About
Benjamin Graves is a Professor at Middlebury College, specializing in literature and cultural studies. He holds an A.B. from Brown University and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. His teaching spans courses in English, comparative literature, creative writing, and interdisciplinary studies. Key research interests include migrant/refugee narratives, human rights discourse, imperialism, and postcolonial literature. His current work examines links between state welfare institutions and literary subjectivity in Black and Asian British literature.
Education:
- A.B., Brown University
- Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
Research Focus: Explores intersections of state care (e.g., NHS, welfare) and citizenship through literary analysis. Themes include globalization, affective labor, and decolonial critiques of human rights frameworks. Courses like Refugee Stories and Human Rights and World Literature reflect his engagement with contemporary social justice issues.
Teaching & Advising: Supervises senior thesis projects in literature and creative writing. Regularly offers courses such as Multi-Ethnic British Literature, Global English and New Media, and Indigenous/Settler Colonial Fictions. Known for interdisciplinary approaches blending media theory, postcolonial studies, and archival critique.
Initiatives: Contributes to the Mellon Foundation Public Humanities Initiative through courses like Refugee Stories, linking academic research to community narratives. Office hours held weekly in Axinn Center 302.
