Consuming Bodies: The Colonial Abject in Indigenous Horror

Project Description:

Consuming Bodies is a book-length study of horror in contemporary Native American and Indigenous literatures, film, and visual and performing arts. Dr. Sayre is studying how Indigenous creators use the language of genre to make present and respond to the structural violence of settler colonialism in the United States and Canada. From zombie invasions to Arctic horror to slasher fiction and beyond, Dr. Sayre is interested in how the affective economy of horror, the creation of shared feelings among audiences, unworks settler geographies, temporalities, and more.

The Research Assistant will support Dr. Sayre in developing the project and tasks may include surveying available research and/or working with the novels and films directly. Ideal candidate will be interested in advanced research in literary or film studies. In addition to learning more about the research process, Dr. Sayre will mentor and support the development of the student’s own research interests.

Requirements

Requires substantial reading (novels), attention to detail, and self-direction. Basic research skills or willingness to learn required.

Keywords/Areas of Study 

Native American and Indigenous Studies, literary studies, film studies, horror studies

Hourly Time Commitment (per week)

no fewer than 3 hours, and no more than 5 hours a week

Length of Commitment

Commitment varies based on regular evaluation by faculty advisor

Start Date

Ongoing

Modality

Hybrid

Type of Opportunity

Volunteer (e.g., research assistant)

Contact Faculty Lead

Jillian Sayre
Associate Professor 
Department of English and Communication
Contact: jillian.sayre@rutgers.edu

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