Dr. Vivasvan Soni

Biography

Vivasvan Soni, Ph.D. from Duke University, specializes in eighteenth-century British literature and critical literary theory. His book, Mourning Happiness: Narrative Politics Modernity, published by Cornell University Press in 2010, received the Modern Language Association's Eighteenth Annual Prize Book. The work highlights the narrative transformations in the eighteenth century that have shaped modern conceptions of happiness. It draws upon classical philosophies, particularly Solon’s proverb 'Call man happy dead,' to interrogate the relationship between happiness and utopian politics. His research interests include the rise of the novel, narratology, theories of tragedy, moral political theory, and utopian literature. Currently, he is working on a project tentatively titled Utopian Imagination: Fiction and the Possibilities of Action, which examines the relevance of utopian writing in contemporary thought. Soni has taught at the University of Michigan and Yale University, and has held prestigious fellowships including the Woodrow Wilson Postdoctoral Fellowship and the American Philosophical Society Fellowship. His scholarly contributions also extend to editing special issues for journals and participating in academic symposiums.

Research Interests

Experience