Ed Folsom

Ed Folsom is a Professor in the Department of English at the University of Iowa, within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He is a leading scholar in American poetry and culture, with a central focus on Walt Whitman and his influence across literary and cultural domains. He has edited and co-edited numerous seminal works on Whitman and is deeply involved in digital humanities initiatives, including the Walt Whitman Archive and Iowa's first MOOC on Whitman's 'Song of Myself'.

His research interests include 19th-Century U.S. Literatures, Book Studies, and Digital Humanities. He has explored the works of major American poets such as William Carlos Williams, W.S. Merwin, Gary Snyder, and writers like Frederick Douglass and Emily Dickinson. His scholarly work bridges traditional literary analysis with innovative digital methods.

Ed Folsom has been recognized with multiple prestigious awards for teaching and mentorship, including Iowa’s Collegiate Teaching Award, the Graduate College Outstanding Mentor Award, the President and Provost’s Teaching Award, and the Regents’ Award for Faculty Excellence. These honors reflect his deep commitment to education and student development.

• Iowa’s Collegiate Teaching Award
• Graduate College Outstanding Mentor Award
• University’s President and Provost’s Teaching Award
• Regents’ Award for Faculty Excellence
• Choice Outstanding Academic Book (for Walt Whitman: The Measure of His Song)
• Independent Publisher Book Award for Poetry (for Walt Whitman: The Measure of His Song)
• Choice Outstanding Academic Book (for Walt Whitman's Native Representations)

He has directed and co-directed major international Whitman conferences and symposia, including events in Beijing, Montpellier, and Iowa, and has organized the Transatlantic Whitman Seminar. He mentors graduate students and leads doctoral seminars on Whitman, Dickinson, and American poetry history. He also edits the Walt Whitman Quarterly Review and the Whitman Series for the University of Iowa Press.

His leadership in digital scholarship includes co-directing the online Walt Whitman Archive, contributing to Oxford Bibliographies Online, and co-teaching massive open online courses (MOOCs) on Whitman’s work. These efforts have expanded access to Whitman’s legacy globally.