Kevin Blankinship

Kevin Blankinship is an Associate Professor of Arabic Language and Literature at Brigham Young University's Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages, part of the College of Humanities. His research focuses on classical Arabic poetry and poetics, medieval Islamic textual cultures, and the works of figures like al-Ma’arri. He holds a PhD from the University of Chicago and has been supported by grants such as the Fulbright-Hays Program and the Danish Independent Research Fund (DFF).

His academic contributions include a forthcoming book on al-Ma’arri and Islamic animal ethics, as well as extensive peer-reviewed publications in journals like Journal of Arabic Literature. He is also active in public humanities through writing for The Atlantic, Los Angeles Review of Books, and podcast appearances. Blankinship’s work bridges academic and popular audiences, emphasizing the enduring relevance of classical Arabic literature.

Educated at Brigham Young University (BA, 2007), the University of North Carolina (MA, 2009), and the University of Chicago (PhD, 2018), he has held numerous editorial and review roles in academic organizations. His research interests span Islamic Spain, pre-modern authorship strategies, and comparative medieval literatures.