Savannah Marciezyk’s cat is named Clio. Clio, named after the Greek muse of History, is a frequent visitor in the Zoom classes that fill Marciezyk’s day, and to any of the students in her classes, the cat’s name seems apt — Marciezyk can always be counted on to chime in with a shrewd comment on the historical context of a Dickinson poem or cite the customs of George Eliot’s England. Much to the advantage of her classmates, even as a graduate student, Marciezyk has begun to teach.
Marciezyk’s natural tendency to share her wisdom is no surprise to anyone who knows the second year PhD student. Becoming a teacher has been a goal of hers since she was as young as eleven, when — during the course of playing school with her sister and cousins — she began to assign her pretend students real homework. Her years as an undergrad at Mount Holyoke College brought this childhood dream into focus. It was there, between long study sessions in the stained glass windowed rooms of the library and late night milk and cookies breaks, that Marciezyk realized that she wanted to be a professor.
A life in academica, however, did not always seem like the most realistic option. Marciezyk was the first in her family to go to college — and to some extent her degree seemed like it should be “a means to an end.” She recalls thinking that “wanting to be a writer or academic seemed impractical,” and yet with her undergraduate thesis, “My Self Was Reborn of the Union: A Poetic Contexture,” Marciezyk took the impractical route. Her thesis — a collection of 30 original poems accompanied by history, theory, and criticism — became a “self affirming” project that solidified her love of literature, language, and learning.
her PhD is the latest step in her joyful quest to, as she puts it, “have all the knowledge.”
Becoming a professor seemed like the perfect marriage of Marciezyk’s desire to teach and her own undeniable excitement about learning. With her BA in English from Mount Holyoke, and an MA in Philosophy from UW-Milwaukee, her PhD is the latest step in her joyful quest to, as she puts it, “have all the knowledge.” This pursuit of knowledge for knowledge’s sake has led Marciezyk to study literature, criticism, philosophy, women’s history, and art. It has also drawn her into some pretty uncomfortable conversations about risque poetry, she admits playfully. Nevertheless, her excitement is contagious.
The way that Marciezyk talks about her desire to learn also reflects the influence of those who have mentored her over the course of her academic journey. Here at Duke, Marciezyk has found inspiration and guidance from James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Literature Toril Moi. Dr. Moi’s mentorship has helped Marciezyk push her understanding of women’s literature in unexpected ways, allowing her to explore work “from the Brontes to contemporary novels.” Marciezyk says that she feels “incredibly lucky to have Toril” in both roles of professor and advisor. “She astounds me with her intellect all the time, but almost more importantly she has been incredibly supportive, especially during the pandemic.”
Marciezyk has also grown as a teacher under the direction of Professor Kathy Psomiades. Through the English department’s teaching apprenticeship program, Marciezyk had the opportunity to both observe one of Dr. Psomiades’ courses and to plan and execute a lesson relevant to the focus of the class. This immersive experience was a “privilege” for Marciezyk who describes Psomiades as “a great teacher.” Psomiades has also agreed to be on Marciezyk’s dissertation committee, “so I’m excited to work with her a lot more in the future” says Marciezyk. Both of these incredible scholars have made a sizeable impact on Marciezyk’s academic trajectory and through their work together Marciezyk gets to be in the place she likes best — “inside the knowledge.”
Her rapacious approach to learning is sure to inspire many lucky students someday — and that day will likely come before the end of her PhD program. Next fall Marciezyk will teach a writing 101 course for Duke freshmen. In this course, and beyond in the rest of her career, Marciezyk hopes to impart “a different kind of critical thinking.” Of course she wants to help students grasp the great works of poetry, philosophy, and literature that she loves, but she also hopes to help students reach the more fundamental understanding that “to have a well-rounded view you have to be a person first, and a scholar second.” Marciezyk is the first to admit that “a lot of these books have been worked over time and time again.” With classics that have been examined from so many different angles, Marciezyk believes that the best way to bring new value to this work is through genuine discussion and expression on a human level. The passion in Marciezyk’s voice when she talks about her desire to hear the unique viewpoints of future students is unmistakable. Giving students permission to “have their own points of view” even when these “points of view come into conflict with the prevailing wisdom,” is just one way that Marciezyk believes the best teachers “show up for [their] students.”
Showing up for students and classmates alike is perhaps more important now than it has ever been. Marciezyk notes that virtual classes have played a big role in “disrupting the flow of conversation” and thus she works diligently to contribute when she can. Right now, in an independent study with Joseph Donahue linked to his undergrad Emily Dickinson course, Marciezyk helps students develop the language to discuss poetry. She points out the intricacies of verse and sublet metaphors some might miss. Even as she talks, her natural tendency to teach pops up again — “I know how to use these tools because I have been doing this six years. I don’t wanna take away learning opportunities from others.”
Marciezyk embodies the best qualities of a teacher as she expertly balances her own passion for poetics with her sincere desire to give others a space to make discoveries. While Marciezyk hopes that the days of Clio popping up on her Zoom screen are numbered so that she can get back into the classroom, even during this deeply uncertain time Savannah Marciezyk has made the absolute best of her “PhD in a Pandemic.”