Dr. Debrah Raschke, professor of English at Southeast Missouri State University, has earned national and international recognition with a recent publication by the Modern Language Association (MLA), the flagship scholarly organization for language and literature studies, and an opportunity to speak at the MLA’s annual convention in Toronto this month.
Raschke’s scholarship, which examines the work of acclaimed author Margaret Atwood through post-structuralist and postmodern literary theory, was selected through a highly competitive, multi-year peer review process. Publication by MLA places Raschke among a select group of scholars whose research helps shape the direction of literary studies worldwide.
“MLA is the flagship press of my discipline,” Raschke said. “I am so honored to be a part of this rich community of scholarship.”
In addition to her publication, Raschke has been invited to present at this year’s MLA convention, one of the largest academic gatherings in the humanities. The invitation marks her 18th time presenting at MLA, where her work this year will address Atwood’s newest memoir and the scholarship she contributed to the MLA volume, contributing to ongoing national conversations in the field of literary studies.
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Raschke has published extensively on twentieth and twenty-first century Anglophone literature, including a book on literary modernism, an edited collection on Doris Lessing and multiple peer-reviewed articles. She has been cited by the Cambridge Companion series, a respected academic series used internationally by scholars and students. Reflecting the most current approaches to the teaching of Margaret Atwood’s works, Approaches to Teaching the Works of Margaret Atwood, edited by Lauren Rule, further establishes Raschke’s reputation as leading Atwood scholar.
A member of the SEMO faculty since 1997, Raschke brings nearly three decades of teaching and scholarship to the classroom. She previously taught at Virginia Commonwealth University and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Her contemporary literature theory course served as the foundation for the research published by MLA, reflecting her commitment to integrating active scholarship into undergraduate and graduate learning.
“I think language is transformative,” Raschke said. “Through combined close reading and theory, literature opens ways of seeing that do not always happen through logical or purely rational discourse. It teaches people to think beyond the surface and to think for themselves.”
Raschke says those skills are central to the value of an English degree. English majors develop problem-solving, close analysis, communication and interpretive skills that translate across careers in education, law, marketing, public service and media.
“The study of English teaches students how to slow down and really pay attention to language, to nuance and to meaning,” Raschke said. “Close reading helps students understand complexity, ask better questions … that these skills are valuable no matter what path they choose.”
Her classes emphasize discussion, close reading and collaborative interpretation, encouraging students to engage deeply with texts and with one another.
“It really does change your vision,” Raschke said. “My classes offer community. A space where students discover new ways of looking at the world and realize how relevant literature still is.”
Faculty achievements like Raschke’s reflect SEMO’s commitment to providing students with access to nationally recognized scholars who bring cutting-edge research directly into the classroom.
To learn more about SEMO’s English programs, visit semo.edu/english.