Kate Wood
Independent Scholar
Literature | Pop Culture | Queer & Disability Studies
About
Kate Wood is an accomplished educator and scholar dedicated to exploring the intersections of literature, social justice, and pop culture. They earned a masters of Literature, Creative Writing and Social Justice from Our Lady of the Lake University in August 2023. Since fall 2015, Kate has been teaching high school English courses, including AP Literature and debate, incorporating pop culture with literary studies.Kate's research focuses on disability and queer studies, pop culture, and education. They presented "Narrative Prosthesis in Comic Books" at Midland College's Diversity Conference in April 2021. They will be presenting "The Nearly There Genderqueer Representation in Blue Eye Samurai" at the Pop Culture Association conference in Chicago from March 2024.In addition to teaching and research, Kate is a recognized leader in professional development for secondary English teachers. They regularly lead workshops and training sessions for all four high school campuses in their large district. These professional development opportunities cover a range of topics, including the effective use of mentor texts, incorporating technology in the classroom, and embedding research methods into the curriculum.Interested? Get in touch!
Graduate Work
My literary research and writing in graduate school included:
* Use of narrative theory on Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian focused on Gnostic elements
* Intertextuality of D.M. Thomas's The White Hotel and the application of reader's response theory
* Applying Critical Disability Theory to American comics. Examining the use of Narrative Prosthesis in DC comics in contrast to Marvel
* How zombie films fit within pandemic literature and why, using Aristotle's Poetics, #Alive has been South Korea's most successful film in the West at the time of its release on Netflix
Contact
I welcome inquiries from fellow scholars, educators, and professionals who share my passion for exploring the intersections of literature, social justice, and pop culture. I am interested in collaborating on conference panels, publications, professional development opportunities, and other projects that align with my areas of expertise.If you have an idea for a project, initiative, or opportunity that you believe aligns with my interests and expertise, please reach out. I am open to considering various forms of collaboration and look forward to the possibility of working together to make a positive impact in the fields of education, literature, and social justice.