About
Jordan Kirk is an Associate Professor of English at Pomona College, where he has been teaching since 2013. His research bridges medieval literature, linguistic theory, and mysticism, with a focus on non-signification, ritual practices, and the intersection of textuality and spiritual experience.
- Education: Ph.D. and M.A. in Comparative Literature from Princeton University; B.A. in Comparative Literature from New York University
His scholarly output centers on limit-experiences of knowledge in premodern texts, including unintelligible signs, spiritual dimensions of homosexuality, and ancient intercontinental communication. He examines these through medieval poetic structures, mystical treatises, and sacramental theology, arguing that medieval linguistic thought prioritized non-signifying utterances as tools for transcendence.
Recent publications include two monographs: Medieval Nonsense (2021), exploring fourteenth-century linguistic philosophy, and The Kaoma Theorem (2022), a fragmentary work on philology, consciousness, and desire. His article "Buba, Blictrix, Bufbaf" (2021) examines nonsense as a medieval epistemological strategy, while "The Hideous Noise of Prayer" (2016) analyzes syllabic structures in mystical texts.
- Scientific Awards:
- Pomona College, Wig Distinguished Professor Award for Excellence in Teaching (2022)
Kirk’s pedagogy integrates experimental approaches to reading, reflected in courses like "The Beyond of Language" and "Medieval Drugs." He emphasizes telepathic reading as a methodology for understanding reality’s textual foundations.
Research fields
