Professor of English; Director of the Center for the Humanities
College of Letters & Science | Department of English
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Russ Castronovo is an internationally-recognized scholar with expertise in American literature, propaganda, and democracy. He has published 8 books and numerous articles on topics such as the American Revolution, citizenship, surveillance and security.
Talks:
Art & Terror Before 9/11
Explores questions such as: What are the aesthetics of terror? What does it mean to feel insecure in the world? What set of affects or emotions does security generate? Does more data and knowledge make us feel safe or unsafe?
Literature and Democracy
Explores such questions as: How do literature and other arts suggest alternative visions of civic life? What are the possibilities for meaningful citizenship in the contemporary United States? How do classical notions of citizenship associated with ancient democracy inform contemporary politics? These questions invite consideration of key concepts within the humanities and social sciences including aesthetics, multiculturalism, and mass culture.