Kelley L
- Research Program Mentor
MSW candidate at University of Chicago
Expertise
East Asian Philosophy, East Asian History, English, Creative Writing, Literature, Art Analysis, Music Analysis, History, Philosophy, Aesthetics, Psychology
Bio
Hi! My name is Kelley and I have an exceptional talent in creative writing and specialize in helping students develop their literary voice: I have had my prose and poetry nationally recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, National YoungArts Foundation, Scholastic Inc., and the Ford Foundation, with publications in various national journals, magazines, and art anthologies. As a Psychology and East Asian Studies major, I'm also interested in consciousness & cognition as it relates to East Asian religious models of spontaneity, meditation, and awareness, and how creativity and neuroscience are connected. I also have experience teaching postwar East Asian film, history, culture, art, and anthropology, and how East Asian media is consumed and continues to influence American society today.Project ideas
Void
How do we represent nothingness? Is it even possible? Curated art exhibit featuring visual representations of oblivion, nothingness, the formless. Also features analysis of literature and the arts that touch upon the things that potentially exist in this void: ghosts, monsters, dreams, and the ethereal.
Neuroscience and Buddhism
Examining the connections between meditation, Zen practices, and spontaneity with modern biological understanding of the brain in neuroscience and therapy. Through developing a research paper, students will understand how meditation affects the brain, and how the Daoist concept of spontaneity informs our understanding of improvisation and fate in music, athletics, and decision making.
Modern Japan: Images and Words
An exploration of the modernization of Japan and the concept of national identity through changing images, prints, artifacts, and movies during the 19th century. Additionally, by developing a research paper and analysis, this project will explore how this modernization continues to influence Western society today, such as with the Impressionists and modern design.
East Asian Philosophy in Anime and Film
A critical essay that will examine the cultural, aesthetic, and philosophical themes present in popular anime today. How does one watch anime in a meaningful and productive way? An overview of Zen, Daoist, and Wabi-Sabi philosophy in anime and film such as Ping Pong the Animation, Akira, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Spirited Away, and others.