Philip Wedge
Current Employer/Organisation Name
University of Kansas
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
Phil Wedge is a Senior Lecturer and Program Associate in English at the University of Kansas and the Editor of Cottonwood Magazine and Press. He generally teaches courses in British Literature, Sport Literature, Freshman Honors, and, occasionally, Creative Writing. His research interests are primarily in 19th Century British Literature (Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy) and in Sport Literature. He received a John H. Daniels Research Fellowship from the National Sporting Library and Museum in 2013. His publications include a poetry chapbook, Slowly Along the Riverbeds (Coal City 1999); essays on sport literature, most recently, “Sassoon’s Fox-Hunting Man: The Sporting Character in The Memoirs of George Sherston” (Aethlon: The Journal of Sport Literature); and poetry and reviews in American Scholar, Aethlon: the Journal of Sport Literature, Stone Country, Kansas Quarterly, Amelia, Wind, and High Plains Literary Review, among others.
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
I enjoy teaching and writing about literature. I cannot imagine a different career, to be honest.
Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?
Literary Club.
What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?
Working with my supervisor, Chris Brooks, on my subject (Thomas Hardy’s writing and his architectural career). Researching at many sites across the UK, including the Bodleian Library and British Library, and especially in the Thomas Hardy Collection at the Dorset County Museum.
What did you enjoy most about studying here?
The research opportunities and tutelage I received were outstanding. I enjoyed making many friends along the way while lodging in Duryard and Lafrowda.
Why did you choose to study at Exeter?
I received a Direct Exchange Scholarship to Exeter for my first year and then held the Eden Philpotts Memorial Scholarship for two years.
What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?
Studying abroad in different cultures (both in the UK as a post-grad and France as an undergrad) had a major effect on my life and I have been able to bring those cultural experiences into the classroom when teaching British and French authors.
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
Be diligent in your studies, embrace teaching as a vocation, and reach for the stars.
What are your plans for the future?
Continue teaching until it’s time to retire but continue my study and writing after retirement.
