After two summers of research, travel, and composition, long-time NIC English professor, Dr. Laura Godfrey’s work has finally come to rest above her desk among a vast collection of authors, literary journals, and syllabi for her various classes.
Godfrey published her first book, “Hemingway’s Geographies: Intimacy, Materiality, and Memory” this past June.
The book offers a new insight into Ernest Hemingway and into the literary world by examining him through the lens of his distinct and deliberate creation of settings. Godfrey’s fresh take on Hemingway has gained the attention of members of The Hemingway Review, a premier literary journal focused on Hemingway’s writing.
Her interest in Hemingway sparked in the first year of her doctorate program at a conference at the University of Idaho. Godfrey published her first paper on Hemingway 10 years ago, and has since been featured in many other journals. Godfrey’s work eventually developed into the basis for her book.
“A book is always on your radar, no matter where you work,” Godfrey said, “Publishing is an expectation of PhD students.”
With a unique view of Hemingway’s writing, Godfrey traveled through Idaho, conducting historical research at various Hemingway sites. She approached an academic trade press, Palgrave Macmillan, with her idea, and was offered the opportunity to publish. The first edition arrived in Godfrey’s office three weeks prior to the beginning of the term.
“It’s weird when it’s sitting in front of you,” Godfrey said. “It’ fun to see something through, to make something happen and to be bold. It takes courage.”
While working on her book, Godfrey and her husband created an interactive online map that tracked Hemingway’s life in Idaho. Godfrey’s husband creates such maps at the University of Idaho, and Godfrey contributed the histories and significance of each place. The map is entitled Mapping Hemingway in Idaho and can be accessed online.
A copy of Godfrey’s book is available to NIC students in Molstead Library for check-out.
