4th Annual Essay Contest Winner: Kayley Romick

Posted by on Wednesday, April 26, 2017 in News.

Kayley Romick’s essay “Angles on Angels” has been chosen as the winner of the 2017 Jewish Studies Essay Contest for Best Undergraduate Paper. Set in New York City in the 1990’s, Angels In America follows characters through the throes of illness, infidelity, and grappling with their identities.  Romick’s essay explores how in the stage and film productions of Angels in America, playwright Tony Kushner and director Mike Nichols use Jewish humor and magic realism to address queerness, Black-Jewish relations, justice and corruption, and the void between God and humankind. Her essay was originally written for Judy Klass’ course JS 2280 Jewish Humor.

Kayley Romick is a senior from Dallas, Texas. She is graduating this May from Peabody College with degrees in Elementary Education and Cognitive Studies. She is an active member of the Jewish community on campus, and a past Vanderbilt Hillel board member. Next year, Romick will be attending Rabbinical school at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. Yet, she considers meeting Jerry Seinfeld at synagogue her greatest accomplishment to date.