Steven G. Kellman

Steven G. Kellman is a Professor of English at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), where he has taught since 1976. A leading scholar in comparative literature and literary translingualism, he was UTSA's first Ashbel Smith Professor (1995-2000) and has received numerous accolades including the National Book Critics Circle Balakian Citation and the New York Society Library Award for Biography.

His academic foundation includes:

• Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, University of California at Berkeley (1972)
• M.A. in Comparative Literature, University of California at Berkeley (1969)
• B.A. in English & General Literature, State University of New York at Binghamton (1967)

Kellman's research focuses on comparative literature, modern and contemporary literature, prose fiction, literary translingualism, film, and biography. He pioneered the study of writers who create in non-native languages, examining how linguistic displacement fuels creativity and shapes identity across cultural boundaries. His work bridges literary analysis with cultural history, particularly in American literature and biography.

His recent publications demonstrate sustained engagement with translingualism, pandemic-era literary interpretation, and biographical recovery of marginalized voices. Articles from 2022-2025 reveal consistent thematic threads: re-examining classic texts like Camus' The Plague through contemporary crises, analyzing translingual writing as spiritual practice, and recovering erased narratives in literary partnerships.

Honors include the National Book Critics Circle Nona Balakian Citation (2006), New York Society Library Award for Biography (2006), and Gemini Ink Literary Excellence Award (2008). Additional distinctions:

• UTSA COLFA Researcher of the Year Award (2019-2020)
• McGinnis-Ritchie Award for Nonfiction (2008)
• San Antonio Public Library Foundation Arts and Letters Award (2005)
• Two UTSA President's Distinguished Achievement Awards in Research Excellence (1990-91, 2005-2006)

Kellman has secured prestigious fellowships including the Fulbright Distinguished Chair at Sofia University and Harvard's John E. Sawyer Fellowship. He served four terms on the National Book Critics Circle board and edits Brill's Literary Multilingualism series, demonstrating sustained commitment to advancing literary scholarship through editorial leadership and institutional service.