William Dow

William Dow is a Professor at The American University of Paris in the Department of Comparative Literature, English, and Creative Writing. His scholarly work bridges American literature, literary journalism, and critical theory, with a focus on race, class, and modernist experimentation.

• PhD, University of Delaware
• MA, Clark University
• BS, Grand Valley State University

His research explores literary journalism as a tool for social critique, examining intersections with Marxist theory, transatlantic modernism, and documentary poetics. He has analyzed works by James Baldwin, Richard Wright, and Paul Auster, emphasizing racialized capitalism and urban representations.

Recent publications examine audio journalism in This American Life, experimental documentary poetry, and transcultural urban narratives. His 2024 conference in Bassano del Grappa focused on Dos Passos’s radical narrative techniques.

Scientific recognition includes the 2016 Choice Outstanding Academic Title award for co-edited work on Richard Wright. He serves as Managing Editor for Literary Journalism Studies, shaping academic discourse on narrative nonfiction.

As a panel organizer, Dow has directed international seminars on James Baldwin’s global impact (2016) and Charles Reznikoff’s poetic journalism (2023). His editorial leadership in co-edited volumes like The Routledge Companion to American Literary Journalism (2020) has institutionalized interdisciplinary approaches to literary reportage.