Dr. Joseph Bristow

Biography

Joseph Bristow is a distinguished professor at UCLA who joined the university in 1996. He teaches a range of courses in Victorian modern literature and the theories and histories of sexuality. His research interests include British aestheticism, particularly the circle of Oscar Wilde, Decadence, and early twentieth-century writing. Bristow has published extensively on Victorian poetry, co-editing significant anthologies, including the 'Nineteenth-Century Women Poets: Oxford Anthology'. He has also played a pivotal role in reshaping the study of women’s writing during the late Romantic and Victorian eras, and is noted for his contributions to LGBTQ+ literary studies. Over the years, he has been involved in numerous scholarly activities at the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, arranging conferences and leading publication projects. His notable works include a variorum edition of Wilde’s 'Picture of Dorian Gray', and recent edited collections such as 'Extraordinary Aesthetes: Decadents, New Women, Fin-de-Siècle Culture'. Bristow has served as an editor for various academic journals and continues to mentor doctoral candidates at UCLA. His academic contributions span numerous topics related to 19th-century writing and culture, emphasizing critical discussions surrounding aesthetics and modernity.

Research Interests