Yelena Shekhtman

Yelena Shekhtman

Adjunct Faculty, Writing Program
Department of Literature, Language, Writing, and Humanities

CONTACT INFORMATION

Courses

• English Composition
• Metro Writing Studio

Research

• Fairy tales, folklore, horror genre (Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, Lovecraft, etc.)
• Russian literature

Education

• MAT, Fairleigh Dickinson University
• MA, English Literature, Fairleigh Dickinson University
• MA, Literacy Education (Literacy Specialist/Reading coach), Fairleigh Dickinson University

Academic Profile

I am originally from the former Soviet Union, and although I enjoy reading books and poetry in Russian, I especially enjoy reading and writing in English. My story is a good example. My story is about how a person does not need to be a native English speaker to fall in love with the English language and literature. I cannot imagine my life without books, and I consider writing the most therapeutic and recharging experience.

I am a fan of the horror story genre. I teach a thematic unit on Horror Stories, and one of my favorite American psychological horror story writers is Edgar Allan Poe. I also love reading and teaching about fairy tales, as only a thin line separates so many enchanting Disney narratives from the disturbing themes, lurking underneath familiar sugarcoated surfaces. The themes of Light and Dark in fairy tales and horror stories invite us to reexamine the way we see love, beauty, and who we are as human beings. I enjoy watching compelling movies, and I passionately believe that we should learn how to decode visual literacy (films, advertisements, commercials, etc.) to read and visualize the surrounding world.