I have been teaching in the English department since receiving my Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of California at Berkeley in 1979. My literary interests are diverse, and my current research is reflected in the most recent graduate courses I have taught, which include "Re-Reading Chaucer" (reading Chaucer in light of current theoretical developments), "Medieval Women Writers" (my particular research interest is in Christine de Pizan), and "Arthurian Tradition" (my own current work concerns visual images of Arthur from medieval to present). A common thread in both teaching and research is in situating literary works within their social contexts, as I have done in my book, Medieval Artistry and Exchange: Economic Institutions, Society, and Literary Form in Old French Narrative (1989). My work over the past ten years in helping develop the biennial conference on "Literature and Hawaii's Children" has brought home to me the importance of understanding how early in one's life, literature impacts on the formation of personal and cultural identities. As a result, some of my recent work has dealt with the influence of medieval literature on recent fantasy and children's works.

Areas of Interest
medieval English and French literature, comparative literature, social backgrounds, medieval women writers

Education
BA, MA, PhD, University of California, Berkeley

Awards
Board of Regents' Award for Excellence in Teaching, 1991
College of Languages, Linguistics and Literature Excellence in Teaching Award, 1988