Sarah L Higley

Sarah L Higley is a Professor of English at the University of Rochester's School of Arts & Sciences, specializing in medieval literature and modern fantasy. She holds a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research focuses on medieval Northern European vernacular languages (Old English, Middle Welsh, and Middle French), the intersection of medieval and modern concepts of monstrosity, ecocriticism, and the study of artificial entities like robots and simulacra. She has published extensively on topics including Hildegard of Bingen's linguistics, werewolf lore, and medieval film adaptations. Recent projects include editing a Middle English translation of The Tale of Melusine and exploring digital remediations of medieval texts through machinima.

Her teaching spans Old English literature, gender studies, and science fiction. She has produced digital media works such as The Lover's Confession, adapting John Gower's Confessio Amantis into real-time animation. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges medieval studies with modern media, emphasizing cultural and ecological connections across centuries.

Research Highlights:

• Analysis of medieval artificial entities (robots, werewolves) and their modern parallels
• Ecocritical readings of medieval poetry and contemporary cinema
• Study of invented languages and medieval mysticism
• Cross-cultural comparisons of Welsh and Old English nature poetry

Recent Projects:

• Editing the 15th-century Middle English translation of Coudrette’s Melusine
• Investigating medieval ecocriticism and concepts of Nature