I’m Molly and I’m from Manchester, in the North of England. Basically, any Mancunian will tell you that Manchester is the Best City in the World, but no-one can really explain why. I like to think it’s something to do with the music. The Smiths, Joy Division, The Happy Mondays, The Stone Roses, Oasis – pillars of the English music scene – all hail from Manchester, or thereabouts. We have a great clubbing scene and great style (as long as you don’t take into account the morning after) and we basically have our own language compared to the rest of the country. Half my family is also Scottish, and I’m pretty into pushing the undervalued bands from up there onto anyone who will listen. Feel free to ask me about the Scottish Independence vote if you’ve got a good half hour and you’re not easily offended.

See what I mean? Afflecks’ Palace in Manchester

As far as hobbies go, I do English and American Literature back at Keele (my home university) for a reason. I read as much and as often as I can. I love the Beats – Burroughs and Kerouac in particular. Kurt Vonnegut, Albert Camus and Joan Didion are old loves, Paul Auster and Andre Gide are new ones, feel free to throw in some Russian authors, but strangely I can’t stand Dickens and if I have to read another Jane Austen I think I’ll scream. As is probably clear, I also love my music. My heart belongs to the Mountain Goats, but I’ll listen to anything someone recommends if they are passionate enough about it. I play a bit of music but I’m fairly terrible – most unusually I guess is I play folk fiddle but I’m a little rusty (especially as I only has about 6 months’ worth of formal lessons).

Up in Dublin (note the Mountain Goats t-shirt)

I’m here at Willamette because where best to go if you’re studying American Literature? I find there is a great number of courses studying works and authors based  outside the U.S., and I have wanted to visit Oregon since I was a kid (partly because of the good music coming out of here and along the West Coast). Plus I have two brothers who I seem to be in an emigration competition with – my first brother Harry skips between Glasgow and London, and my eldest brother, Jack, currently lives in Berlin. Finally, coming from the part of the world I do, I need somewhere that’ll rain once in a while.

Customary tourist shot outside Brandenburg Gate (me, brother Jack, my Dad, brother Harry, cousin Max)