Blog Post 1: Introduction

 Hi! I'm Tirna, a 3rd Year PhD student in the English Department. I work on Twentieth century Global Anglophone literature, focusing on questions of materiality and embodiment in Great War writings. I am also doing Graduate minors in Gender Studies and Irish Studies. In the past, I have taught a Multimedia Writing and Rhetoric course here at Notre Dame, and I'm currently co-teaching an Introduction to Gender Studies course. I'm from Shillong, a small town nestled in the hills of North-East India, in the state of Meghalaya. Fun fact; the word "Meghalaya" means "Abode of the Clouds" in Sanskrit; and Meghalaya is definitely one of the rainiest places in the world! I currently live in Warsaw IN, with my husband Nathan.

I decided to start (or rather, re-start) learning Japanese this year because I have always been interested in the language, and I am finally done with my Qualifying Exams, which means I have more time on my hands. I lived in Japan for 5-6 years as a child growing up in Tsukuba, in the Ibaraki Prefecture. I remember my years in Japan very fondly, and hope to travel to Japan for a long vacation in January-February 2027. I am also an avid fan of Studio Ghibli and the films of Makoto Shinkai, and want to be able to understand the dialogue without English subtitles.