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Morgan
Adamson
Media and Cultural Studies
How did you first get interested in your
academic field?
As a junior at UC–Santa Cruz, I took an
introductory film studies course and was
hooked. I became obsessed with studying
film traditions outside the Hollywood norm,
such as documentary and avant-garde
cinema. These cinemas opened up new
worlds for me, and I started to look at film
as an art form.
Why were you drawn to a teaching
intensive position?
For me, teaching and research are never
entirely separate practices. While teaching
I gain insights into my research that I
would never have seen without the dialogue
created in the classroom. The reverse is
true as well. It was important for me to be
at an institution that values undergraduate
education, and I was drawn to Macalester
because of the opportunity to work closely
with talented undergraduates.
What’s your favorite app and why?
My favorite app right now is called “Freedom.”
It actually turns off your Internet
connection for a limited period. Although
social connectivity is a wonderful thing,
sometimes I find it’s important to turn off
all the noise in order to focus.
What is one of your favorite books and why?
One of my favorite academic books is Ian
Baucom’s Specters of the Atlantic: Finance
Capital, Slavery, and the Philosophy of History
(Duke, 2005), a wonderful piece of cultural
criticism that weaves together history, politics,
and philosophy into a beautiful work
of nonfiction. Moreover, it’s an excellent
example of the kinds of insights a humanities
scholar can bring to some of the most
pressing issues of our time.