2024 Summer Conversational Series Presenter Biographies

Clare received a PhD in Marketing from the University of Cincinnati and specialized in services marketing and buyer behavior. She has written numerous articles regarding the marketing of services and sustainability for both higher education and the airline industry, and co-authored a book on sustainability—Enterprise Sustainability: Enhancing the Military’s Ability to Perform its Mission—with Joel Manary and Dennis F. X. Mathaisel (CRC, 2009).

Julia began to pursue research on women artists nearly 25 years ago, translating life stories of women artists from the Renaissance and Baroque periods which eventually grew into the book, Life Stories of Women Artists, 1550–1800:  An Anthology (Ashgate, 2009).  She continued to publish on the subject of early modern women artists, especially with regards to ageing, in such articles as “‘Making the Invisible Visible”:  The Presence of Older Women Artists in Early Modern Artistic Biography” (Ageing Women in Literature and Visual Culture, 2017).  Most recently, Julia’s research has expanded into the 19th Century, with the travel and art writings of May Alcott Nieriker becoming the subject of her latest book, May Alcott Nieriker, Author and Advocate:  Travel Writing and Transformation in the Late Nineteenth Century (Anthem, 2022).

Cathlin teaches in and serves as Head of the Liberal Studies department, preparing pre-service teachers.  She first read Little Women at the age of 11, and has since read every single thing Alcott ever wrote.  Her research focus has been on Alcott’s juvenile fiction, both the novels and short story volumes.  Cathlin has an extensive Alcott collection, including a few first editions, which she is not afraid to read, as books that are loved should be read.

Gabrielle was born and raised in London, England, but has lived for most of her life in Los Angeles, CA, where she works as an entertainment journalist and occasional novelist.  She so very much enjoyed writing her novel, The Little Women Letters (Touchstone, 2012), that she has been unable to find another since that would bring her so much pleasure.  She lives near the beach with her husband, Owen Bjørnstad, and currently is in the process of setting up a blog, “The Immigrant Chronicles,” which, once she has conquered the technology involved, will take a light-hearted view of Los Angeles through the eyes of a Londoner.

Joe is Chair of the Humanities Department as well as Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Regis College.  He received his Master of Arts from the University of St. Thomas – St. Paul School of Divinity, and his PhD from Boston College.  Joseph’s primary research interests are the intersection of ethics, religious belief, and mental complexity.

Lisa is both Professor of English and English Department Chair at Framingham State.  She received her BA and CBA from Augustana College, and her MA and PhD from Washington University in St. Louis, MO.  Lisa’s teaching and research interests include world literature and Anglophone traditions, post-Colonial criticism, human rights pedagogy, modern literature, gender studies, performance theory, and rhetoric and composition.

Azelina specializes in women’s writing and creative practice and traces how the devotional and cross-disciplinary practice of forgotten female artists, and their transnational networks, create new models of female artistry that champion the perspectives of marginalized groups and re-define disciplinary boundaries.  Her first book, The Matrilineal Heritage of Louisa May Alcott and Christina Rossetti (Routledge, 2022), was supported by the Fulbright American Studies Fellowship and discusses the influence of the authors’ mothers and sisters on their works.  Azelina co-edited The Forgotten Alcott:  Essays on the Artistic Legacy and Literary Life of May Alcott Nieriker (Routledge, 2021), and has published widely on the Alcott family in Comparative American Studies, The Concord Saunterer, and Horror Studies.  Having organized an international conference on May at Université Paris - Diderot in 2018, Azelina is currently working with staff of Orchard House, Houghton Library, and the Boston Athenaeum to develop an exhibition on May for 2027/8.  

For over a decade, Anne has taught undergraduate courses on American history, American government, and American constitutional law and due process.  Although the Alcotts are no longer a part of her everyday research, their spirit remains with her, and influences her educational approaches and teaching methods; and she never fails to mention Louisa to her students when discussing abolitionism, women’s right to vote, or a more sustainable lifestyle.  During the past few years, Anne has also embarked on a Master’s in Art History, and is gradually specializing in 19th and early 20th Century U.S. collectors and the science of connoisseurship, with a possible career change in mind.  She lives in suburban Paris, but has made the Boston area her home away from home for over 20 years. 

Mike was Executive Director of The Thoreau Society for 18 years, and currently continues the pursuit of historical scholarship while serving as a consultant to several non-profit organizations.  He received a BS in Finance from Suffolk University, an ALM [Artium Liberalium Magister] in History from Harvard University Extension School—where he focused on Henry David Thoreau’s social philosophy and ethics—and earned a Certificate of Professional Achievement in Non-Profit Management from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.  Mike was an assistant editor for Thoreau’s Wild Fruits, as well as a collection of essays on the Maine Woods entitled Wildness Within, Wildness Without.  His scholarly interests also extend to Transcendentalism as it developed among European philosophers and writers.

Jason is a practicing immigration attorney in Brookline, MA, but has also taught for over 20 years at various institutions, including Dean College, Regis College, Stonehill College, Wheaton College, Framingham State University, Brandeis University, and Binghamton University.  On a recent sabbatical, he focused his efforts on a book about Comparative East/West philosophy.  Jason's academic training has primarily been in Ancient Greek Philosophy and Biblical Studies, and he has applied this crucial background to his research on the New England Transcendentalists.  As a veteran Presenter and attendee at the Summer Conversational Series, Jason looks forward to being in Concord each July.  

Lauren is one of the most produced playwrights in America since 2015, topping the list thrice, including 2022/23.  She is a two-time winner of the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award for I and You and The Book of Will, winner of the William Inge Distinguished Achievement in Theatre Award, the Lanford Wilson Award, and a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.  Lauren graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts as a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship, is also a screenwriter, musical book writer, and children’s author, and lives in San Francisco, CA.  For this year's Series, she will be both our Special Guest for the Wednesday "Evening Edification," as well as a Presenter on Thursday.  Find out much more about her at LaurenGunderson.com. 

William received his BASc degree in Psychology from Framingham State College, a Master’s from Boston College, and Doctorate from Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis.  He has worked as a psychotherapist at the Family Counseling & Guidance Center Labouré location in South Boston for nearly a decade while teaching at Framingham State as well.  In both roles, he is driven by a passion for helping people to grow and live meaningful lives.

Andrea holds a BA and MA in English Literature and Languages from the University of Berne, Switzerland, and is a member of the Swiss Association for North American Studies (SANAS).  In 2013, she attended a Harvard University summer school organized by the Institute of World Literature, and in 2014, began an independent research project focused on Louisa May Alcott and her sister May in Concord.  Since 2017, in continuation of her research, she has been visiting the three great-granddaughters of May Alcott Nieriker in Greece and Germany.  Andrea also teaches special needs children in her hometown of St. Gallen, Switzerland, co-authored Umweltbildung Plus (2015), a teacher’s handbook for sustainable education, and published two collections of poems:  Plant a Poem (2017) and Journal of a Nomad (2021).  Andrea first visited Walden Pond in 1994, and first presented at our Series in 2018.

Carolyn holds a Bachelor’s degree from Simmons College, a Master’s from the University of Montreal, and a Doctorate from Brandeis University.  Her teaching and research interests include 19th Century American literature and philosophy, literary theory and gender studies, and rhetoric and composition.  Carolyn has served as director of Framingham State’s Honors Program for seven years, and also received the Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Professional Service.

Tara’s fiction and non-fiction works have been published both online and in print by Blind Faith Books, The Humor Times and Adelaide Literary Magazine, among others.  In 2020, Tara’s first novel, Look Back to Yesterday, was published, and in 2022, her second book, a memoir—Dreaming Through the Eyes of God— was also published, both by Adelaide Books.  In addition to writing, Tara is the host of a YouTube podcast called “Tea with Tara.” 

Kristi is an independent interdisciplinary scholar specializing in Concord’s 19th Century literary circle.  As a public history and museums and archives professional, she is proud to have worked with all of Concord’s literary-historical sites, including as a Historical Interpreter at Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House.  Kristi received her PhD as well as a Museum Studies Certificate from Boston University, and is currently researching a biography of the Alcott sisters.  She is honored to have contributed a chapter to The Forgotten Alcott:  Essays on the Artistic Legacy and Literary Life of May Alcott Nieriker (Routledge, 2021), and to be a returning Presenter for the Summer Conversational Series.  

Julie has a Doctorate in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley.  While she has never formally studied Louisa May Alcott’s work, Julie has been fascinated and inspired by her writing and her life for over 50 years.  Miss Alcott is one of Julie’s longest and strongest role-models as a writer, feminist, and thinker. 

Mark has spent time as an award-winning audiovisual producer for museum exhibitions and public learning spaces, a creative technologist for public broadcasting and higher education, and a communication designer for the recording industry.  More recently, he has sought to maximize the “human factor” in professional life while working in community nutrition, outdoor education, and public history.  He is currently working on an illustrated and annotated visual re-interpretation of Bronson Alcott’s Orphic Sayings.

In addition to teaching America Literature, Daniel has published 13 books on Louisa May Alcott, including co-editing Miss Alcott's Selected Letters and Journals.  He has also edited Little Women Abroad:  The Alcott Sisters’ Letters from Europe, 1870-71, (University of Georgia, 2011) and Little Women:  An Annotated Edition (Belknap, 2013).  His most recent book, Little Women at 150 (University Press of Mississippi, 2022), is a collection of essays honoring Little Women’s 2018 sesquicentennial.  For this year's Series, Daniel will be our Special Guest during the Sunday Opening Session, held jointly with The Thoreau Society.  

David received his PhD in Philosophy from Fordham University, and teaches courses on the history of philosophy, ethics, theology, technology, and climate change.  He is also certified as both a Philosophical Counselor and Koru Mindfulness instructor.  Author of Naturalizing Heidegger:  His Confrontation with Nietzsche, His Contributions to Environmental Philosophy (SUNY, 2015), David has published essays in such journals as Environmental Ethics, Comparative and Continental Philosophy, and The New Atlantis.  In addition, he hosts the “Wisdom at Work:  Philosophy Beyond the Ivory Tower” podcast, and maintains the “Dao Du Jour” blog.