Assistant Professor of Education and English
Phone: ext. 2242
Email: Erica.McCrystal@centenaryuniversity.edu

Academic Accomplishments

• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in English, St. John’s University, 2016
• Master of Arts (M.A.) in English, Rutgers University-Newark, 2014
• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English, The College of the Holy Cross, 2008
• New Jersey Standard Certificate: Teacher of English

Biography

Dr. McCrystal enjoys interweaving popular culture in her classes to create relatable, relevant conversations where students make connections between older and modern works and think about cultural, national, and global themes. In her Education courses, she encourages future teachers to tap into their students’ interests in their lesson planning, reflect upon their teaching practice, and be aware that a teaching is a fluid practice. In her English courses, Dr. McCrystal raises discussions on cultural analysis of the literary works and looks at historical context as well as the ways in which the works are relevant today. Her research interests include the Gothic, detective fiction, Victorian literature, superheroes, and popular culture.

In Dr. McCrystal’s podcast, Villains 101, she analyzes iconic literary and film villains from various critical perspectives. Check it out here: www.villains101.com

 

Published Work

Gotham City Living, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021.

“Liminal Spaces and the Gothic Sublime of The Sandman,” The Artistry of Neil Gaiman: Finding Light in the Shadows (Critical Approaches to Comics Artists Series), University Press of Mississippi, 2019.

Book Review: David Punter, The Gothic Condition: Terror, History and the Psyche, Studies in Gothic Fiction, 6.1 (2018).

“Hyde the Hero: Changing the Role of the Modern Day Monster,” University of Toronto Quarterly, Special Issue of Monster Studies, 87.1, Winter 2018.