Meet the Intern: Adam Gordon
Adam Gordon (@QueerGreenPlace) is studying for a DFA in Creative Writing. His doctoral work explores queer histories of Glasgow, and the effect of contemporary theories of ecology on the form and structure of the novel.
Mina and me in the Campsie Fells.
Hello
My name is Adam, and I am the new PGR Communications Intern for 2021-22. I will be the person behind Twitter and Instagram, and you’ll be getting emails from me with lots of exciting information about events and opportunities for PGRs. I will also be managing the wonderful UofG PGR Blog, so if you have an idea for a submission, please get in touch! Finally, I’m here to support Emily in making sure you know about competitions like 3 Minute Thesis and Visualise Your Thesis, and to keep growing our online community, continuing the hard work that Charlie has put in over the last year.
The view from the canal aqueduct over the Kelvin on a frosty winter morning.
A bit about me…
I am a proud Glaswegian, but have spent many years moving around for work and study. I did my undergraduate degree in English and Film Studies in beautiful St Andrews. Later, after a few twists and turns, I ran away to study theatre at the Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris, after which I co-founded a theatre company. We spent the next few years on tour, travelling around the UK, Europe and Australia. In 2017 I realised that I was ready to stop moving for a while, and returned home to Glasgow to undertake an MLitt in Playwriting and Dramaturgy at UofG. Unfortunately, the pandemic had a crippling effect on live performance, but it also gave me time to reflect on future plans. I am now in the first year of a DFA in Creative Writing, and I hope to write and teach across a range of forms. Embarking on a project this large is intimidating, but the staff and my peers at the university have been hugely welcoming and supportive.
My work
Orange fungus growing on exposed root system.
My work has two main strands. First, I love genre fiction, and I love telling stories about hidden corners of society. At the moment I’m working on a detective novel, set in Victorian Glasgow, which explores the ephemeral, queer history of the city. The other strand of my research centres on environmental literature, “nature writing”, and queer ecology. My doctoral project involves writing detective fiction through the lens of ecological theory, and exploring what effect this has on the structure and form of the novel. My pet subjects are fungi and Gothic literature, and I’m delighted to discuss these endlessly over coffee.
Interests
I have a three year old husky and I live in a flat with no garden, so I spend a lot of time out walking. We are exceptionally lucky in Glasgow to have so many parks, river paths, the canal… Given the amount of time I spend outdoors, podcasts and audiobooks are invaluable, and I’m always happy to get recommendations. Otherwise, you may see me out and about (sans husky) at a cabaret or soirée, singing Edith Piaf songs in questionable French. By coincidence I, like Emily, have also taken up film photography with an old Olympus camera. Perhaps we have the beginnings of a PGR photo exhibition?
Mina on a forest road above Dumfries on a beautiful late-summer day.
My hopes for this year
Working on your thesis can be lonely at the best of times, and we’re here to help you make connections and access the resources you need. My goal for this year is to strike a balance between online and in-person community building. The last year has demonstrated that the internet can be a wonderful resource for community building, and we are keen to keep that momentum going. Now that we can, within limits, get together in person again, I’m excited to explore how those internet resources (social media etc.) can facilitate real connection between PGRs. This might manifest in games and contests that combine in-person and online content, like treasure hunts, or collaborative photography competitions. I look forward to finding out what the PGR community is looking for, and helping to fulfil those needs. I’m also very excited to help facilitate 3MT and VYT: it’s so inspiring to hear what other PGRs in different disciplines are working on.
