Jerry Varsava

Jerry Varsava is a Professor at the University of Alberta, jointly appointed to the Department of English and Film Studies and the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies. He previously served as a Professor at Memorial University, achieving Full Professor status in 1998, and joined the University of Alberta in 1999 as a Chair. His academic background includes a BA and MA in Comparative Literature and Aesthetics from the University of Helsinki and a PhD in Comparative Literature from Vanderbilt University. After years of administrative roles, he has returned to full-time teaching, focusing on American Literature from the post-bellum period to the 21st century and Comparative Literature courses such as Literary Science Fiction and Scandalous Fictions.

• Education:
  • BA in Comparative Literature and Aesthetics, University of Helsinki
  • MA in Comparative Literature and Aesthetics, University of Helsinki
  • PhD in Comparative Literature, Vanderbilt University

Jerry Varsava’s research spans postmodern fiction, global literature, and the intersection of economic themes with literary analysis. His current major project explores the depiction of economic life in 21st-century global fiction, including works by Jonathan Franzen, Paul Auster, and Chan Koonchung. He has published on authors like Don DeLillo, Michel Houellebecq, Jiang Rong, and Ha Jin, emphasizing socio-political contexts alongside literary form and rhetorical strategies.

Jerry Varsava’s recent publications analyze geopolitical narratives, economic humanities, and cultural contexts in global literature. His scholarly reviews and essays engage with critical frameworks such as canon formation, interdisciplinary studies, and contemporary literary theory, reflecting a focus on socio-political themes and postmodern analysis.

He actively participates in graduate studies, mentoring students in disseminating their research across academic venues. His teaching philosophy integrates socio-political engagement with rigorous attention to literary form and rhetorical analysis, applied across courses in American Literature, World Literature, and Comparative Literature.