Dr Elizabeth Nolan
Senior Lecturer
My profile
Biography
I am a Senior Lecturer in nineteenth and twentieth century American literature and culture, Women’s Writing, Holocaust literature and Gothic literature.
My main research interests are in late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century American literature. My specific focus is American women’s writing of this period, in particular the work of Edith Wharton, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Kate Chopin. I have a particular interest in women’s magazine culture and the writings produced by women in response to World War I.
Words of wisdom
Read! Embrace all kinds of reading - and lots of it. Approach your reading with an open and inquiring mind. Furthermore, be prepared to share your thoughts and ideas. The most exciting and productive seminars are those in which students are prepared to engage in lively exchanges of views on a topic or text.
Academic and professional qualifications
My PhD titled, ‘Strategic Narratives: American Women Writers and the First World War’, was awarded in 2005 by Manchester Metropolitan University.
Other academic service (administration and management)
I am the stage tutor for Level 6 (Year 3) of the degree.
Teaching
Why do I teach?
I’m driven by the satisfaction of helping students to realise their individual potential and seeing them turn into confident, articulate and eminently employable graduates. My research informs my teaching and there is real satisfaction in seeing students develop a critical appreciation for literature and representation. Through this growth they can, in turn, begin to engage in debates about a wide range of issues and values. For example, my work on women’s war writing has produced some excellent and thoughtful student work on the intersection between war, writing and gender.
During the course of their studies, we aim to help our students become critical thinkers and excellent communicators who leave us with a wide range of transferrable skills.
Postgraduate teaching
I teach an MA unit on American Gothic literature. I am interested in supervising work on nineteenth and early-twentieth century American literature, women’s writing and Gothic fiction.
Research outputs
Late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century American literature; American women’s writing, particularly the work of Edith Wharton, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Kate Chopin; war literature.
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Books (authored/edited/special issues)
Beer, J., Knights, P., Nolan, E. (2007) Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth. Routledge.
Spirit, J., Brown, S.A., Beer, J., Nolan, E. (2006) Lives of Victorian Literary Figures: Oscar Wilde, Henry James and Edith Wharton by their contemporaries.. Pickering & Chatto.
Beer, J., Nolan, E. (2004) Kate Chopin's The Awakening: A Sourcebook. Routledge.
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Chapters in books
Nelson, L., Groom, N.R., Potrac, P. (2016) 'Introduction.' Learning in Sports Coaching Theory and Application. Routledge,
Nolan, L. (2011) 'The woman's novel beyond sentimentalism.' The Cambridge history of the American novel. Cambridge University Press,
Nolan, E. (2011) 'The woman's novel beyond sentimentalism.' The Cambridge History of the American Novel. pp. 575-585.
Nolan, E. (2008) 'The Awakening as literary innovation: Chopin, Maupassant and the evolution of genre..'
Nolan, E. (2007) 'The House of Mirth: Genred Locations.' In Beer, J., Knights, P., Nolan, E. (ed.) Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth. Routledge, pp. 106-115.
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Journal articles
Nolan, E. (2017) 'A lack of engagement? The containment of war in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s the Forerunner.' Women's Writing, 24(1) pp. 94-108.
Nolan, E. (2007) 'American Women Writers and the First World War.' Literature Compass, 4(3) pp. 525-538.
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Scholarly editions
Nolan, E. (2005) Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth. Broadview.