Matthew Holman

Dr Matthew Holman is a Lecturer in English at the University of Hertfordshire's School of Creative Arts, Department of English Literature, joining in spring 2023. An interdisciplinary scholar, his work bridges American literature and visual arts with emphases on transnational exchange, avant-garde movements, and political aesthetics.

His academic qualifications include:

• PhD in American Studies from University College London (2015-2020)
• MA in Modern and Contemporary Literature and Culture from University of York (2013-2014)
• BA in English Literature from University of Sheffield (2010-2013)

Research centers on modern American literature's intersection with visual culture, examining how political crises shape artistic forms. Key interests include transnational cultural networks, avant-garde experimentation, and lyric poetry's response to social movements. His work reveals how figures like Frank O'Hara and Eileen Myles use curatorial practice and poetic innovation to navigate political turbulence.

Recent publications demonstrate consistent engagement with literature-visual arts dialogues, spanning Cold War cultural diplomacy, pandemic-era poetic forms, and community arts activism. Themes connect MoMA's international programs, Occupy movement representations, and lockdown-era voice-mail aesthetics into a cohesive exploration of art's political dimensions.

Major recognitions include:

• F. R. Leavis Studentship (University of York)
• Leverhulme Trust Studentship for Cold War visual culture research
• Terra Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship with Giverny Residency
• Paul Mellon Centre Fellowship for Tower Hamlets activism project
• Visiting Fellowships at Yale University and Smithsonian American Art Museum

Teaching includes 'Texts Up Close', 'Make it New', and 'Twentieth-Century US Literature', with commitment to supporting diverse students. He actively contributes to curatorial projects with Kasmin, Gagosian, and David Zwirner galleries while writing for TLS, Frieze, and Jacobin.

Collaborations extend to international galleries and art institutions, integrating academic research with contemporary curatorial practice through projects examining community arts activism and transnational artistic networks.