Hello new friends! My name is Megan Faust, and I am the newest editorial intern at the Sundress Academy for the Arts. As a lover of literature, theatre, and film, I could not be more excited to be working at Sundress.
I was born and raised in Tennessee, and as such, hiking and exploring the mountains will always be a preferred pastime. However, growing up in the South with an Indian mother has not always been as lovely as the Smokies. Witnessing the trials that first generation immigrants experience, especially those of color, fostered my strong interest in race relations in the United States. This interest bleeds over into my academic life and career goals, for I study critical race theory and wish to contribute to the discourse on both depictions of race in the media and the evolving social understanding of mixed race people. Through my life’s work, I hope to fight ongoing oppression and reveal systemic injustice. Oh, and hike a lot too.
On top of my studies in literature, I also major in psychology. My favorite class is social psychology, so if anyone ever wants to see me geek out, just mention concepts like the bystander effect, implicit biases, and deindividuation. Through the psychology department at UT Knoxville, I have worked on research teams that study mixed emotions, online dating, and internalized transphobia. These classes and studies have given me a slightly more nuanced understanding of the human condition, something in which I am endlessly interested. However, I believe this is the case for most people interested in the arts, which makes me even more thrilled to be a member of the Sundress team.
Lastly, I have just returned from a life-changing class trip to New York City, during which I saw twelve plays in ten days. Hit me up if you want to talk about Hamilton for hours and/or have a sing-along.
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Megan Faust is a senior at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, where she studies English literature and psychology. Her thesis project investigates race in contemporary independent film, focusing on works by black directors such as Ryan Coogler and Rick Famuyiwa. When she is not in class, she finds herself watching plays at the Clarence Brown Theatre, scavenging used book stores, and thinking about exercising.
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