Sanko Lewis (Ph.D)

Artist / Lecturer / Writer / Editor / Martial Artist / Model / Graphic Designer / Philosopher

Academic

Degrees

My academic career includes degrees in Graphic Design & Business Communication, English Language & Literature (Hons.), Creative Writing (M.A. - Cum Laude), and a PhD in Physical Education Taekwondo, with research focus in East Asian Philosophy and Ethics of War & Self-Defence. 

My master's degree dissertation concerned "The Creation and Representation of a Postmodern Character Identity in Prose" (Afrikaans title: "Die skep en voorstelling van 'n postmoderne karakteridentiteit in proza") [PDF].

My PhD dissertation involved: "Preaching Peace, Practising War: Mohism's Resolution of the Paradoxical Ethics of War and Self-Defence in East Asian Martial Arts" (Korean title: "평화를 장려하며 전쟁을 준비하다: 동아시아 무술에 나타난 전쟁과 자기 방어에 관한 모순적 윤리에 대한 묵자 사상의 해결방안"), for which I received an academic award from the graduate school. 

My scholarly interests are: (East Asian) Philosophy and Ethics, Martial Art Studies, Body Culture Studies, Postmodernism, identity, creativity, Creative Writing, Comparative Religious Studies, and of course Literature, particularly poetry. 

Lecturing

I have been teaching full-time since the middle of 2008, and have been an assistant professor since 2012, and department coordinator as of the middle of 2016. My lecturing experience has been primarily within English Studies. My focus is English Literature with emphasis on poetry, specifically 19th and 20th century poetry. I also sometimes teach modules in Language Acquisition and Academic Literacy. 

The following are courses I have taught. My primary classes are in bold. 

Literature & CultureApplied LanguageAcademic Literacy
19th Century British Poetry (Romantics)Basic VocabularyEssay Writing
19th & 20th Century American PoetryBasic WritingPractical English Composition
Poetry in Music Intermediate Listening & ConversationPresentations (Public Speakings)
Renaissance LiteratureIntermediate Reading & WritingResearch Methodology
Anglo-American EssaysAdvanced Grammar
Anglo-American Short Stories
Pronunciation
Prose Reading & Response Essays
TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language)
Shakespear Comedies


Shakespeare Tragedies


Animated Films (Introduction to Film Theory)


Film Theory


Literary Theory & Contemporary Ideas


Creative Writing: Poetry


Creative Writing: Short Stories


I've also taught, or have been involved academically in Creative Writing, Philosophy, Graphic Design, and Natural Health Therapies. I also do editing and proofreading.

Projects

Apart from lecturing, I'm involved in different projects. 

One of my major long term projects is the development of an online literary encyclopaedia: Literary Terminology. In it's first phase it is in Afrikaans and Dutch, but will later expand into English. I'm doing the project in collaboration with the School for Languages at the North-West University (NWU), South Africa, and with financial support from Dutch sponsors. 

I'm also in collaboration with faculty from the University of South Africa (UNISA) with whom I work on a magazine called Guillotine that focusses on art, literature, and creative writing, for which I function as the Creative Editor. 

Furthermore, I'm doing research in Martial Art Studies.