From left: Jessica Smith, '11; Rachel Ekblad, '11; Courtney Bocklund, '11, and Associate Professor of English Maria Carrig.

Students selected to participate in panel discussion on "Shakespeare's Fragmented Psyches"

Three Carthage students, along with English professor Maria Carrig, presented papers at the 19th annual Northern Plains Conference on Early British Literature, held April 8-9 at St. Mary's University in Winona, Minn.

English majors Courtney Bocklund, '11; Rachel Ekblad, '11; and Jessica Smith, '11; along with Prof. Carrig, were selected to participate in a panel discussion titled "Shakespeare's Fragmented Psyches." This was one of two undergraduate panels at the conference, which is held primarily for college professors.

Courtney presented her paper, "The Inversion of Gender Roles: Elizabeth I and the Female Characters in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night." Rachel presented her paper, "The Imagination's Response to Chaos in King Lear." Jessica presented her paper, "Sick of Self Love." The papers were derived from their senior theses.

Prof. Carrig presented the paper "Oscar's Will: Wilde's Interpretation of Shakespeare's Sonnets in The Portrait of Mr. W. H."

The Northern Plains Conference on Early British Literature brings advanced scholars, graduate students and select undergraduates together to discuss literary-critical, theoretical and pedagogical issues concerning the early literatures of the British Isles. All papers presented at the conference were refereed and accepted by conference organizers.

In recognition of the excellence of the Carthage students' work, conference organizer Professor John Kerr of St. Mary's College invited the students to publish their papers in the volume of Conference Proceedings.

The students' travel was funded by a Student Travel Grant through Carthage Provost Julio Rivera, and by the English Department.