Faculty & Support Staff

Amanda Paxton is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English Literature at Trent University Durham and Coordinator of the Journalism and Creative Writing Program. She was instrumental in designing Trent’s first- and second-year Writing courses, and her scholarship ranges from critical language awareness to Victorian literature and culture to theories of language from the 19^th century to the present. She is the author of the book Willful Submission: Sado-Erotics and Heavenly Marriage in Victorian Religious Poetry (University of Virginia Press, 2018), and her work has appeared in such venues as Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie, Victorian Studies, European Romantic Review, and Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment. Her teaching is founded on empathy and inclusivity. Cultivating safe and supportive class dynamics shapes her pedagogical method; stereotypes of solitary geniuses notwithstanding, she believes that good writing comes out of relationships, conversations, and personal exchanges. In 2017, she received the Teaching Excellence Award from the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance.

In her leisure time, Amanda enjoys feasting, revelry, and reading quietly (though not usually at the same time).

Bonnie has been the Academic Administrative Assistant (AAA) for the Communications Program for over 2 years and has been involved with the Trent Durham community for over 10 years. She brings a wealth of Trent knowledge and experience to the role and provides a welcoming space for students to find help and get connected with resources. 

She lives in Northumberland county with her husband, Chris, and her dogs, Pola and Timbit. Pola and Timbit frequent the campus so keep an eye on the COMM program Instagram for updates!