Abstract

For my husband, BJ iv Acknowledgments This dissertation would never have been completed (or started, for that matter) with-out the help and support of many people. First, many thanks to my advisor, James Pustejovsky, whose encouragement, knowledge, and sense of humor made this disser-tation (and our book!) not only possible, but more fun than I could have expected. Thanks also to all the professors and researchers who provided me with guidance and listened to my ideas over the years: Rick Altman, Vincent Carey, George Hirpc-sak, Guergana Savova, and Nianwen Xue. Special thanks to Marc Verhagen, who was always willing answer my questions and provide feedback on paper drafts and new ideas, and to Lotus Goldberg, for keeping me grounded with her excellent advice and sense of perspective. Writing this dissertation was made easier by the people who shared the experience with me. Thanks to Anna Rumshisky and Roser Saur̀ı, for their moral support and proving that there is life after grad school; to Jessica Moszkowicz for being my mentor and friend through my years at Brandeis; to Alex Plotnick for asking the hard questions, but also for sharing a sense of the absurd; and to Seohyun Im, my comrade-in-arms throughout the dissertation writing process. Thanks also to everyone who