D. Vance SmithView profile
Professor
Dr. D. Vance Smith is a Professor at Princeton University, affiliated with the Humanities Council. He specializes in medieval literature, postcolonial theory, and African studies, with a focus on the intersections between medieval European thought and African colonial and postcolonial contexts. His work bridges anthropology, philosophy, and literary studies, examining themes such as colonial structures, ecocriticism, and decolonial thought. Smith’s research explores the African foundations of European intellectual history, as seen in his upcoming book Atlas’s Bones: The African Foundations of Europe . He also investigates environmental and human impacts of African conservation practices and medieval legal frameworks. His earlier works include Arts of Dying and Arts of Possession , analyzing medieval concepts of mortality and dwelling. His current projects include Blood Flowers (on African environmental policies) and Love Without Object (on mysticism). His articles span topics like medieval grammatical theory, Piers Plowman analysis, Chaucerian tragedy, and gender studies. Smith has edited volumes on medieval cultural studies and co-authored works on theoretical legacies of the Middle Ages. He holds awards including the Guggenheim Fellowship and Old Dominion Professorship. Smith engages in community work in Trenton, serving on arts and theater boards. He emphasizes radical pedagogy and decolonial praxis, reflecting his dual heritage of growing up in Africa and training in Western medieval studies. His interdisciplinary approach challenges traditional boundaries between medieval and postcolonial studies.
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