S.E. Kile

S.E. Kile is an Associate Professor in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan, affiliated with the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies (LRCCS) and the Michigan Society of Fellows. They hold a PhD in Chinese Literature from Columbia University (2012) and a BA from Beloit College (2003). Their research focuses on Ming and Qing period drama, fiction, and prose, with special interests in gender theory, cultural history, and visual culture. Key projects include the monograph Towers in the Void: Li Yu and Early Modern Chinese Media (2023) and a forthcoming book on worldmaking in early modern Chinese literature.

• Education: PhD, Columbia University (2012); BA, Beloit College (2003)
• Teaching: Courses on Chinese civilization, gender studies, classical Chinese, and early modern cultural studies
• Affiliations: LRCCS Faculty, Michigan Society of Fellows member

Research emphasizes interdisciplinary connections between literature, media, and material culture, particularly Li Yu’s intermedial creativity and global early modern cultural shifts. Current projects explore representations of the world in Chinese narratives and gender performance in premodern contexts.