Connecting you with the University of Missouri’s innovative research and creative activityReading the Visual
A visit with Nancy M. West, Associate Professor, English Department
Additional Interview Clips
West’s first book, Kodak and the Lens of Nostalgia (2000)
Looking at the Visual in Victorian Studies
From Celluloid to Tabloid—West’s current book project
West’s favorite “docu-noir” films
West’s next collaborative project on Masterpiece Theatre
Teaching at Mizzou
West’s teaching philosophy
Valuing collaboration
What inspires West’s research interests?
The personal element of West’s research
Topics:
research
photographs
With her first book, West’s motivation came from a personal source: “What could be more personal than a photograph, especially when my childhood contained so few of them?” “To be totally honest,” she says, “my second book was very hard for me, and I think one reason was because crime books are discussed so much. How to make an original intervention really worried me.” West reflects on her motivation for working on her third book: “I think it’s about the anticipation of watching all those Masterpiece Theatre episodes with my mom. I know that sounds corny, but it’s really true!”