Nathan Wolff

Nathan Wolff is an Associate Professor of English at Tufts University, based in East Hall. His research focuses on 19th-century American literature and culture, with particular interest in affect theory, New Materialisms, and intersections of sex/gender/sexuality with political structures. He holds a PhD from the University of Chicago (2012) and a BA from Bowdoin College (1998).

Wolff’s scholarship bridges literary analysis with critical theory, examining themes like democratic ideals, bureaucratic systems, and emotional politics. Recent work engages digital culture (e.g., Melville Twitter), W.E.B. Du Bois’s materialist critiques, and biopolitical frameworks in 19th-century science. His publications span peer-reviewed articles, book reviews, and interdisciplinary discussions.

Notable themes in his articles include reinterpreting canonical texts (Melville, Twain) through modern lenses, interrogating racial and gendered discourses in literature, and analyzing historical socio-economic conditions like the Gilded Age. His work often merges close textual reading with broader theoretical frameworks in critical theory and cultural studies.