Dr. Gerard Aching

Biography

Gerard Aching is a professor emeritus specializing in Africana Studies and Romance Studies at Cornell University. His scholarly work focuses on 19th- to 20th-century Caribbean literatures, intellectual histories, and the relationship between literature and philosophy, with an emphasis on themes such as modernity and the impact of slavery in the Caribbean. He has authored several significant works, including 'Politics of Spanish American Modernismo: Exquisite Design' (1997), 'Masking Power: Carnival and Popular Culture in the Caribbean' (2002), and 'Freedom and Liberation: Slavery, Sentiment, and Literature in Cuba' (2015). Aching's current research engages with subjectivity in slave narratives, the philosophical implications of slavery, and the socio-cultural dynamics of sugar production within the context of the modern transatlantic world. He is active in collaborative projects that explore the historical narratives of the Underground Railroad and has been involved in fieldwork and community engagement efforts in Central and Western New York. Aching has received prestigious fellowships from the Howard Foundation and the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. His contributions to academia include serving as the director of the Africana Studies and Research Center and holding a fellowship at the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future.

Research Interests