Melissa Parrish

Melissa Parrish serves as Assistant Professor of English Language & Literature at Smith College, specializing in multiethnic American literature with emphasis on poetry and poetics, and literary representations of public crises from the Cold War to contemporary times. Her current research interrogates poetry's relationship to national security frameworks in handling U.S. public emergencies.

Education:

• Ph.D. in English, Rutgers University
• Degrees from Georgetown University and United States Military Academy

Dr. Parrish's scholarly work critically examines how poetic forms engage with state responses to crises, particularly through her book manuscript Situation Normal: Emergency Poetics and the Rise of the National Security State. Her research bridges literary analysis with historical investigations of security apparatuses, focusing on intersections between creative expression and institutional power structures during emergency scenarios.

Professional background includes prior service as a postdoctoral lecturer in Rutgers University's English department. Hailing from Kaneohe, Hawaii, she was an all-conference NCAA Division I softball player at West Point followed by U.S. Army service.