Meet Alison, Our English Department Intern in Archives and Special Collections

image1-2We are delighted to welcome Alison Skillen, our new English Department Intern in Archives and Special Collections, to the William H. Hannon Library staff. We asked Alison to share some information about herself and her role here at LMU.

Q: What drew you to the English Department Internship in the Department of Archives and Special Collections?

It had been some time since I was an undergraduate and the internship was a great way for me to refresh my research skills. The position also allows me a great deal of opportunity to be creative and hone my writing skills.

Q: What has been your favorite thing about your internship so far?

The department has such a wide range of amazing items in its collection. I was unprepared for how very easy it is to create an intellectual and nostalgic bond with so many of the books and artifacts available to us. There is something very special about being able to hold an annotated first edition of Coleridge in your hands and see with your own eyes his very individual handwriting cramped into the margins. The items in our collection each have their own personal history and attempting to learn that history can be very fun. It can also be very addictive – you would be amazed how much of my life I’ve recently committed to researching the origins of our pendant containing a lock of William Wordsworth’s hair.

Q: How do you think your internship will help you with your future goals?

The internship has already been a fruitful source of inspiration for my current studies and, as a writer, I believe the research skills I have already developed, along with a deeper appreciation for the preservation of our literary history, will continue to inspire and enhance my ongoing work.

Q: What is the last show you watched on TV?

Bob’s Burgers. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m one of three children, or because I love intelligent, animated humor, but I can watch every episode over and over again, and still laugh like I’m seeing it for the first time.

Q: What is something about you that would surprise us to learn?

I’m a qualified yoga teacher. Most of my time is now committed to my studies and internship at the library, but I still teach a couple of times a week.

Q: What is your favorite quote from a book or movie (or a book that was made into a movie)?

“Love the world and yourself in it, move through it as though it offers no resistance, as though the world is your natural element.” ― The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (it was made into a movie, but I definitely do not recommend watching it!)

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