James Reitter UW Sheboygan

I was born in Germany, but grew up in Westchester, NY. Benefiting from the full support of my family, I developed a passion for nature, athletics, music, and the performing arts. Once in college, my academic record greatly improved and I was inspired by my Freshman Composition teacher. I also developed an interest in poetry. From there, I went on to earn my MFA degree in poetry and became an assistant editor for several publishing houses, working with children’s books, sociology journals, and medical publications. I have spent the past five years in Louisiana, earning my doctorate and becoming an avid birder. Now I am up in Wisconsin, where seasons change four times a year, bratwurst is plentiful, and custard is king.

	James Reitter MFA, PhD Assistant Professor of English	University of Wisconsin―Sheboygan GO WOMBATS!
Education		Biography
PhD in English, University of Louisiana at Lafayette May 2006 MFA in Creative Writing/Poetry, CUNY Brooklyn June 1997 BA in English/Creative Writing, SUNY Oswego May 1995		I was born in Germany, but grew up in Westchester, NY. Benefiting from the full support of my family, I developed a passion for nature, athletics, music, and the performing arts. Once in college, my academic record greatly improved and I was inspired by my Freshman Composition teacher. I also developed an interest in poetry. From there, I went on to earn my MFA degree in poetry and became an assistant editor for several publishing houses, working with children’s books, sociology journals, and medical publications. I have spent the past five years in Louisiana, earning my doctorate and becoming an avid birder. Now I am up in Wisconsin, where seasons change four times a year, bratwurst is plentiful, and custard is king.
Specialties		Research Interests
		Nature/environmental literature and writing Identity/gender in literature Interdisciplinary studies (specifically, fine art and music) Ethnography and occupational folklore Gothicism and portrayals of nature in film First-year/journal writing
Nineteenth-century British literature Early American literature Film studies Folklore studies Formal and Free Verse
Personal Blog: http://boudinbratwurst.blogspot.com/		Dissertation Abstract: The crocodilian (crocodiles and alligators) has been a steady presence throughout much of Western culture. Dating back to the ancient civilizations of Babylon and Egypt, the crocodilian has been a significant construct in myth, literature, science, art, and film. This is because in certain aspects of culture, humanity needs a comparative figure by which to understand what it means to be human. The crocodilian fulfills this role by acting as a paradigm for what is monstrous and essentially non-human: the reptilian Other. However, the crocodilian also embodies a psychological primitive side of the Self, one that we cannot ignore. The R-complex (or, reptilian brain) is a physiological and cultural necessity, and our portrayal of the crocodilian epitomizes this. Evidence of the crocodilian acting as a foundational element from which humanity grows is seen in the fact that the Western culture’s understanding of the reptilian does not change, despite a fundamental shift in the comprehension of the natural order due to the Scientific Revolution. The crocodilian remains beside us as a pre-historic and pre-human Other: a mythic, alien ancestor that helps articulate how we see ourselves.
Scholarly Publications		Poetry
“The Legacy of Three Civil War Poets: Henry Timrod, Paul Hamilton Hayne, Sydney Lanier.” The South Carolina Review. Forthcoming. “Dickens and Three Stages of Illustration Evolution.” Interdisciplinary Humanities. Forthcoming. “Western Symbolism of Crocodilians in Literature and Culture.” Midwestern Folklore Volume 31, Issue 1. August 2005		“Coming Back to New York” freefall, Fall 2007 “Dusting Off” The Southwestern Review, Spring 2005 “Bleached” The Southwestern Review, Spring 2003 “Homage to My Hips Revisited” The Southwestern Review, Spring 2002 “Noel” Penny Dreadful Press, 2000 “Companions” Riverrun, 1999 “Untold” and “Change of Season” in Muse of Fire, #61, February 1998 “Leopard Gecko in a 20 Gallon Tank” The Brooklyn Review, 1997 “The Post-Dawn Dilemma” The Plastic Tower, #21, January 1995 “If Only” The Laureate Letter, June 1994
Teaching Experience		Dossier
Developmental English Rhetoric and Composition Composition and Literature Romantic/Victorian Literature Survey Early American Literature Survey Introduction to Creative Writing Introduction to Folklore Introduction to Literature Introduction to Narrative Technical Writing		Curriculum Vitae Teaching Philosophy Academic Writing Sample Student Reviews Research Philosophy

Useful Links: Modern Language Association Alexander Books (used bookstore)

Education

Biography

Specialties

Research Interests

Scholarly Publications

Poetry

Teaching Experience

Dossier