Mary Lacey, Ph.D.

About me

I teach a variety of courses in English, with a particular interest in 19th and 20th century literature from England, the United States and Ireland. I have also led Earlham’s off-campus program in London.

I teach at Earlham because I think it combines the best elements of a meaningful life — intellectual activity, spiritual seeking, social activism and other commitments to the health of the larger world, companionship, collaboration and competition. We are all striving to be our best selves and contribute to a better world pretty much all the time — a great rarity in American life.

Earlham students are smart, industrious, curious, kind, brave, playful, earnest, patient, companionable, funny, talented, insightful, ardent, open. If I had to settle for one word, I think it would be “ready.” They are ready to try new things, to go back and revise, to listen to unfamiliar perspectives, to share their lives, to risk failure, to help others. I love Earlham students with all my heart.

Education

• Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• B.A., Earlham College

Scholarly interest

I am interested in 19th and 20th-century literature in England, the United States and Ireland, with a special focus on literary influences. I also read and write about religious belief as it pertains to a writer’s work–looking especially at how Modern and Contemporary authors reflect on the times they live in. I also read about Folklore as an academic discipline and try to integrate folklore and theory into my courses.