Kerry Pray Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Writing, English
English | School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Education

  • BA with University Honors: English, Chemistry, Music, Brigham Young University, 2000
  • MA: Early British Literature, Brigham Young University, 2003
  • PhD: Critical and Creative Writing, University of Wales, Bangor, 2011

Professional Experience

  • Stevenson University: 2015-present
  • BYU English Department: 2011-2014
  • BYU Honors Department: 2002-2011
  • Utah College of Dental Hygiene: 2005
  • BYU Continuing Education: 2001-2004
  • BYU Study Abroad: 2003
  • Graduate Student Instructor, Brigham Young University: 2000-2002

Research

The marketing and sales of Young Adult (YA) literature, including quantitative analysis of the relationship between     book content, book marketing, and book sales in the traditional and online marketplace. Currently in Print:

Publications

Accepted for Publication:

  • Spencer, Kerry and Goodall, Jamie. “Queer Counting and Queer Coding: J.K. Rowling, the TERF Wars, and Teaching Students Across the Curriculum about the Complexities of Accounting for Queerness.” The Pedagogy of Harry Potter, MLA Edited Collection. Editor: Cecelia Farr. Target publication date: 2023.

Currently in Print:

  • Acquaviva KD, Mugele J, Abadilla N, Adamson T, Bernstein SL, Bhayani RK, Büchi AE, Burbage D, Carroll CL, Davis SP, Dhawan N, Eaton A, English K, Grier JT, Gurney MK, Hahn ES, Haq H, Huang B, Jain S, Jun J, KerrWT, Keyes T, Kirby AR, Leary M, Marr M, Major A, Meisel JV, Petersen EA, Raguan B, Rhodes A, Rupert DD, Sam-Agudu NA, Saul N, Shah JR, Sheldon LK, Sinclair CT, Spencer K, Strand NH, Streed CG Jr, Trudell AM. “Documenting Social Media Engagement as Scholarship: A New Model for Assessing Academic Accomplishment for the Health Professions.” Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2020;22(12):e25070. DOI: 2196/25070
  • Goodall, Jamie and Spencer, Kerry. “The Good the Bad and the Toxic: Muggle Borns as a  Lens for the Experience of First-Generation College Students and Mentorship.” Lessons from Hogwarts: Essays on the Pedagogy of     Harry Potter. Editors Melissa Wehler and Marcie Rovan. McFarland: 2020.
  • Pray, Kerry. “Mother.” (fiction) Exponent II Literary Magazine. Volume 39: No 4 (2020): 18-21. Print. “The Gloaming.” Mormon Lit Blitz Anthology, Volume 1. Mormon Lit Lab. (2020): 23-25. Print.
  • Pray, Kerry Spencer and Smith, Jenn Lee. I Spoke to you with Silence: Essays from Queer Mormons of  Marginalized Genders. Edited collection. University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City. Publication date: July, 2022. 
  • Smith, Sarah E. “Response to Student Evaluations.” The QMW Project. July 27, 2021. https://www.qmwproject.com/post/response-to-student-evaluations-sarah-e-smith
  • Spencer, Kerry. “The Only Consistency in BYU’s Treatment of LBGTQ Students is Cruelty.” The Advocate. March 5, 2020. https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2020/3/05/only-consistency-byus-treatment-lgbtq-students-cruelty
  • “Marketing and Sales in the US Young Adult Fiction Market.” New Writing: The International Journal for the Practice and Theory of Creative Writing. Volume 14: Issue 3 (2017) Graeme Harper, editor in chief.
  • “New Modes of Creative Writing Research.” Research Methods in Creative Writing. Jeri Kroll, Graeme Harper, eds. Palgrave-MacMillan: New York, 2013. pp 78-101. Print.
  • “Who Peeks Through the Veil.” Irreantum: A Review of Mormon Literature and Film. Volume: 13 Issue: 2 (2011) 119-133. Print. (Also available online.)
  • “On Small Classes.” Segullah Literary Journal. Volume: 6 Issue: 5th Anniversary Issue (2010) 38-39. Print. (Also available online.)
  • “How to Write a Seriously Awful Personal Narrative (In 14 Easy Steps!!!)” Why Write? The Honors 150 Handbook 3rd Edition. Lisa Johnson, Kylie Turley, Kristin Chandler, editors. BYU Academic Publishing: Provo, 2009.
  • “Memory of Gordon B. Hinckley.” Sunstone: Mormon Experience, Scholarship, Issues and Art. Issue 149. (April, 2008) 16-17 Wothorspoon, Dan, editor. Print.
  • “On the Challenges/Joys of Small Classes; OR How I became a Sex Therapist for an 18-year-old BYU student.” History of Honors 200. (Extended Issue). Edited by Colleen Whitley. Brigham Youn Universal General Education and Honors. (2008). Print.
  • “When Life Begins” Readings for Intensive Writers, 5th Edition. Susan Jorgensen, editor. BYU Academic Publishing: Provo, 2007. Print.
  • “Ghosts of Conception” The Collegiate Post. Brigham Young University. (Writer 2005).
  • The Nun’s Priest Tale: Digital Edition. (Containing Transcription, Stemmatic Commentary, Variant Maps, and Line and Word Collation of All Extant Manuscripts). Paul Thomas, Senior Editor, also containing the work of several research assistants and transcriptionists (including my own transcription work/research). Canterbury-Tales-Project/Scholarly Digital Editions: Birmingham, England, 2004. CD ROM and Digital Download.
  •  “The Pilgrim’s Progress and Certain Problems in Christian Doctrine.” Conference
  • Proceedings: Published Presentation. International John Bunyan Society: Bedford, UK, 2004. Print. (The later finished essay – which was coauthored and published under pseudonym Calvin Peterson, née David Paxman et. al – was published in the 1650-1850 academic journal as listed earlier.)
  • “Eat Up! The Dish on College Meals.” College Bound Network. Section: Teen Life. Article: 19826. Web Last Access: Feb. 2013.
  • “Eat Up! The Dish on College Meals.” College Bound. Ramholtz Publishing: New York, 2002. Print.

Teaching

  • BIO 455/465/465H
  • ENV 455/465/465H
  • BT 465/465H
  • Math 455/465/465H
  • FSCI 400
  • SCI 215
  • English 225
  • English 325/335

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