ERIC DROWN American Studies Scholar Assistant Professor of University Writing The George Washington University
Home	Curriculum Vitae	Dissertation Abstract	Publications	Book Project	Teaching Philosophy	Course Syllabi	Student Comments	Student Writings	For Current Students

I am a cultural analyst and literary historian interested in the social functions of popular culture. I study cultural objects and practices that enjoy a degraded status in our society, especially those with passionate followers and which prompt moral denunciations from enraged or anxious authorities—trashy fiction, conspiracy theory, pseudo sciences like ufology, cryptozoology and parapsychology, and new religious movements. For me, such quirky expressions can teach us a lot about what people who rarely make it into history books think about some really important questions.

While I am currently focusing on the popular cultures of science and science fiction, I am also interested in visual culture, and have written about Hollywood movies, avant-garde films, the silent cinema, and television fans. You can learn more about my work by following the links above and below.

Look for my work in recent issues of femspec, Endeavour and Symploke. "Business Girls and Beset Men in Pulp Science Fiction and Science Fiction Fandom" is the lead article in femspec 7.1 (Fall 2006), while "A Finer and Fairer Future: Commodifying Wage Earners in American Pulp Science Fiction" appears in the history of science quarterly Endeavour v. 30, n. 3 (September 2006). For an illustrated pdf version of "A Finer and Fairer Future" search the Academic Search Premier research database available at most research university libraries or visit Endeavour here.