Sarah Ehlers

Sarah Ehlers is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at the University of Houston, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Her research and teaching focus on modern and contemporary American literature, emphasizing poetry and poetics, U.S. left history and culture, African American literature, and the intersection of art with social justice movements.

Education

• Ph.D. in English, University of Michigan
• M.A. in English, University of Connecticut
• B.A. in English and Women’s Studies, Illinois State University

Research Interests include:

• Hemispheric analysis of poetic practices
• Documentary poetry and historical geographies
• Black Mountain College’s role in modernity
• Archival experimentation in contemporary poetry
• Dynamics of state power and humanities discourse
• Working-class literature and labor movements

Scientific Awards:

• Shortlisted for the MSA First Book Prize for Left of Poetry: Depression America and the Formation of Modern Poetics

Teaching and Collaborations: Dr. Ehlers teaches courses such as African American Poetry and Drama, Literature and Social Justice Movements, and American Literature Since 1865. She actively collaborates with undergraduate humanities students through the Office of Undergraduate Research and participates in the English department’s Poetics and Critical Studies of the Americas collectives.