Dr. Benjamin Saltzman

Biography

Benjamin Saltzman is an Associate Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago, where he has been teaching since 2017. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 2014. His research interests encompass a wide range of themes, including Poetry, Poetics, Visual Studies, Hermeneutics, Gesture, and Environmental Humanities. His recent book, 'Turning Away: Poetics of Ancient Gesture', published by the University of Chicago Press, explores gestures in historical periods and their implications for understanding human relationships with the world. He argues that gestures, often overlooked in expressiveness, bear profound significance in mediating responses to social afflictions. Saltzman's work is supported by fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and has yielded several influential publications. He is also the co-editor of 'Thinking Medieval: Midcentury Intellectuals and the Middle Ages', which illuminates the impact of medieval thought on twentieth-century intellectuals. His ongoing projects include 'Waveforms: Poetry and the Sea', examining the interplay of poetry's rhythm and the ocean's movements. Saltzman serves as the Director of the Program in Medieval Studies and has contributed to various scholarly discussions in English studies and beyond.

Research Interests

Courses