~from intern Courtney Satchell

Thomas M. Swensen
Assistant Professor, Department of Ethnic Studies

What are you currently working on?: I’m currently reading The Reorder of Things: The University and Its Pedagogies of Minority Difference by Roderick Ferguson for my grad seminar called “Race in the City.” This seminar I teach is focused on looking at the University as a city and how the University uses diversity not simply to challenge power structures but rather reinforce them.

Describe the Eddy in one word: Panoptic

Favorite book/poem: My favorite book would be Dogeaters by Jessica Hagedorn, which is a post colonial novel about the Philippines. My favorite poem is “Persimmons” by Li Young Lee.

Any advice for CSU English students?: Read everything. Especially if you’re a non-English major taking a literature class because you might not get the chance to read as much later on.

Biggest Goal?: Finish writing my book, The Great Land: The Environment and Belonging in Native Alaska, for my research.