We are three Ph.D.s with too much education and no where to put it.
Steph is a Ph.D. candidate in English, who focuses on the confluence of philosophy of science, history of science, and 19th-century American literature. She guiltily enjoyed reading YA fiction as a young teenager, and she now unabashedly enjoys it as an adult. On any given day, when she is not working, you may find her playing God of War, binge-watching T.V. series, gazing lustily at any form of science fiction, or screaming existentially into the mirror during solo dance parties. She also recently found a giant roach in her coffee maker, and she is now seriously reconsidering how much she actually needs coffee to survive.
Sam received her Ph.D. in English in 2021 and now lectures at the University of Virginia. Her current research project engages questions of uncertainty within representations of sexual violence in contemporary American fiction. Common activities include drooling over Scottish castles on Instagram, coming up with yet more nicknames for her cat, Christopher, and being cranky af before noon. She’s finally discovered fantasy YA might be her sweet spot, although the signs were always there (see, aforementioned activities).
Sidney is a Ph.D. candidate in Classics who studies the role of emotions in archaic Greek poetry (think: Homer). She started reading YA fiction as a young teen and is thrilled to get to talk about it as an adult! When she isn’t experiencing dissertation angst, Sidney enjoys spending time with her husband and their two cats, doing old(er) lady crafts (e.g. knitting and needlepoint), and diving into cultural phenomena that began twenty years ago (hello, Buffy the Vampire Slayer).