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New College Matriculation, University of Oxford 2025
About Jess:
About Jess:
Jessica Mancini is a University of Oxford graduate student specializing in Romantic Literature (1700-1830) book history, non-literary print, and historicization. Her primary research focuses on non-literary print: pamphlets, periodicals, chap-books, as well as unpublished writing like journals and scrapbooks, focusing on their ability to circulate and preserve uncommon perspectives and opinions from the mainstream. Jess primarily uncovers how the forgotten works of women reveal their inner lives, with her most popular work applying Frederik Jameson’s The Political Unconscious to Hannah More’s chap-book The Cottage Cook to reveal loyalist anti-French Revolution propaganda. She has presented and published original research and analysis at conferences both in Canada and the U.S., notably Harvard’s National Collegiate Research Conference, the Undergraduate Research Conference at the University of Toronto, and Forbes and Fifth Academic Journal with the University of Pittsburgh. Jess has also published many short stories in literary magazines and journals alike. Although primarily a British Romanticist and Victorianist scholar, Jess also has a guilty pleasure for American Literature and Literary Theory; she enjoys applying her skills to other disciplines having written and presented essays in American Studies, Cultural Studies, and Critical Theory. Jess is a teacher through and through, she has previously taught comedy improv at Yonge Street Players Theatre and karate as a sensei at Summit Karate. Her current projects include a Writing Fellowship with Toronto based nonprofit Inkspire, various essays and short stories, and her thesis. Jess spends her days wearing cat sweaters, writing, drawing, and overthinking––sometimes there's a motorcycle.
Testimonials
Testimonials
For the last few years, I’ve had the great privilege of mentoring Jessica Mancini, offering her my guidance and encouragement as she developed as a scholar and charted a path for her academic future. A uniquely brilliant and capable student, Jess produces rigorous, creative work. The attention she has given to publications and academic conferences has permitted her to open a dialogue with local and global academics, demonstrating a devotion to her chosen field and a steadfast commitment to the academic community. Part of Jess’s striking success can be attributed to her willingness to ask for and take advice, to make connections with instructors whose tutelage she has received and international scholars whose work she is interested in. Indeed, Jess’s courage to speak with or write to individuals of interest, her disarming charisma, and her wells of empathy are strengths equal to her formidable mind, her hardworking nature, and her zeal for scholarship. In conversation with Jess, in reading her work, and in recounting her achievements, I have never failed to be impressed with Jess and the profusion of admirable qualities that she regularly demonstrates.
- Braedon Balko, T.A., PhD Candidate, York University
Jess has been a strong force of creative wind on a landscape of children and teens who love theatre and improvisation! In over 30 years of running The Yonge Street Players and teaching young children and teens, I have rarely experienced the excellence that Jess brought to our classes as a teacher. I call Jess my triple ‘cherry-on-top sundae’: She made every class a treat for all our teen Players.
Jess was a catalyst for all things comedy, collaboration and originality!
Jess is an actress/teacher who understands and respects the various genres of theatre and audience; she creates positive energy with every exercise or scene. Jess added her spirit of joy through her comic timing, verbal gymnastics and costumes! She is a consummate professional at teaching with purpose and compassion.
All my Players are fans of Jess! Bravo …and break a leg at Oxford!
- Lisa Seward, Improv Teacher, Yonge Street Players Theatre
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