Hi there! i'm Emma (they/them) and I'm a PhD candidate in Public History at Carleton University, located on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin nation. My dissertation examines queer punk zines as sites of counterpublic discourse and world-making during the rise of queer confrontational activism in the 1980s-1990s across Canada.
I have an MA in Public History from Carleton. my MA research, "Queer Longing: A History of Gladys Bentley's Iconography," explored how queer/trans blues performer, Gladys Bentley, is recalled and represented within historical and popular records based on longing and hesitation.
I'm available for public history consulting work and I've worked on government, not-for-profit, scholarly, and community projects. i also have experience in editorial/publishing settings, including as Managing editor of the peer-reviewed Journal of the Canadian Historical Association.
Queering Public History...
My research, teaching, and creative practice focus on queer public history. I surface and share queer pasts in artistic and speculative ways to dream radical futures.
Exploring my positionality as queer and multiracial, I love to make autotheoretical zines, digital graphics, and art inspired by historic ephemera. I've used art to mobilize queer history in community and not-for-profit settings through educational resources, workshops, youth forums, and public events.
standing in front of a collective dreaming exercise from my 2023 emcp mini-course, Punk & the diy world of zines!!! check out more at the course page ☺️