Dr. Marisa Higgins describes herself as a lifelong learner, and she is dedicated to creating engaging storytelling and producing enriching learning experiences. Her interest in American Literature and Modernism was first ignited during discussions about The Great Gatsby when she was in high school, and that interest further solidified in college where she was introduced to Nella Larsen, Gertrude Stein, and of course, Ernest Hemingway.
After being introduced to Spatial Theory and Mobility Studies during her master's degree, Dr. Higgins realized how her experience as a dancer could be linked to the study of literature. Her work as a dancer and yoga teacher (RYT-200) richly informs her research. She continues to use her interest in the human body to shape how she view writing—fluid, embodied, a performance of self.
As a scholar of 20th Century American Literature with interests in embodied performance, Dr. Higgins researches the intersection of dance, gender, performance, and literature. She closely explores the links between language and kinesthetic movement/expression, arguing that women use forms of kinesthetic action and expressive movement to convey what cannot be fully said. Her forthcoming journal article is titled: "‘A Sense of Inertia’: The Dance of Expressive Non/Movement in Zelda Fitzgerald’s Save Me the Waltz.”
After being introduced to Spatial Theory and Mobility Studies during her master's degree, Dr. Higgins realized how her experience as a dancer could be linked to the study of literature. Her work as a dancer and yoga teacher (RYT-200) richly informs her research. She continues to use her interest in the human body to shape how she view writing—fluid, embodied, a performance of self.
As a scholar of 20th Century American Literature with interests in embodied performance, Dr. Higgins researches the intersection of dance, gender, performance, and literature. She closely explores the links between language and kinesthetic movement/expression, arguing that women use forms of kinesthetic action and expressive movement to convey what cannot be fully said. Her forthcoming journal article is titled: "‘A Sense of Inertia’: The Dance of Expressive Non/Movement in Zelda Fitzgerald’s Save Me the Waltz.”