Markus Cruse

Dr. Markus Cruse is an Associate Professor in the School of International Letters and Cultures at Arizona State University (ASU), with affiliations at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and the Melikian Center. His research focuses on medieval French literature, manuscript studies, and cultural history, particularly examining the intersections of writing, performance, and material culture. He holds a Ph.D. from New York University (2005) and a B.A. from Amherst College (1993).

Cruse’s research interests span medieval manuscripts, Alexander the Great’s cultural legacy, medieval travel narratives, and Haitian literature. His monograph Illuminating the Roman d'Alexandre (2011) analyzes a 14th-century manuscript’s embodiment of courtly values and crusade ideology. Current projects include a co-authored study of Christine de Pizan’s Epistre Othea and a book on Mongol representations in medieval France.

He has received prestigious grants from the Institute for Advanced Study (2013-2014) and the National Humanities Center (2017-2018). Teaching highlights include courses on medieval French theater, the history of the French language, and Parisian urbanism. Cruse has been nominated twice for the CLAS Teaching Award and was a finalist for ASU Professor of the Year (2013).

Active in academic service, he chairs the MLA Division on French Medieval Language and Literature and serves on multiple university committees. His public engagement includes lectures on medieval art and culture at venues like The Cloisters and the Hillwood Museum.