Dr. Paul Fleming

Biography

Paul Fleming is the L. Sanford Jo Mills Reis Professor in the Humanities and Taylor Family Director of Cornell's Society for the Humanities (2017-2024). He teaches in the Department of Comparative Literature and the Department of German Studies, focusing on the intersection of literature and Critical Theory. His academic work includes monographs such as 'Exemplarity and Mediocrity: Art and Average Bourgeois Tragedy' (2009) and 'Pleasures of Abandonment: Jean Paul and the Life of Humor' (2006), as well as edited volumes and translations of significant works in the field. Fleming is known for his contributions to the understanding of modern German literature from the 18th to the 19th century, aesthetics, and hermeneutics, with particular interest in the nuances of Critical Theory. He has published extensively in journals and organized graduate seminars that explore complex themes in American Black Queer Thought and literature’s role in societal transformation. He actively edits the journal 'New German Critique' and is involved in publishing academic books as part of his commitment to advancing the field.

Research Interests

Experience