

The next step is to prepare for a panel discussion on my research. On May 16th the Comparative Literature Program will be hosting an event for the undergraduate students to present their research. The event will be held from 9-5 in the Alumni Lounge in Gerlinger Hall, and is open to the public. I am part of the first series of speakers, in the panel entitled "Border Crossings" which is scheduled between 9:00 and 10:30 am. I will be reading from my essay and presenting on my topic. I would be very pleased if you stop by.

Ghosts, zombies, and vampires, oh my! Don't make the mistake of imagining them to only be part of Stephen King fiction. The Undead are among us, and they have something to say.