I am currently working towards a PhD in Comparative Studies at Florida Atlantic University. This unique program is both interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary. In this program, I focus on two areas. My focus is on Cultures, Languages, and Literatures. My main concertation is Gender and Sexuality Studies. My secondary concentration is Queer Theory. At Florida Atlantic University (FAU), I serve as a graduate teaching assistant for the English department. Prior to my journey at FAU, I earned a MA in Professional Writing with concentrations in Creative Writing and Rhetoric & Composition at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. My master’s capstone (thesis), Query into Queer: A Creative and Analytical Analysis of LGBTQ+ Experiences, explores LGBTQ+ terminology shifts–particularly queer, internalized homophobia, labels and stereotypes, and experiences within the LGBTQ+ community through research and personal experiences. This capstone contains poetry and creative nonfiction. At Kennesaw State University (KSU), I also worked as a graduate teaching assistant for the English department. While earning my masters, I taught English Composition I and II. At KSU, I had the opportunity to teach both remotely (online synchronous) and rotationally (half in person and half online). As an instructor, I strive to create a classroom that is welcoming. I want students to feel challenged, comfortable expressing themselves, and confident that their voice is being heard. Before moving to Georgia for my masters, I I earned my BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and minors in Marketing and Business Administration from the University of Findlay in Ohio (my home state). My undergraduate capstone project was a chapbook of poetry titled Lost But Found, which depicts the fluidity of identity.
My research interests involve the body as a means of control; language use and control; virginity and purity; LGBTQ+ issues, such as internalized homophobia, gender stereotypes, the evolution of language and terminology used within the community; and the intersections of creative and academic writing. I have had the privilege of presenting at several conferences, including the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (twice), Winter Wheat, and East Central Writing Center Association Conference. I will also be speaking on a mental health panel at the 2023 Modern Language Association Convention.
Memoirs have become my “go-to” when I am looking for a new book to read. A few of my favorite memoirs are When We Rise: My Life in the Movement by Cleve Jones and Sissy: A Coming of Gender Story by Jacob Tobia. Memoirs are a way to either learn about a perspective that is different than your own or find people who have similar experiences. I think it’s really important to show that creative writing can be a way of informing other people and learning something new. My favorite poet is Andrea Gibson, and my favorite book of theirs is Lord of the Butterflies. You can read my book review for Lord of the Butterflies here.
If anyone has any book suggests or would just like to chat, I would love to hear from you! You can contact me by email (peytonlane.sibert@gmail.com) or on LinkedIn.
Please take a look around this website. I am excited to continuing learning, growing, and writing.
