This week it was Chloe Porter’s turn in the academic hot seat.
Chloe is new to Sussex University this year but has been teaching for around eight years and finished her PhD back in 2007.
Chloe has just finished a book that contains all of her research from the past year. I asked her about the research she had been involved in and she explained her interests in the world of drama and visual culture.
Her book, she went on to explain, dealt with depictions of art in drama, so things such as characters making visual objects on stage like paintings or sculptures.
She says: “quite often these visual objects get smashed or broken as well and there’s a lot you can read into that.
“I research well-known playwrights like Shakespeare and also less well known ones like Robert Greene and John Lyly.”
She also added that John Lyly was probably one of her favourite playwrights, as he wrote a play called ‘Campapse’.
She explains: “it’s about Alexander the Great; he tries to paint a picture and messes it up.
“I like literature with aspects of visual art in and that’s relevant to the book I’m writing.”
She quickly added: “I like reading modernist literature as well but I don’t get a chance to read much”.
Chloe “was teaching at Kings College London before coming here, it’s very different.”
Chloe goes on to explain that having a campus-based university is perhaps a bit more relaxed than a university spread over a city like London.
She added: “Sussex is a really nice campus with a real community feel, students have a hub here.”
Lastly, I decided to learn a bit about Chloe outside the academic world: “do you have any pet peeves?”
Chloe ponders the question and laughs a little before answering: “Yes! I hate that most sandwiches have mayonnaise in them, I hate mayo! It seems impossible to get a sandwich without it and I’m quite picky about my lunch!”
Perhaps if someone working in the co-op reads this they could make the shop a little more pro-faculty and mention the OTT mayo in the sandwiches?
Emily Barker
