Eftychia Mikelli holds a PhD from the Department of English Studies at Durham University, where she is currently employed as a postdoctoral teaching assistant. Her thesis on “Constructions of Identity and Otherness in Jack Kerouac’s Prose” explores identity and heterogeneity in Kerouac, advancing a deconstructive approach to his writing. Kerouac’s indebtedness to modernist techniques notwithstanding, the thesis argues that in its historical, thematic and stylistic preoccupations Kerouac’s prose is vividly conversant with American Cold War contexts while also anticipating postmodern strategies. Tracing Kerouac’s problematization of the search for meaning in a post-war context of uncertainty and ambiguity, her study explores how, while foregrounding the conflicts of his era, Kerouac gestures towards and often captures a postmodern sensibility.
Eftychia’s most recent article appeared in Cultural Politics and other publications include articles in Atlantis, Miscelánea and American Studies Today.
European Beat Studies Network 