Literary Scholarship
Mischa Willett, Ph.D. (University of Washington)
Specializing in British Romanticism and Victorian literature, with particular focus on the intersection of faith and literary tradition. Active in scholarly publishing, editorial work, and critical engagement with both historical and contemporary literature.
Featured Work
A comprehensive scholarly edition of Bailey's influential 19th-century religious epic, providing modern readers and scholars access to this cornerstone work of Victorian spiritual literature. Includes extensive critical apparatus, contextual essays, and textual annotations.
The first critical edition of Festus published in over 100 years, making this cornerstone of Victorian religious poetry accessible to contemporary scholars and readers.
FESTUS: A Critical Edition Philip James Bailey's Victorian Epic Poem
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FESTUS: A Critical Edition Philip James Bailey's Victorian Epic Poem
Edited by Mischa Willett
Edinburgh University Press, 2021Edinburgh Critical Editions of Nineteenth-Century Texts
A comprehensive scholarly edition of Bailey's influential 19th-century religious epic, marking the first time Festus has been published in over 100 years. This critical edition includes extensive textual apparatus, contextual essays, and scholarly annotations essential for contemporary Victorian studies.
408 pages | Available in hardcover, paperback, and digital formats
ISBN: 9781474457811 (hardcover) | 9781474484688 (paperback)
Articles & Essays
Research in British Romanticism, Victorian literature, and the intersection of faith and literary study. Published in academic journals and cultural publications including First Things and Chronicle of Higher Education. Recent focus: The relationship between spiritual practice and literary tradition in 19th-century poetry.
Scholarly editing, manuscript preparation, and professional endorsements within the literary and academic community. Book blurbs for emerging and established writers in poetry and literary scholarship. Professional engagement: Supporting the work of contemporary Christian writers and scholars.
Editorial & Professional Work
Critical engagement with contemporary poetry, literary scholarship, and works exploring faith and culture. Contributing to ongoing conversations in literary journals and cultural publications. Reviewing focus: Contemporary Christian poetry, Victorian studies, and works bridging academic scholarship with spiritual inquiry.
Reviews & Criticism
Academic Expertise Areas
Victorian Literature
Comprehensive knowledge of 19th-century British poetry and prose, with particular attention to religious and philosophical themes. Specialized research in the intersection of faith and literary practice as seen in the Spasmodic School.
British Romanticism
Advanced research in Romantic-era poets and their influence on subsequent literary traditions. Focus on the aesthetic dimensions of Romantic poetry, particularly typologies of failure in Shelley, Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Keats.Scholarly Editing & Criticism
Experience in critical edition preparation, manuscript editing, and scholarly apparatus development. Active in peer review and critical assessment of contemporary scholarship in Victorian and Romantic studies.
Literary Education & Mentorship
Guiding emerging writers and scholars in the intersection of faith, literature, and creative practice. Bringing scholarly expertise to creative writing education through the Whitworth Writers' Workshop MFA program.
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