Travis Franks Featured on The History of Literature Podcast

Assistant Professor Travis Franks recently interviewed on the podcast The History of Literature to discuss his article about John Rollin Ridge, a Cherokee journalist, poet, and novelist. After reaching out to host, Jacke Wilson, and explaining the article he was working on, Jacke invited Travis to join him on the podcast.

As an avid podcast listener himself, Travis was excited to be a part of The History of Literature and have the opportunity to speak with someone interested in literature apart from the world of academia. 

“We’re by ourselves and in our own heads for most of the work we do – most of the work of this particular project has been done while I’m alone in my campus office late at night or at Caffe Ibis on weekends. It makes me happy to think that someone might be entertained by my research while they’re commuting to work or on a treadmill.”

John Rollin Ridge is best known for his work called The Life and Adventures of Joaquin Murieta published in 1854. Many of his other works, including a poem written in 1847 called “An Indian’s Grave” have been overlooked. Travis addresses these issues in his essay called “The Elusive John Rollin Ridge: The Afterlives of ‘An Indian’s Grave’ and His Ambiguous Literary Legacy.” 

Travis notes, “I’ve been interested in Ridge’s poetry since I was working on my dissertation. I recently published an essay on his poem ‘An Indian’s Grave’ in Studies in American Literature. He’s a fascinating character and researching into his life and writing has taught me a lot about the complexities of Cherokee culture and histories, and I still feel like I have so much to learn. I’m working on a book that’s very different from the John Rollin Ridge project, and this has become a way of staying excited about the work.”

You can find Travis’ episode on The History of Literature’s website.  

Contact
Brian McCuskey
Department Head | English
brian.mccuskey@usu.edu