In this episode I'm joined by Dr Louise Creechan, who has researched into Victorian and Neo-Victorian Studies. We begin by discussing her PhD in illiteracy and how the nineteenth century saw the rise of mass literacy in England, and the creation of 'normative' standards of achievement. This coincided with capitalist models for a 'productive workforce.' We think about this persists today, with funding dependent on school grades' success, and also how the hierarchical nature of the academy can limit potential for neurodiverse people, and other academics who may have barriers such as dyslexia. We consider the legacies of Victorian systems on class structures and social inequality, and also look at innovative approaches such as Louise's forthcoming monograph, and her funded Neo-Victorian musicals projects, which were a great form of public engagement.
About my guest: Dr Louise Creechan is a Lecturer in the Literary Medical Humanities at Durham University, specialising in Victorian literature, neurodiversity, and the history of (not) reading. She is an AHRC/BBC New Generation Thinker and her current project, The Legacy of the Dunce’s Hat, is about how the Victorians quantified stupidity and how these ideas saturate our current understandings of intelligence. She is the co-founder of the Narratives of Neurodiversity Network and she is also working on an edited collection, (Neuro)Divergent Textualities, that will attempt to define what a neurodivergent approach to literary scholarship would look like. Louise is also queen of the musicals and has published on and staged various Neo-Victorian musicals in the name of public engagement. She is also the co-host of the academic comedy podcast, LOL My Praxis.
For more information on Louise's work, check out the details below:
https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/louise-creechan/LOLMyPraxis (Twitter): @lolmypraxis
Check out Louise's suggestions:
Sweeney Todd (Sondheim musical version)
Cliff Richard's Heathcliff
George Gissing - Workers in the Dawn
Episode Credits:
Episode Writer, Editor and Producer: Emma Catan
Music: Burning Steaks (by Stationary Sign) - obtained via EpidemicSound
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