Beth M. Carter

Beth M. Carter is an Assistant Professor of Japanese at Case Western Reserve University, specializing in premodern Japanese literature. Her research focuses on mourning rituals and practices in The Tale of Genji and related texts.

• Education: B.A., Sarah Lawrence College; M.A., Johns Hopkins University; M.A. and Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Her work introduces the concept of "mourning poetics," analyzing the interplay between post-death rituals and lament poetry in Japanese literary traditions. Secondary research explores women's voices in historical Japanese texts.

Recent publications (2016–2025) examine corporeal expressions of grief, regional symbolism in mourning scenes, and the evolution of ritual practices in classical Japanese narratives.

• Scientific Awards
  • Fulbright Graduate Research Fellowship (Kyoto, Japan 2013, 2015)
  • Blakemore Freeman Fellowship for Advanced Asian Language Study (Yokohama, Japan 2014)

Current affiliations include Department of Japanese, Guilford House 313, and Phone: 216.368.2102.