Luis Paganelli Marin is an alum of not only the English doctoral program but also the English master’s and bachelor’s programs at the University of Arkansas. We recently had the chance to ask him about his time in all three degree programs, the inspiration for his dissertation focus, his current job with the Arkansas Immigrant Defense office in Springdale, and the next possible step in his professional career. We also were able to collect his recommendation for a great local place to eat!
You stayed with the Department of English at the University of Arkansas for your B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. programs. What was one or two of your favorite courses, and why did you enjoy it/them so much?
Yes, I gratefully completed all three degrees within the English Department where I took many great courses with some of my favorite professors. During my B.A., I remember fondly taking a course with Dr. Quinn where we read Sir Gawain, Paradise Lost, and other medieval texts that were presented in such an interesting way that I actually enjoyed reading these works whereas at the time, over a decade ago now, I thought only modernist works were worthwhile. In my first course during my M.A., after a three-year absence from academia, I enjoyed listening to the great lectures presented by Dr. Dempsey in his “Poetics of Modern Literature” course. After this reawakening of my love of literature during my M.A., I was grateful to be accepted into the Ph.D. program where I absolutely loved all the courses I took with Drs. Padilla, Bailey, and Marren. With Drs. Marren and Bailey, I enjoyed learning all about feminist literary theory, black feminist thought, and other fundamentals in gender studies. With Dr. Padilla, who became my dissertation director, I experienced so many great discussions and lectures regarding ethnic studies, especially Latino/a/x literature and culture.
Your dissertation, which you defended in Spring 2020, focuses upon contemporary multi-ethnic literature of the U.S. (MELUS) and the way it reflects U.S. culture. More specifically, quoting your abstract, your dissertation “analyzes recent novels and poetry collections by African American, Native American, Latinx, and African diasporic writers to unmask the efforts of empire-building with the material effects on colonized, marginalized peoples.” What is, if you can narrow it down, the one text that most inspired this project, and why was that book so critical to the development of your argument?
Two pivotal texts for my project and its development are the novels of Jesmyn Ward, Salvage the Bones and Sing, Unburied, Sing. After reading several works by Toni Morrison, I could see the lineage of Morrison in Ward’s works and how these texts are continually interrogating how the past is present and everywhere around us while at the same time only visible, or acknowledged, by colonized, marginalized people in the U.S. who are metaphorically and emotionally haunted by slavery, convict leasing, and mass incarceration, among other material effects of U.S. empire.
Currently, you are working as a COVID Coordinator with the Arkansas Immigrant Defense office in Springdale. How did you come to choose this for your first post-doctoral professional experience, and to what extent are your background and training in literary study coming into play in the work that you are doing in the non-profit sector?
The opportunity to work with Arkansas Immigrant Defense (AID), an organization that I admired before working there, presented itself during the pandemic where I thought I could do some good in a community that reflects my own family. In helping AID clients navigate the pandemic through public health education and food assistance, I felt another form of belonging as I had felt during my time at the university. From my training and studies at the university, I was able to start grant writing to pursue other forms of relief for clients in need of eviction defense and more pro bono legal services for immigrant and refugee minors. As I did in my studies, I research heavily and try to communicate in the most appropriate way to my specific audience, whether it be a small community donor or one of the larger funders in NWA.
You took very little time off from school from the time you started your B.A. to the time you finished your Ph.D. What is the best thing about putting student life behind you? What do you most miss?
I did take a three-year break between my B.A. and M.A. that felt like an eternity because I felt at home at the university and wanted to return as soon as possible. However, I am also happy that I graduated and can put student life behind. After finishing my last degree, I am enjoying not taking exams and not procrastinating on a research paper. I do miss having the space and time to contemplate the ideas that are most fascinating to me, such as my time on fellowship when I was writing my dissertation and being able to take the time to read all I could. I also miss my cohort, my professors, and others in the program who made grad school fun and interesting.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years, I hope to be an educator, researcher, and writer in some capacity, either as a professor, an immigration advocate, a think tank researcher, or in local politics. Since our generation will not likely remain at one institution for the rest of their careers, I am embracing the flux and the opportunities that could lead me to any of these roles, or even something else that I haven’t realized yet.
What’s one film/restaurant/recreational spot you recommend? Why?
My highly idiosyncratic restaurant recommendation is Taqueria El Cuñado in Springdale. The smell of authentic Mexican cooking reminds me of my childhood kitchen, especially the smell of roasted peppers, and the music of cumbias, corridos, and norteños also transport me back to my childhood home. They have all the most authentic tacos, tortas, sopes, gorditas, and so many others. It is a really delightful experience every time I go.