Jim Knowles

Jim Knowles is an Associate Teaching Professor and Director of the Literature Program in the Department of English at North Carolina State University. He specializes in late medieval and early modern English literature, architectural history, and historical theology, with a focus on the allegorical poem Piers Plowman. He serves as Managing Editor for the Piers Plowman Electronic Archive and Executive Secretary of the Society for Early English and Norse Electronic Texts (SEENET).

Education:

• Ph.D. in English, Duke University (2009)
• B.A. in English, Davidson College (1993)

Research interests include connections between late medieval literature and vernacular architecture (timber-framed barns/aisled halls), digital humanities projects like the Oxford Friars Project (2010-14) which reconstructed medieval Oxford friaries. Current work explores architectural history's intersection with literary texts.

Teaching: Undergraduate/graduate courses in medieval literature, early modern studies, and British/World literature surveys. Received CHASS Outstanding Lecturer Award (2016) for teaching excellence.

Collaborative work: Co-authored Beer Hiking Virginia, North Carolina & DC (forthcoming Feb 2025) with sister English Knowles, combining hiking guides with craft beer exploration.