Jennifer G. Rhodes
Jennifer Rhodes' research centers upon sites of interchange between literature and the visual and performing arts, with a specialization in opera and the novel. She is particularly interested in the ways in which narratives travel across the permeable membranes of medium, culture, and time. Her current book projects are a monograph that explores the influence of Richard Wagner on the modern novel, and a large-scale translation of Wagner's theatrical and theoretical works.
Jennifer has taught in Columbia College’s Core Curriculum since 2013, leading courses in Literature Humanities and the Core as Praxis. She is deeply invested in experimental pedagogy, particularly in strategies that incorporate performing and visual arts practices into the literature classroom.
At Columbia, Jennifer is the recipient of the Meyerson Award for Excellence in Core Teaching for Literature Humanities and the Robert Belknap Core Faculty Fellowship; she has also served as a Lead Teaching Fellow and a Pine Tree Fellow. Her work has received additional support from the Modern Language Association’s Connected Academics Program and the United States Foreign Language Areas Studies Fellowship.
In 2017, Jennifer launched Core Studio, an interdisciplinary arts workshop that offers Columbia students the opportunity to explore the material worlds of the Core Curriculum through a broad selection of historical materials and techniques. Core Studio is the recipient of a Large-Scale Teaching and Learning Grant from the Office of the Provost.
Active as a translator for performance, Jennifer spends summers on the staff of The Santa Fe Opera, where she runs and writes subtitles and presents public programs on opera and drama. She also serves as titleist for the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival’s vocal series.
Education
PhD, Italian and Comparative Literature and Society, Columbia University, 2017
MPhil, Italian and Comparative Literature and Society, Columbia University, 2012
MA, Italian and Comparative Literature and Society, Columbia University, 2010
BA, Comparative Literature, Columbia University, 2000