Ph.D. Spanish Literature: University of Pennsylvania, 1997.

M.A. Spanish Literature: New York University, 1993.

B.A. Spanish and English Literature: University of California at Irvine, 1991.

Whereas my undergraduate studies at the University of California, Irvine, were grounded in literary theory and history, my graduate studies at the New York University in Madrid program emphasized textual analysis. This critical equilibrium provided me with a sound analytical foundation as I began my doctoral pursuits at Penn in 1993. While my critical approach to Peninsular literature is traditional in that it emphasizes close readings and textual analysis, it is also receptive, not reactionary, to contemporary literary theories.

My formal educational experiences were greatly complemented by my three years of study abroad with the University of Massachussetts (1990) and New York University (1991-93) programs in Spain. I also feel tremendously indebted to several professors who were especially influential in my academic career. Carlos Bousoño introduced me to the expressive symbolism in the poetic imagery of Antonio Machado; Luis Fernández Cifuentes taught me how to "dissect" texts of the Realismo school; Ignacio Javier López exemplified passionate teaching in the classroom; José Miguel Oviedo taught me how to interpret Vallejo; Julian Palley inspired me to enroll in graduate school; Elias Rivers illuminated Garcilaso's lyrical greatness; Lía Schwartz Lerner revitalized my attraction to Quevedo's amorous poetry; and Professor Russell P.Sebold challenged me to unearth the brilliance of the eighteenth-century Peninsular novel.