Donal Harris

Donal Harris is an Associate Professor and Director of the Marcus Orr Center for the Humanities at the University of Memphis, Department of English. He holds a Ph.D. from UCLA (2013). His research focuses on the intersection of U.S. literature (Civil War to present) with social institutions, particularly literary magazines, public libraries, and media systems. Current projects include a multi-platform history of Southern public libraries with the Memphis Public Library's Cossitt Branch. His work has received support from ACLS, Marcus Orr Center, and MLK50 Fund.

Research interests include modernist literature's institutional contexts, media history, and cultural studies. Recent publications explore topics like 20th-century literary magazines, media's role in modernism, and socio-cultural legacies of public libraries in the American South. His book On Company Time: American Modernism in the Big Magazines (2016) examines how mass media shaped literary movements.

Grants and collaborations highlight interdisciplinary work bridging academia and public institutions. Advising and mentoring details are not listed, though his partnerships with cultural organizations suggest active community engagement. No lab affiliations are explicitly mentioned beyond library collaborations.