Micah McKay

Micah McKay is an Associate Professor in the Department of Modern Languages & Classics at the University of Alabama, specializing in 20th- and 21st-century Latin American literature and culture. His work explores the intersection of environmental discourse and cultural production, particularly focusing on trash, waste systems, and biopolitics.

• Education:
  • PhD in Spanish, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • MA in Spanish, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • MA in Translation Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
  • BA in Spanish, Truman State University

Micah McKay’s research lies at the crossroads of environmental humanities, discard studies, and posthumanism. He examines trash as a cultural artifact in Latin American literature and film, analyzing its role in neoliberal urbanism, biopolitical resistance, and ecological degradation. His work spans critical theory, urban studies, and documentary analysis.

His publications include the book Trash and Limits in Latin American Culture (2024) and co-edited volume Environmental Cultural Studies Through Time: The Luso-Hispanic World (2019). His articles investigate trash representation in works by Ben Clark, José Emilio Pacheco, and filmmakers documenting Jardim Gramacho.

Micah McKay is a faculty affiliate of the Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies Program. He teaches introductory courses on Latin American culture, advanced courses on narrative and film, and graduate seminars on environmental humanities and literary theory.