Sarah E. Einstein

Sarah E. Einstein is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC). She is a creative nonfiction writer and academic whose work interrogates the intersection of Jewish and Appalachian identities, ethical research methodologies in personal writing, and narrative structure.

• Education: PhD in Creative Writing from Ohio University (2016), MFA in Creative Nonfiction from West Virginia University (2011)

Her research explores:

• Ethical boundaries when writing about friends/family
• Travel as a research methodology in narrative nonfiction
• Authorial selfhood in first-person writing
• Hybrid identities (Jewish/Appalachian)

Her recent publications include a 2025 Judith Magazine essay on selfhood, 2022 Hippocampus and Brevity articles on research ethics, and a 2016 Assay journal piece analyzing authorial responsibility. Key themes across her work: cultural hybridity, memory ethics, and narrative voice in nonfiction.

Academic Recognition:

• Pushcart Prize winner
• AWP Prize for Creative Nonfiction recipient
• Featured in Best of the Net anthology

As organizer for UTC's Urban League STEAM Enrichment Program (2021-2025), she has mentored students in narrative design. Current service roles include Faculty Senate President Elect (2025-2026) and General Education Committee membership (2024-2025).