Dr. Kelly Ann Cunningham is currently a Lecturer in the Philosophy Department at Bentley University and lives in Somerville, Massachusetts. She received her PhD in Philosophy from Vanderbilt University in 2024 after defending her dissertation, Matters of Trust. Further information about her research, teaching, art, and community engagement can be found on her website.
If you could be anyone else for a day, who would that be and why?
If I could be anyone else for a day, it would be Jane Addams (of Illinois’ Jane Addams Memorial Tollway). In addition to writing and studying philosophy, Addams was directly involved in shaping laws around public education and labor, improving sanitation, and advocating for world peace and women’s suffrage. She also lived in the city of Chicago (which I still consider my home) during the heyday of prohibition, industrialization, and urbanization when the city’s neighborhoods, iconic architecture, and reputation were formed. I think I would learn a lot from living in her shoes for a day, even about time management alone!
If you could wake up tomorrow with a new talent, what would you most like it to be?
I would like to wake up with a talent for quickly learning how to speak other languages. Language has been a consistent source of fascination and inspiration in my academic research and creative work. In fact, it was a philosophy of literature course about the representation of speech disorders, agency, and language learning in American novels that got me hooked on philosophy. I learned a lot about myself as a learner from studying Mandarin Chinese from middle school through college. My speaking abilities peaked when I studied abroad in Beijing, and though they’ve gotten rusty since then, I still enjoy practicing and learning new words and phrases when I can.
What is your favorite holiday and why?
I’m torn between Halloween and New Year’s Eve, but I’ll go with Halloween. I was a theatre kid in high school, and I will still take any opportunity to don an elaborate costume, crazy wig, or dramatic makeup. Some of my favorite past Halloween costumes include The Mad Hatter, a 1920s Flapper, and Ilsa from the Australian spy comedy Danger 5. What I like most about Halloween is that it encourages people to have fun and use their imaginations.
New Year’s Eve was a contender because it’s usually a night that I spend reuniting with friends I grew up with. I also think it is silly that there is one time of the year where everyone around the world celebrates something as mundane as the clock striking 12.
What are you reading right now? Would you recommend it?
I’m currently reading Perdido Street Station, The Queen of America Goes to Washington City, and Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life.
I’d recommend the first to anyone who loves futuristic sci-fi fantasy. It’s a long and strange novel, but China Miéville’s world-building is superb.
I’m reading the second because it was recommended to me by a friend and colleague in the history department at my university. I’m only a few essays in, but Lauren Berlant’s analysis of The Simpsons episode where Lisa wins a trip to Washington D.C. in the first chapter instantly sold me on finishing the rest.
The third book is one I’m rereading (again) for my teaching and research. I find Sissela Bok’s writing exceptionally clear, and her detailed recounting of the concept of lying’s historical, religious, and legal origins is helpful for appreciating the moral complexity of lying. I taught some of the book’s core concepts to students in my Friendship and Trust course and was pleased to see how well it resonated with my students.
What would your childhood self say if someone told you that you would grow up to be a philosopher?
“What’s that?”
Seriously though, as a first-generation college student, I didn’t know much about philosophy until high school and didn’t understand what it was until I started taking philosophy courses at DePaul during undergrad. I was fortunate enough to encounter encouraging professors who took it upon themselves to push me to apply to PhD programs. Sometimes it still surprises me that this is where I ended up.
When did you last sing to yourself, or to someone else?
Yesterday! I sing to myself (and often my dog) basically anytime I am driving, especially on cross-country road trips. I listen to a bit of everything, but some of my favorite artists and bands to sing along with are Amy Winehouse, The Beatles, Julia Jacklin, Talking Heads, Ashnikko, and The Violent Femmes.
What cause or charity do you care about most?
The cause I care about most is ending hunger and food insecurity. It is insane to me that there are so many people starving and going hungry while edible food continues to go to waste. I initially became interested in this issue during high school when I was working at a grocery store and got to see how food distribution and sales worked from the inside. The company I worked for at the time made a considerable effort to donate food to local food banks and other charities, but there was still so much food that went straight into the trash at the end of each shift. During grad school, I supported this cause locally by volunteering with The Nashville Food Project, and I currently volunteer with Waltham Fields Community Farm, and Foodlink now that I am living in the Boston area.
What are you working on right now?
I am currently working on a few journal articles related to my research on trust, including a paper on honesty, trust, and friendship, a reflection on co-creating AI use policies with my students, and a paper that explores the potential legacy-centered practices have for improving end-of-life care practices for the dying and their caregivers.
This academic year, I plan to start working on my first book-length project, which builds on my recent publication, and will be about how to foster, maintain, and repair climates of trust in community organizing.
This section of the APA Blog is designed to get to know our fellow philosophers a little better. We’re including profiles of APA members that spotlight what captures their interest, not only inside the office, but also outside of it. We’d love for you to be a part of it, so please contact us via the interview nomination form.
Jessica Castellani
Jessica Castellani had a unique high school experience attending Toledo School for the Arts, where she played in a percussion ensemble and steel drum band for six years. She earned her dual Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and religious studies from the University of Toledo. Her primary focus was “the Self” and the mystical experience of losing it. She earned her Master of Arts in philosophy from The University of Toledo as well, with a specialization in comparative philosophy, Eastern studies, and continental philosophy. She has taught World Religions and Introduction to Philosophy at The University of Toledo both in person and virtually. She is a member of the Buddhist Temple of Toledo, tutors students, and has worked in the service industry for over a decade. In her free time, she likes to spend time outside and with her pets, friends, and family.
