The English Department is pleased to present the Seelbinder Literary Arts Series speaker,Dr. Dustin Friedman. A literature professor at American University in Washington, D.C., he is author of Before Queer Theory: Victorian Aestheticism and the Self. His writings on the history of sexuality appear in Victorian Studies, ELH, and Feminist Modernist Studies. His talk will discuss the Victorian supernatural tale “Oke of Okehurst” by lesbian writer Vernon Lee. In the hetero-patriarchal culture of Victorian England, literary representations of desire between women were difficult to find. Lee’s ghostly short story transforms this seeming disadvantage into an opportunity to affirm a sense of self for queer women.

The series is made possible by a gift from Professor Emerita Emily Seelbinder to enhance the study of and appreciation for the literary arts at Queens and in our community.