I am currently writing my dissertation at the University of Virginia.  I completed my Ph.D. qualifying exams in April 2010.  I received my M.A. in German Literature from the University of Virginia in 2009.  Some of my research interests include metaphor theory, Freud, urbanity, 12th century literature, homelessness, lyric poetry and film.  I graduated from the College of William and Mary with concentrations in German Studies & Linguistics.  I have lived in Germany for two years and participated in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange.