Her scholarship focuses on twentieth century African American, Caribbean, and other Black diasporic literatures. She is particularly interested in the role of humor in diasporic literature, specifically the ways in which authors engage Western canonical texts in exploring assertions of identity. Her research interests also include poetry and poetics and the interrelationship of literature and visual culture. Prior to joining the Dartmouth faculty, she held teaching positions at Boston University, Wheaton College and Rutgers University.