About
Esther Yu is an Assistant Professor of English at Stanford University, specializing in early modern to eighteenth-century literature, with a focus on the history of emotions, popular politics, and religious dissent. Her work bridges literary analysis with interdisciplinary studies in philosophy and science. She teaches courses such as 'Velocity and Suspension: The Sense of Time in Early Modern Writing' and 'Milton.' Her research explores the interplay between literary form and political thought, including a current project on sensitivity’s transformation in modern aesthetics.
Her recent work includes an article in Representations reinterpreting the 'tender conscience' concept and its implications for the English Civil War. Upcoming publications in Critical Inquiry and PMLA further her exploration of consciousness in narrative forms and early modern prose fiction.
Yu received the 2023 Teaching Excellence Award from Phi Beta Kappa. She advises students on interdisciplinary approaches to literature and collaborates on projects linking literary history with scientific and philosophical discourses. Her office hours are by appointment, and she maintains an active presence in Stanford’s literary studies community.
