Ms. Amy Parziale

Professional Background

Amy Parziale is a Ph.D. candidate in English literature at the University of Arizona. She received an M.A. in English literature at the University of Colorado at Boulder and a B.A. in English at Roanoke College. For her Charles H. Revson Foundation Fellowship, Ms. Parziale conducted research for her project, “Photo/Fiction Holocaust Narratives and the Representation of Trauma.”

Ms. Parziale is the author of several publications, including numerous entries in the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Fiction (2010), the University of Arizona’s The Student's Guide to First Year Writing (August 2008 and 2009), and Business Ethics and Society Encyclopedia (December 2007). She has presented on the representation of trauma and violence against women in American literature at conferences in the United States and Europe. Ms. Parziale is the recipient of several awards and fellowships, including the Marinus Smith Award from the University of Colorado, a Masters in Liberal Studies Fellowship from DePaul University, and a Graduate Fellowship from the University of Colorado.

Fellowship Research

During her tenure at the Center, Ms. Parziale studied the use of visuals and graphics within Holocaust narratives in attempt to “bridge the gap” between the trauma of the Holocaust and its representation in literature. Her research revolved around the ways in which visuals, graphics, and text merge and diverge to create a more comprehensive representation of trauma. To complete her research, Ms. Parziale utilized the Museum's archives and library to locate other texts to be included in her study, as well as the International Tracing Service collections to further understand author biographies and familial history.

Ms. Parziale was in residence at the Mandel Center from July 1 to August 30; October 1 to December 30, 2010.