R Clifton Spargo

R. Clifton Spargo is a Lecturer in English at Yale University, specializing in creative writing, literary criticism, and ethical philosophy. He holds a PhD in Literature from Yale, an MA from Yale Divinity School, and training from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. His work bridges literary analysis with ethical inquiry, particularly in Holocaust studies, postcolonial literature, and popular culture.

Spargo’s research explores themes of memory, grief, and moral responsibility. He has authored acclaimed novels like Beautiful Fools (a biographical fiction about Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald) and scholarly works like Vigilant Memory, which examines Emmanuel Levinas’s philosophy in Holocaust contexts. His essays and short stories appear in The Atlantic, Kenyon Review, and Glimmer Train, blending narrative innovation with ethical reflection.

He co-founded the Voices and Faces Project, empowering marginalized communities through testimonial writing. Awards include the Glimmer Train Short Story Award and fellowships from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and the University of Iowa. Spargo teaches courses like Introduction to Creative Writing, emphasizing creative expression and critical analysis.