Graduate scholar Ben Philipps
Ben Philipps (2024) is in the second year of his DPhil in English at Merton. Here, he talks about his research and life in the Merton community.
"My research focuses on twentieth-century American poetry, which I look at in relation to some ideas from philosophy – in particular the kinds of thinking about language that was going on around the same time. I’m especially interested in literary style: what it is, and why it seems so hard to talk about. The Bob McKelvey Scholarship funds my living costs for the duration of my course, which allows me to focus on research without having to worry about making ends meet.
"Before starting my DPhil, I didn’t know much about the various Oxford colleges, so I made an open application, which was moved to Merton once I was awarded a scholarship. Over the past year I’ve discovered quite how lucky I’ve been to have ended up here. I love the main College site: it manages to seem both snugly medieval, full of old buildings and winding passageways, and, especially once you step out into the gardens, so spacious and welcoming.
"One of my main interactions with the College, however, comes through my role as Graduate Mentor in English. This is a College-led initiative, rather than anything imposed by the faculties or the central university, and it’s intended to give undergraduate students the opportunity to talk with someone from their subject other than their course mates on the one hand, and their tutors on the other. I’m there to offer support with things like workloads, revision, bibliographies, reading lists – all the bits of Oxford academic life that can seem strange and overwhelming. I think it’s a wonderful initiative, in that I can be of help to newer students, and also, for my part, in that I’ve really got to know the broader English community at Merton. Integrating into this community has been one of the best aspects of my time so far. Thanks to Ted Tregear, one of the College fellows, there’s now a College reading group, which meets a few times a term to talk through a particular book. I’ve certainly learnt a huge amount I wouldn’t otherwise have encountered.
"Merton is also an exceptionally supportive college to be at as a postgraduate researcher. The Graduate Research Grant – available to all postgraduates – allowed me to attend the American Literature Association conference in Boston earlier this year. This was a hugely enjoyable and beneficial trip: I met several important scholars, and the paper I gave has ended up as an article, due out next year. I’m so grateful to Merton, and especially to the Scholarship, for making it possible for me to pursue my research in such a wonderful and generous environment."
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