Anna Julia: How did you get involved in QLIT?

Dr. Hull: Dr. Bonnie Shishko and I created it! We in the English department had been looking for
opportunities for students to present their original literary studies research for a while, when
several years ago, the SAMLA (South Atlantic Modern Language Association) conference started
including undergraduate research forums in their annual conference. I have been to SAMLA on
several occasions and have always enjoyed the collegial feel of the conference and the wide
variety of the literary fields represented. So it seemed like it would be a good avenue for
introducing Queens students to the professional world of conference presentations. I worked
with Dr. Shishko, my colleague in the English department, to develop a series of workshops
through which we mentor students through the whole process of developing a conference
paper, applying to present at a conference, presenting at a conference, and enjoying all the
other rewarding aspects of going to a conference (like hearing a panel discussion of The
Marvelous Mrs. Maisel!)!
Presenting at a conference helps students (and anyone, really!) develop a variety of skills—
close reading of a text, research, developing original insights into what the text means, building
a cohesive argument, presenting information and argument in an engaging way, and helping an
audience understand the exigency of one's argument—why it matters.
So we believe very much in the value of our program, and we are grateful to Queens University
and the Jim Rogers Summer Institute for Research & Creative Work, who have provided support
for QLIT.

How was the QLIT program impacted by COVID in 2020 and 2021? What were some hardships
you faced?

Like so many other people in those years, we had to pivot to an all-online format. Fortunately
(or unfortunately), we had had to get used to online meetings for classes, so we had some
training in that regard. While meeting online is not ideal, it does have its advantages, in that
students could participate in the QLIT workshops from afar. So we just tried to focus on the
positives.
When it came to the actual conference, that also moved online. So we had to figure out the
platform SAMLA was using—the technology/logistics of it—just figuring out how to get the
conference program, how to get into our own sessions, how the panel presentations would
work once you got into the "waiting room."
Presenting was also a very different experience—when you present in person, the audience is
right there in front of you, and you can tell if they are engaged or not, and you get responses to
the points you make (good and bad!). The Q&A at the end is different, too—people can just ask
their question, and then other people can add to or nuance that question with further
questions or comments, and you can end up in a real discussion of points made by the
panelists. It's just harder to get any of that in the online format. You can see the other
panelists, but you can't see the audience, so you don’t get the feedback from the audience
while you’re presenting, and also the Q&A can tend to be more single-person response

oriented—one person gets a question and responds—and then the next person—and so on and
so on—it’s coming via the chat. There's also really not the chance for "spill-over" conversation,
to overflow from the session into the hallways at coffee breaks and lunch-time, after the panel
is done.
That’s part of what’s so fun about being in person—you get to see your colleagues and friends,
from your own university and those who teach at other schools, and you get to catch up with
each other at coffee breaks, get meals together, road trip and eat road trip snacks (food is
clearly a highlight of conferences!)
However, when you can’t be in-person, virtual is the next best option! And we are very grateful
to SAMLA for putting together such excellent virtual experiences—organizing a conference is a
huge amount of work, and they have consistently pulled off wonderful conferences, even when
they have to pivot last minute [see question about 2022!].

What are your future plans for QLIT? Is there any future addition that you would like to add?

It would be terrific to expand the program—to be able to invite more students to be able to
participate; and to add in workshops for helping students prepare their original research for
publication—which would really be a second summer’s worth of work, since a publication
requires further research and elaboration on one’s argument. It would be wonderful to have
the resources for QLIT to be a 2-summer program, with some students preparing for
conference presentation and then the next summer, that same cohort of students revising their
conference papers for publication and submitting to undergraduate research journal (or a 2-
level program, with some students preparing for the conference and some preparing for
publication—wouldn’t need to be the same cohort—anyway, there are different ways this
could work).

How was the 2022 QLIT experience like?

It was amazing, of course, especially since it featured our very own intelligent and intellectually curious
English department students! We did have a good time, and Dr. Shishko and I were very
proud of the work our students presented. The only bummer was that we had anticipated
being back in person—first time since covid—but due to bad weather in Florida, the conference
got moved online, relatively last minute. So we hated to miss the in-person experience. But
road-tripping and road-trip snacks are eternal, so another chance will come our way!

What is your favorite part of the QLIT program?

It’s very rewarding to mentor students as they develop their original ideas and arguments
about a literary text beyond what they/we are capable of within the restraints of a given
semester’s class. An essay written for class fulfills certain purposes, demonstrating the
student’s facility with various concepts the course has been covering. So there are parameters
around the assignment and time is more limited, both in terms of the material that must be
covered in the course and also in that students (and faculty) have responsibilities to their other
courses. QLIT allows us to devote time and energy to one project—which allows students to
expand their argument in more complex ways... which in turn allows students to gain more

experience with the concept of the “exigency” of their argument—why it matters, what’s
relevant about the point they’re making. I am passionate about the importance of the
humanities in general and of English literary studies—every time we read a story and make
meaning about it, we are creating new knowledge—building on what the story’s author wrote
to envision new ways of seeing different topics/new ways of being in the world. And it’s great
fun to watch students realize how important their own insights are!

How were you introduced to Queens? How did you become an English Professor at Queens or
decided to be an English Professor in general?

I have known about Queens for many years, since I was a student at Davidson College as an
undergrad; I happened to be in Charlotte finishing up work on my PhD when a position at
Queens opened up and I was fortunate enough to get it. I think that Queens has been a great
fit for me in general, since it shares a similar ethos to Davidson in its dedication to a liberal arts
core curriculum and in its mission to educate the “whole” student and to develop future
citizens—students who will graduate and be engaged with the community around them.
I LOVED college, where I was an English major; I also went to a summer camp for many years
and I LOVED that! So when I was thinking about what I wanted to do, it seemed like being a
professor would be the ideal job—academic-year-long camp for people interested in learning
and growing!

What are some future opportunities/programs that you are excited for? In terms of QLIT and
your own publications.

We are looking forward to seeing who we will be working with for QLIT 2023, and to returning
to Atlanta in Nov 2023 for QLIT at SAMLA (fingers crossed we can be in person this year!!). For
me personally, I have an article about the value of the English major that I have worked on in
the past with two former Queens students, that got delayed when covid hit, that I would like to
get back to; I also want to revise an essay on Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors that I presented
at SAMLA a couple of years ago for publication—the topic/my approach actually derives out of
a General Education course I have taught at Queens—huzzah for interdisciplinarity!

How can students get involved with QLIT or in more academic conference settings?

Great question! Since participation in such opportunities is so enriching. 1) Pay attention to
communications from your university/school/department—emails, social media posts, flyers on
bulletin boards, classroom announcements. Faculty and administrators will use these media to
get the word out about different opportunities—including info like deadlines, what needs to go
into applications, and whom to ask for more information. 2) Pay attention to communications
from honor societies you might be involved with. The English honor society, Sigma Tau Delta,
hosts an undergraduate conference every year, with opportunities for students to present.
They also publish two undergraduate journals. 3) Research opportunities yourself! Look online
for opportunities at public and private schools—while sometimes undergraduate conferences
are limited to students at that particular school, sometimes they are not. With any

opportunities you find online, it’s probably a good idea to run it by a faculty member—your
advisor or one of your professors—before getting involved.

How do you structure your classes that keep them fresh, educational, and fun for students?

Another great question! People who are passionate about teaching are constantly changing up
something in the classroom—that can be changing the texts on the syllabus; the choices of
critical/secondary/scholarly essays; what we do in the classroom on a day-to-day basis; and/or
the kinds of assignments we require, etc. For me, in my English classes, it’s usually some
combination of all of that. Sometimes I change secondary readings because I find an essay I
think will reach students better; or maybe I switch out a primary text because I haven’t gotten
to teach one I love in a while, and I want to return to it (and bring that excitement with me, as
we read). In the classroom on a daily basis, I try to rotate between class discussion, brief
lectures, and other random exercises, so that we are not doing the same thing constantly. In
the past few years, I have turned toward assignments that ask students to work in a digital
media (creating a blog, for instance), since acquiring those skills will be useful for career
opportunities. Above all, I try always to frame what we do in the larger contexts of how we are
in the business of becoming experts (no matter your major at university) and creating
knowledge, and of the relevance of what we are doing in terms of the types of skills students
are gaining.

Do you have any pets? What is your life like outside of Queens? Favorite film/tv shows,
books...etc?

No pets! Unfortunately, although I do love both dogs and cats. But I tend to travel a lot, so it
would be hard to keep up with a pet. I travel in the States to see family and friends; and I travel
abroad when I can—I love Europe! but would love to go to other destinations, as well. I am
very involved with my church, Caldwell Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), and I have also been an
avid rock-climber (mostly gym), although that fell off some during the pandemic, but I’ve
started going again and hope to work my way back up to the level where I was before! I am
always reading something for pleasure—it’s hard for me to declare a favorite, although I can
say that novels are my favorite genre; I’m currently reading Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We
Cannot See, and it’s very good; I just finished Jason Mott’s Hell of a Book—very powerful. My
favorite streaming tv shows are “cozy mysteries”—like Agatha Christie adaptations, Midsomer
Murders, Shakespeare and Hathaway—they’re a bit of a guilty pleasure—a way to check out,
and get narrative conflict resolved and justice provided in 58 or maybe 75 minutes.

Any advice for students interested in becoming English Professors, presenting in conferences
like SAMLA, becoming writers, grad school....etc.?

Sure! Pay attention to those opportunities that your professor/department/college offer, and
take advantage of them when you can—opportunities like QLIT, but also panels on graduate
school, Career Center events, etc. Find good mentors—find the faculty or other staff members
whom you connect with, and seek to develop a good working relationship with them—that
means asking them for advice and guidance, but it also means establishing yourself as an
engaged, conscientious, and reliable partner in the learning endeavor we are all part of—in

classes and other arenas. One of my favorite things to write about students in letters of
recommendation is that they “take initiative”—they look around and see what needs to be
done and propose ways of getting things done... and then they follow through and do it. And
when you have found good mentors, then stay in touch.
Someday you will likely need letters of recommendation—so, think about the qualities you
want your writers to be able to praise. And then act accordingly!