My research focuses on the concept of masculinity within the work of the New York School Poets, focusing specifically on Frank O’Hara, Kenneth Koch, Ron Padgett and Frank Lima with the scope to expand. My thesis will explore the differing ways in which the poets approach manhood through their work and aims to outline a unique model of performative masculinity specific to the New York School. I contend that O’Hara’s work exists in an idiosyncratic space between the normative 1950s male and the ‘othering’ gay masculinity that it has typically been seen to fit into.
Other research interests include Contemporary English and American Poetry, Surrealism and Absurdism, ‘Gonzo’ Journalism, and Comedic Writing.