Kathryn Haklin

Kathryn Haklin is a Lecturer in French at Washington University in St. Louis, specializing in nineteenth-century French literature, visual culture studies, and the medical humanities. Her research explores intersections of spatial confinement, social dynamics, and cultural representations in 19th-century France.

Her teaching includes courses across French language, literature, and culture, such as "Feminist Filmmaking" and "From Cholera to the Coronavirus: Medicine & Confinement in Modern France." She serves as faculty advisor to La Table Francophone and will direct the 2025 WashU Healthcare in France study abroad program, supported by a $35,000 IES Abroad grant.

Research Interests

• Modern French Literature
• Visual Culture Studies
• Medical Humanities
• Fashion Studies
• Environmental Humanities
• Women’s and Gender Studies

Recent publications analyze claustrophobia in Jules Verne’s works, Zola’s depictions of urban spaces, and Baudelaire’s engagement with sensory enclosure. Her work bridges literary analysis with interdisciplinary frameworks in visual and medical humanities.

Education

• PhD, Johns Hopkins University