Colleen R. Rosenfeld

Colleen R. Rosenfeld is Professor of English at Pomona College, where she has been teaching since 2010. She currently serves as Interim Director of College Writing and is a core faculty member in the Department of English within the College of Letters and Science. Her scholarly work bridges literary criticism, Renaissance poetics, and interdisciplinary studies in the visual arts.

Education:

• Ph.D., Rutgers University
• M.A., Rutgers University
• B.A., Reed College

Her research centers on the relationship between style and epistemology in early modern poetry. She explores how rhetorical figures and formal innovation generate knowledge, particularly in the works of Sidney, Spenser, Wroth, and Shakespeare. Her work also extends into ekphrasis and comparative methodologies, notably linking Shakespeare’s sonnets with Picasso’s visual variations. She teaches courses on close reading, Renaissance poetry, Shakespeare, and genre studies.

The recent articles published by Professor Rosenfeld reflect a sustained engagement with poetic form, rhetorical structure, and literary epistemology. Her publications span journals such as ELH, Modern Philology, and English Literary Renaissance, focusing on topics like rhyme, counterfactual mood, simile, and authorial identity. These works collectively demonstrate a methodological commitment to close reading and formal analysis across early modern literature.

Scientific Awards and Honors:

• The Renaissance Project Workshop Grant (Alliance to Advance Liberal Arts Colleges, 2019–2020)
• Sontag Center Course Development Grant (2019–2020)
• Humanities Studio Faculty Fellowship (Pomona College, 2019–2020)
• Short-Term Fellowship, The Huntington Library (2019–2020)
• 2025 Halifax Prize, American Short Fiction (for 'The Skilled Anatomist')

Professor Rosenfeld is actively involved in academic leadership and collaboration. She co-founded The Renaissance Project and co-organizes the Renaissance Literature Seminar at USC-Huntington EMSI. She has received grant support for interdisciplinary teaching, including a course co-taught with an art professor on Ovidian figures. While no formal advisees are listed, her mentorship is evident through her pedagogical innovation and institutional roles. Her current book project, Seeing Things Otherwise, promises to expand the scope of literary criticism through a dialogue between Shakespeare and Picasso.

She maintains a research presence through publications in leading journals and is recognized for both her scholarly and creative writing. Her work continues to influence conversations on poetic form, knowledge production, and interdisciplinary humanities.