New Faculty Spotlight: Refining Black Knowledge

Regis M. Fox, PhD., a new assistant professor in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, is digging deeper into the literary representation of black women in bondage escaping slavery by “playing crazy.”

“I am currently studying slavery in the 19th century and how women would adopt expressions or modalities of craziness in order to escape rough conditions.… there is evidence from historians who have looked at archives and shown how slaves in this century pretended to be ill or mad to change their circumstances,” she said. “My work looks at the same concept as depicted by black authors to discover why they choose to represent this kind of identity in their work.”

During the 1960s, historians of African American life and culture began to re-investigate the scope of resistance enacted in and by enslaved communities. In Fox’s work in the field of literature, she seeks to expand the terms of resistance even further by examining literature in which women in bondage used madness to escape slavery.

Her first book, titled “Resistance Reimagined: Black Women’s Critical Thought as Survival,” published in December 2017, details her research on black female authors like Harriet Wilson, Anne Julia Cooper and Elizabeth Keckly and their respective engagement with the possibilities and limitations of American liberalism. Reviews of her research have appeared in journals such as A Journal of American Women Writers and Women's Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal.

“I’ve always loved to read and write. I grew up learning about African American literature and its history. I later found myself writing about black women in history every chance I got, even if the class was based on a different topic,” she said. “That was all it took for me to pursue this outlet.”

Fox recently stepped back into her previous role in the FAU English department, studying 19th century American literature, feminist theory and African American literary and cultural studies. Prior to this, she spent four years at Grand Valley State University in Michigan as an assistant professor of English.

Fox is working on another book, one that builds upon topics in her first. In this new project she steps into present day literature to examine the literary representations of black women’s madness in genres as varied as neo-slave narrative and early 20th-century drama.

“My experience with the brilliant community of thinkers, critical readers and authors in the English department continues, as it did before, to push my research ideas in new directions,” Fox said.

Here’s a look at Fox’s research and her journey to FAU:

Q: What did your journey to FAU look like?

A: I earned my bachelor’s degree in English from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Ga. When it came time to decide my next steps before graduation, I wanted to choose a place that would further this budding research idea that I had to study nineteenth century African American literature and attended the University of California, Riverside for my master’s and doctorate degrees in English.

After I left California, I came to FAU to be closer to the east coast, and to experience another diverse area of people. In 2016, my family got the opportunity to move to Michigan and I became an assistant professor of English at Grand Valley. Here I published my first book project, “Resistance Reimagined.” It was a great four years spent teaching and researching more about black women in history. In 2020, my family got the opportunity to come back to Florida and I was able to transition back into the FAU English department.

Q: What is your goal for your current research?

A: My research, which has evolved out of my first manuscript, focuses on black women’s madness. As a part of this work, I examine neo-slave narratives, or 20th and 21st century novels about slavery, that feature mad characters. A few novels that I incorporate in my research are Edward Jones’ “The Known World,” Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” and the play “It's Morning” by Shirley Graham. Alongside these novels and dramatic works, I look at folktales and the African American vernacular to see how “mad” characters function. I want to trace this trope and understand why authors are turning to it when they discuss slavery in their respective historical moments.

Q: What are some major milestones throughout your career?

A: One major milestone was securing a McKnight Junior Faculty Fellowship, by way of the Florida Education Fund, for the 2015-2016 academic year. I was excited to receive this prestigious award because of the competitive nature of the fellowship. Earning that award permitted me to advance my research agenda by leaps and bounds, to present updated findings at national conferences, and to obtain an advance contract for what would become my first single-author monograph.

Q: What are your greatest goals and ambitions you set for yourself?

A: My goal at the moment is to continue looking through more archives that will help in my research and building my book. At FAU, I hope that I can make a difference through writing and teaching about black women’s identity and experience, and that I can make my family proud. I also look forward to gaining university support in the pursuit of external grants and research funding.