BY EKİNSU POLAT (AMER/II)
ekinsu.polat@ug.bilkent.edu.tr
Dr. Patrick McDonald obtained his PhD in English from the University at Buffalo, State University of New York in 2018, following an MA in English in 2016. He earned his BA in English with a minor in Mathematics from the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign in 2012. Professionally, Dr. McDonald has held the position of assistant professor in the Department of American Culture and Literature at Bilkent University since 2021. Prior to this, he served as an instructor in the Department of English at Auburn University from 2018 to 2020 and gained experience as a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of English at the University at Buffalo from 2013 to 2018. Dr. McDonald’s research has resulted in notable publications, including a monograph titled “Liberalism, Theology, and the Performative in Antebellum American Literature,” currently under contract. His work spans diverse topics, from sentimental politics in E.D.E.N. Southworth’s “The Hidden Hand” to the examination of democracy and primitive accumulation in Melville’s “Pierre.” His academic contributions have been recognized with awards such as the Auburn University Distance Education Course Development Grant in 2020 and the University at Buffalo English Department Dissertation Support in 2017–2018, among others. In addition to his teaching and research, Dr. McDonald has actively presented his work at conferences, showcasing topics such as political theology, liberalism and democracy in American literature. He is teaching AMER 208 (American Texts and Contexts II) and AMER 374 (American Poetry) for the spring semester.
Why did you choose an academic career?
Because I like to learn. For example, today I am teaching a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson I have never read before called “Days,” which is about time. I thought about how I was going to introduce this poem and considered exploring other ways that time has been represented. Through some research, I found seventeenth-century Spanish paintings, late nineteenth-century American paintings and twentieth-century Polish-French paintings all attempting to depict time in various ways.
Just by preparing to give a class about something I know well—nineteenth-century American poetry—I was able to learn things about modern art that I would not have learned if I hadn’t had to prepare for this class. So, every engagement with students or every time I go to class becomes a sort of learning experience where I discover unexpected and interesting things. You can keep doing that forever in this career.
Why did you choose Bilkent?
When I was applying for jobs, I applied everywhere and always imagined what my life would be like in all these potential places. I was always interested in applying to schools abroad, and I liked the idea of living in Turkey because I knew nothing about the country before I came here. I’m always down for new adventures, and Bilkent has allowed me to combine that with a job.
What do you like the most about being at Bilkent?
I like being in the AMER department, both in terms of the students and the other faculty members. Everyone is friendly and nice to each other, which is not the case everywhere I’ve worked. The campus is very beautiful, quiet and peaceful.
What projects are you working on currently?
I’m currently working on a conference paper that I hope to turn into an article and eventually develop into a monograph about nineteenth-century American writing on Anatolia. The paper I’m presenting at the conference focuses on how missionaries who came to Anatolia in the nineteenth century described their experiences and explores how these descriptions contribute to new perspectives on religion and the secular.
What’s your best work?
It is one chapter in the book that I mentioned, a chapter about mock marriage. There are all sorts of fiction from the nineteenth century about people who get fake married, and I was trying to think about why this was so popular during the 1850s. In that chapter, I argue that what these people are really worried about is the power of language or performative utterances that alter the state of the world. Then the anxiety comes out in these sorts of absurd stories about innocent young merchants’ daughters being seduced by evil fake aristocrats who convinced them to partake in fake marriage ceremonies.
What is the coolest thing about your work?
I think performative utterance, which is what the book explores at the end of Chapter One, addresses the idea that language has the power to possess a magical quality, capable of changing the world. A classic example of this is a marriage ceremony, where, after the official says, “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” you fundamentally change as a person just because somebody has said something. I believe this illustrates the power that language holds to shape and change the world, almost like magic.
Could you share a turning point or defining moment in your career?
When I applied for graduate school, I applied to ten different programs, and I only got into two of them. That was very crushing for me at the time. I ended up going to the University of Buffalo, which was not my first choice, but I ended up loving it there. After graduating, I was able to get a job at Auburn University and then here in Bilkent. So, I think a moment of “sensible failure” can be an important step toward achieving your dreams.
What has been the most exciting moment of your career so far?
So, I would say my book, which I published in September, was a significant achievement. Having it accepted and then finally brought to press, and then receiving six hard copies in the mail, was truly gratifying. Opening that box full of books that I had worked on for five years gave me the combination of excitement and a sense of accomplishment. It was thrilling to see something I had invested so much time and effort into materialize. I think the most exciting moment was seeing the physical copies.
What’s one piece of information from your field that you think everyone
should know?
I studied mostly late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century American literature up to the Civil War. What is interesting about that period, somewhat foreign to our own moment, is that there was a lot of experimentation with different kinds of living, politics and aesthetics. I think it shows that a different world is possible in ways that seem absent in the contemporary moment. However, if you look at the ways people dealt with contemporary issues and the literary responses to them in those times, you see there is a hopefulness in their writings that can still be an inspiration today.
When and where do you do your best thinking?
I do my best thinking when I’m not actively trying to focus on my work., when I’m walking my dog, I would say that the tranquility of walking around the campus and the distraction of my adorable dog barking at others gives me the pause I need. Sometimes, these moments provide insights. So, paradoxically, I find that I do my best thinking when I’m not intentionally trying to think.
What distracts you?
I love reality tv shows, especially trashyones. For instance, I recently started rewatching “Jersey Shore,” which was popular ten years ago.I also enjoy watching Turkish reality shows lilke Master Chef and Gelinim Mutfakta. Initially, it started as a way to improve my Turkish, but now it distracts me when those shows are on TV.
What are you most curious about?
Food. I enjoy both cooking and eating. One of the most exciting things for me when going somewhere new is trying all sorts of new food and finding new recipes. I have been living here for three years now, and I am still trying to discover new and exciting restaurants in Ankara. For example, the first trip I took by myself in Turkey was to Antep, just to enjoy the food. My favorite restaurant in Ankara is probably Düveroğlu.
What’s the most common misconception about your work?
I think, especially among people who don’t study humanities, literature scholars, literature students and literature classes are often perceived as book clubs. It is seen as a non-serious activity, butit’s more than that.. Studying literature allows you to engage with other people’s ideas and branches out into other areas of study such as political theory, philosophy, and history.The main misconception, at least as I’ve observed in the US, is that studying English or American Literature is seen as akin to a casual book club, when in reality, it extends far beyond that.
What do you like to do when you are not working?
Beside trying new restaurants and finding new recipes for cooking, I also like to hang out with my cat, my dog and my fiancé.
Which books have influenced you the most, and why?
I have two favorite books; one is academic, and one fiction. As someone who studies nineteenth-century American literature, it’s perhaps not surprising that my favorite book would be “Moby Dick.” What I love about Melville’s writing is best shown in that book. I appreciate that it is a book that tries to encompass everything from the dramatic chase of a big whale to a literal list of kinds of whales that meticulously details their size and weight. It tries to do everything in a way that, although many people find boring, I find interesting and engaging.
The other book is “Modernity at Sea: Melville, Marx, Conrad in Crisis” by Cesare Casarino, which I had to read when I was writing my honors thesis in my undergraduate years. It has a very long chapter about “Moby Dick.” Casarino’s ability to combine very abstruse, serious philosophical and theoretical writing with fiction is something that has always inspired me. I find it aspirational, knowing that I could never be as good at close reading as he is. In class, I use this book as an example of what good close reading looks like
If you weren’t an academic, what career would you choose?
When I started college I was a chemical engineering major, but I eventually stopped pursuing it for a variety of reasons, mostly silly teenage reasons. I then studied literature because I knew that I was not meant to be a chemical engineer. However, when thinking about my potential future, I feared I might end up in one of those boring middle management jobs, such as a director of customer success who sends emails all day. That’s why I’m glad I ended uphere.
What is the secret of leading a happy life?
Knowing and accepting your limitations is crucial. When I started graduate school, for example, I had always done very well and my perception of myself was that I was always the smartest person in the room. This was true for a while, but as you progress through academia or any career, you realize that you may not be as great as you once thought you were. Being able to come to terms with that and accept it is, I believe, one of the most valuable lessons in personal and professional life.
If you could go back to your undergraduate/graduate student years, what advice would you give to your younger-self?
I would say, “You don’t have to be the best; it is obvious that you should strive to do your best. When I was teaching the class you are taking, Thorstein Veblen’s idea of invidious comparisons or constantly comparing yourself to others came up.This kind of attitude, especially in school, is not a healthy thing to do.”
