Thomas P. Kelly

Thomas P. Kelly is an Assistant Professor in East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University, where he holds a position in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He earned his PhD from the University of Chicago (2017) and BA from the University of Oxford (2009). Previously, he served as a Junior Fellow in the Society of Fellows at the University of Michigan. As President of the Society for Ming Studies, he actively contributes to scholarly networks in early modern Chinese studies.

His research focuses on Chinese literature, material culture, and pre-modern media studies, particularly exploring the interplay between writing and material objects in the Ming and Qing periods. His monograph The Inscription of Things: Writing and Materiality in Early Modern China (2023) examines how writers engaged with materiality through inscriptions on objects. Current projects include The Unfinished Book, analyzing manuscript culture during the Ming-Qing transition, and a study of performance theory via Pan Zhiheng’s essays. His work spans late imperial drama, fiction, poetry, and prose.

Key research themes include the materiality of literature, rituals in performance, and the poetics of incompletion. His publications investigate topics such as mourning rituals in early Qing theater, the cultural significance of seal carvers’ biographies, and the role of objects in Ming-Qing literary imagination. He frequently critiques the relationship between textual production and social dynamics, emphasizing how material forms shape literary meaning.

His articles demonstrate a focus on interdisciplinary approaches, blending literary analysis with art history, anthropology, and cultural studies. Notable works include explorations of Hong Sheng’s Palace of Lasting Life, Su Shi’s ink-making practices, and Fang Yongbin’s calligraphic materiality. His 2024 article 'The Crying Statue in Early Qing Drama' delves into contested staging practices of theatrical mourning rituals.

Though no formal grants or labs are listed, his academic leadership (e.g., Society for Ming Studies presidency) underscores his role in fostering collaborative research. His work bridges textual analysis with broader cultural histories, positioning material objects as central to understanding Chinese literary and intellectual traditions.