John Musser

John Musser is a Teaching Associate Professor in the Gender, Sexuality, & Women's Studies Program at the University of Pittsburgh, affiliated with the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. He holds a PhD in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is an alumnus of Pitt's GSWS program. His research explores the intersection of performance studies, queer theory, and critical race theory through the lens of 20th/21st-century diva culture. He actively engages in queer performance art, co-creating The Diva Saga: The Legend of the Worst Drag Queen with artist Scott N. Andrew.

Education:

• PhD in English, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• GSWS Program alum, University of Pittsburgh

His work interrogates how divas reimagine bodily expressions of queerness and race via the sublime, blending philosophical aesthetics with contemporary performance. Office hours for Spring 2024 are Tuesdays 1-4pm in room 409 CL (accessed via 408).