Katherine J. Weese

Katherine J. Weese is the Venable Professor of English at Hampden-Sydney College, where she has held roles including Chair of the English Department (2007-2010) and Director of the Rhetoric Program. Her teaching spans Contemporary Fiction, Women's Literature, Film Studies, and Literary Theory.

• Ph.D. in English with a minor in Film Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1993)
• M.A. in English, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1988)
• B.A. in English and History, Williams College (1987) with honors

Her research focuses on Contemporary British and American Fiction, Feminist and Unnatural Narrative Theory, and Fictions of the Fantastic. Her publications analyze intersections of narrative structures, gender constructs, and postcolonial themes in works by authors like Ali Smith, Junot Díaz, and Barbara Kingsolver.

Her recent work explores narrative theory through the lens of the fantastic, postcolonialism, and cognitive processes, with a current book project on contemporary women writers’ ‘unnatural’ novels. Collaborative projects include analyses of Kate Atkinson’s and Ruth Ozeki’s works.

• Venable Professorship (2018-present)
• Elliott Professorship (2003-2018)
• Thomas Edward Crawley Award for Service to the College (2007)

Weese has served on numerous institutional committees, including the Academic Affairs Committee (2021-present), and directed the Rhetoric Program. She is a faculty advisor to Sigma Tau Delta, the English honorary society, and actively contributes to academic leadership.