Christopher Elford

Christopher Elford received a B.A. in philosophy and English literature with a minor in Chinese from Southwestern University, an M.A. in Chinese literature from the University of Oregon, and a Ph.D. in Chinese from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2021. Elford studies medieval Chinese literature, with a focus on poetry, calligraphy, and material culture. His first book will give an ecological account of the co-emergence of the concepts of individual literary and calligraphic style in China between the second and the sixth centuries CE. He has also published translations of contemporary Chinese fiction in journals such as Renditions and Pathlight. He looks forward to teaching a writing intensive course on life writing in both classical and modern Chinese literature this fall.

Recent Courses Taught

First Year Writing and Composition, Topic: Like, Literally: Figurative Language in Chinese Literature

Research Interests

Medieval Chinese poetry, poetics, calligraphy, and material culture.

Appointed to the Faculty

Educational Background

Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
M.A., University of Oregon
B.A., Southwestern University