Nancy West

Nancy West is a Professor in the Department of English at the University of Missouri, affiliated with the College of Arts and Science. She has been teaching there since 1995 and holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina (1992). Her research focuses on Victorian literature and culture, photographic history, crime literature/film, British television drama, and digital storytelling. She has authored two books: Tabloid, Inc: Crime, News, Narratives (on film noir and narrativity) and Kodak and the Lens of Nostalgia (on snapshot photography). Currently, she researches the historical evolution of charm.

Awards: She has received numerous accolades, including the William T. Kemper Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching, two Gold Chalk Awards for Graduate Teaching, the EGSA award for Outstanding Graduate Faculty Member, and the Outstanding Mentor Award for Undergraduate Research. Her work appears in journals like Narrative, Nineteenth Century Contexts, and Photography and Culture, as well as The Atlantic and Written By Magazine.

Research Interests: Her interdisciplinary work bridges literature, visual culture, and media studies. Key areas include Victorian studies, photographic theory, and the intersection of historical narratives with modern media. She critiques British television dramas like The Crown and explores how historical figures like Queen Victoria engage contemporary audiences.