Miah Jeffra

Miah Jeffra is an Assistant Professor of English at Santa Clara University's College of Arts and Sciences, specializing in decolonial studies, cultural theory, and queer narratives. They teach courses on writing, gender studies, and urban studies, emphasizing community-centered arts and interdisciplinary practice. Jeffra holds an MFA from California Institute of the Arts and an MA from San Francisco State University, with undergraduate studies at Oglethorpe University.

Jeffra's research explores psycho-geography, urban renewal, gender structures, and whiteness as a colonial construct. Their work bridges literature, performance, and activism, reflected in their award-winning books like The Violence Almanac and American Gospel, and their co-founding of Foglifter Press, a queer literary collective. They have received accolades including the Clark-Gross Novel Award and multiple Lambda Literary nominations.

• Education: Oglethorpe University (Humanities, Music & Performance), CalArts (MFA Critical Studies), San Francisco State (MA English)
• Key Research: Urban Studies, Queer Erasure, Decolonial Pedagogy
• Publications: 4 books, essays in StoryQuarterly, Prairie Schooner, and DIAGRAM

Awards highlight their contributions to queer literature and critical theory. Foglifter Press, a Whiting Award-winning initiative, amplifies marginalized voices in the arts. Jeffra’s work often addresses systemic violence, displacement, and the intersections of race, class, and gender.