About
Adam Sexton is a Senior Lecturer in the English Department at Yale University, where he also serves as a Critic in the School of Art. He is the Course Director for English 1021 and teaches courses in fiction writing and music criticism, including English 120: Reading and Writing the Modern Essay, English 121: Writing About Music, English 404: The Craft of Fiction, and English 489: Writing Concentration Senior Project. With an M.F.A. in Writing from Columbia University and a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania, his career spans creative writing, literary criticism, and interdisciplinary education.
- Education
- M.F.A. in Writing, Columbia University
- B.A. in English, University of Pennsylvania
His research and creative work focus on Creative Writing (fiction and nonfiction), Literary Studies (classical and modern), Shakespearean Adaptation (manga interpretations), Popular Culture (music and graphic novels), and Music Writing (documentary analysis). Articles and books like Master Class in Fiction Writing (2005) and forthcoming Hang Us in the Louvre: How Pop Music Became Art demonstrate his engagement with pedagogy and pop culture analysis.
Recent publications include "Defying Gravity: The Witches of Eastwick's Astonishing Afterlives" (2024) in the John Updike Review, which explores artistic influence in concert documentaries, alongside earlier works like "Letter to a Stranger" (2016) and "To the Signora I Let Down" (2016) that reflect travel narratives and intercultural communication. His anthology Rap on Rap was acquired by Harvard’s W.E.B. DuBois Institute for African and African American Research, contributed to by notable figures like Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Spike Lee.
His publications span diverse venues including the Bellevue Literary Review, New York Times, Village Voice, and Off Assignment, with a focus on narrative authenticity, cultural intersections, and artistic techniques. He curates the Master Class series, blending classical and contemporary writing methods.
Adam teaches at Yale University and was previously affiliated with Columbia University School of the Arts. His work bridges academic rigor with accessible creative expression, adapting Shakespeare’s tragedies as Japanese-style graphic novels and exploring music’s role in literary discourse. He maintains an active presence in literary communities, having curated reading series at Manhattan’s KGB Bar and performed at Yale University and New York venues.
