Gregory Winston

Queen's University Belfast (Irish Literature) Scholar Award, Queen's University Belfast - Literature

As Professor of English at Husson University, I teach a wide range of literature and humanities courses. My fascination with the literature of Ireland first took hold when, as a teenager, I journeyed solo south to north across the island; three decades on, it draws me across the Atlantic again. My Fulbright teaching and research will consider the ecological context of several modern Irish writers, including the namesake of my host institution, the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry at Queen’s University Belfast. I simply cannot imagine a better place to pursue this interest than a city and campus where talented writers, scholars and students are doing valuable work in Irish Studies. Fulbright means the privilege of participating in traditions of scholarly exchange without borders--all the more significant in a moment when some would choose isolation over collaboration, separateness instead of common ground. I look forward to engaging with others and contributing to the broader project of Irish ecocriticism and environmental humanities emerging around the globe. Additionally, I hope to explore environments foundational to the region’s life and literature. Hiking glens, paddling rivers, and cycling city streets will be recreation and research, ways of learning the human and more-than-human ecologies of Ulster.