Research Interests
contemporary novel, secularism, aesthetics, political theory, postcoloniality, fanaticism
Bio
Jerilyn’s dissertation is exploring the relation between the contemporary global Anglophone novel and the discourse of fanaticism, particularly religious fanaticism. If fundamentalism is characterized by an epistemological certainty, this project suggests that fanaticism entails an affective intensity that is related to but not limited to such epistemological certainty. This project examines how contemporary writers are articulating the relation between this affective intensity of the fanatic and aesthetic experience in contradictory ways. Before arriving at UC Berkeley, Jerilyn earned degrees in Canada, the UK, and the US. She has taught at universities in Lithuania, Turkey, and Colorado. Originally from Alberta, Canada, Jerilyn’s love for the Canadian Rockies has recently expanded to include the Californian surf.