JJ Butts

JJ Butts is a Professor of English and Chair of the Department of Literature, Language, and Culture at Simpson College. His interdisciplinary approach integrates anthropology, history, geography, urban studies, and political philosophy to analyze American literature, culture, and film, with a focus on ethnic and African American narratives.

• Education: B.A. in English and Anthropology (Appalachian State University, 1995), M.A. and Ph.D. in English (Syracuse University, 1999 and 2006)

His research specializes in the Federal Writers' Project (FWP), New Deal-era urban literature, and the intersection of racial dynamics with modernization discourses. He explores how African American writers like Ralph Ellison and Richard Wright reconfigured liberalism and pluralism in response to FWP narratives.

Recent trends in his publications include analyses of the FWP's role in shaping cultural histories, allegorical representations of racialized power, and urban sociology in collective novels. He is preparing his monograph Dark Mirror (2021) on African American engagements with the welfare state.

As Director of Interdisciplinary Studies, he bridges literary analysis with urban theory, historical documentation, and sociopolitical critique. His personal interests include hiking, biking, and playing stringed instruments.