Dr. Brooke Boulton

Brooke Boulton attended WSU’s Doctor of Education program where she researched multilingual writer identity and language negotiation and writing practices among doctoral students.

Brooke grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and began studying writing as an undergraduate. She pursued a Master of Fine Arts in Poetry from Northern Michigan University before moving to northern Minnesota to continue her English teaching career.

As an undergraduate, Brooke studied abroad in Finland, which spawned a deep curiosity for Finnish language, culture, and literature. Most fascinating to her is Finland’s national epic poem, Kalevala, which influences much of her poetry. Brooke has also researched Finnish immigrant culture in Michigan’s Copper Country and on Minnesota’s Iron Range. Connections between Finnish immigrant labor history and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) contribute to additional themes in Brooke’s writing.

Currently, Brooke is continuing research into writer identity by exploring student perceptions of academic writing and program needs in doctoral education programs.

Before joining the WSU English faculty, Brooke served Rainy River Community College, where she taught writing and literature for seven years.

EdD, Winona State University: Writer identity, language & culture, writing practices
MFA, Northern Michigan University: Creative writing, poetry, writing pedagogy
BA, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga: Writing