John Wrighton

Dr Wrighton’s research interests are in twentieth century American literature and culture, the study of poetic schools and movements in modernist and avant-garde poetry, and the “turn to ethics” in literary theory. Through creative and critical enquiry and in cross-disciplinary collaborative and archival work, his research explores the intersections between literature, society, ethics, and technological innovation, through perspectives from cultural history, ecology, philosophy, and literary theory. 

Dr Wrighton welcomes expressions of interest from prospective PhD students. (See University of Brighton Doctoral College for further information).

Dr John Wrighton is Deputy Head of School (Research and Enterprise) for the School of Humanities. He directs the strategic development of researchers in the humanities subjects (Literature; Language & Linguistics; History of Art & Design; History, Philosophy, Culture and Politics), and has served as Research and Subject Leader for Literature, and is currently Course Leader, MA Literature. During 2011-13, Dr Wrighton was seconded to the Modern Literature and Culture Research Centre at Ryerson University in Toronto, where he held the position of International Research Fellow.

In 2006, Dr Wrighton was awarded the Rose and Sigmund Strochlitz Research Grant to undertake archival work at University of Connecticut (USA). Synthesizing his studies in ethical philosophy and post-structuralist theory with a pioneering new reading of post-war American poetics this project led to the publication of his acclaimed first book Ethics and Politics in Modern American Poetry (New York and London: Routledge, 2010). 

His research knowledge is disseminated regularly at major international conferences, in addition to guest lectures for prestigious institutions (including, Keele, Oxford, Westminster, Northampton, Surrey, Edinburgh, Ryerson University, Toronto, and Aberystwyth University). He has organised and chaired important gatherings in the field and has co-authored articles with world leading scholars, most recently with Tier One Canada Research Chair, Professor Irene Gammel.

Dr Wrighton’s research at the critical nexus of ideas between literature, ethics, and society, is motivated in synergy with a deep commitment to the idea of the university and the personal and social value of literary study. In 2014, in recognition of his professional and academic leadership, Dr Wrighton was accredited to Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. In 2009, he took a central role in a nation-wide HEFCW funded project supporting the enhancement of learning and teaching through the innovative use of digital technologies and he has been an ambassador for widening participation and social inclusion at institutions in England and Wales.

Through his leadership as International Research Fellow 2011-13 at the Modern Literature and Culture Research Centre (MLCRC) at Ryerson University in Toronto, and in his current post as Head of Research, Dr Wrighton actively supports the early career development of researchers and postgraduate students across the humanities. Recent collaborative projects include the expansion of the inter-departmental Centre for Contemporary Poetry across four universities and the co-ordination of its annual and international video-linked seminar series.

Publications:

Monographs

• (2010) Ethics and Politics in Modern American Poetry (New York and London: Routledge) ISBN 0415801222

Articles and Essays

• (2021) '‘Fear of the Blind’: Political Vision and Postwar Ethics in the Poetry of Denise Levertov', Literature & History. Vol. 30 No. 2, pp. 138-154. ISSN 0306-1973
• (2021) 'A Theory of Organic Reading: Denise Levertov and the New American Poetry' in Matt Theado (ed.) The Beats, Black Mountain, and New Modes in American Poetry (Clemson University Press), pp.163-178
• (2020) Review of Steven Belletto (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to The Beats (Cambridge University Press, 2017) in Notes & Queries Vol. 67, Issue 3. Oxford University Press, ISSN 0029-3970 (book review) https://academic.oup.com/nq/advance-article/doi/10.1093/notesj/gjaa123/5891832?guestAccessKey=b292baca-691e-403f-b953-420e399049bb
• (2017) ‘Reading Responsibly between Martha Nussbaum and Emmanuel Levinas: Towards a Textual Ethics for the Twenty-First Century,’ Interdisciplinary Literary Studies: A Journal of Criticism and Theory. Vol. 19 No 2. Cultivating Humanity: The Literary and Moral Thought of Martha Nussbaum. pp. 149-170. Penn State University Press, ISSN 1524-8429
• (2016) ‘The Textual Ethics of Dada: A Case Study,’ Textual Practice. Vol. 30 No 7. pp. 1-26. Routledge Taylor and Francis Group, ISSN 0950-236X
• (2013) ‘”Arabesque Grotesque”: Toward a Theory of Dada Ecopoetics,’ ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment. Vol. 20 No. 4. pp. 795-816. Oxford University Press, ISSN 1759-0962 (with Irene Gammel)
• (2013) ‘Ethnopoetics and the Performativity of Place: Jerome Rothenberg and “That Dada Strain”,’ in Ian Davidson and Zoe Skoulding (Eds.) Placing Poetry (Amsterdam and New York: Rodopi), pp.257-281
• (2010) Nicky Marsh’s 'Money, Speculation and Finance in Contemporary British Fiction' in The European English Messenger, no. XIX, Issue 2 (Autumn 2010). ISSN 0960-4545. (book review)
• (2008) Bethan Roberts’ 'The Good Plain Cook' in New Welsh Review No. 82 (Winter, 2008), pp. 81-83. ISSN 0954-2116. (book review)
• (2006) Peter Middleton’s 'Distant Reading: Performance, Readership, and Consumption in Contemporary Poetry' in Journal of the Midwest Modern Language Association, pp. 182-185. ISSN 0742-5562. (book review)
• (2005) ‘Expanding the Range of Reference’, in English (the journal of the English Association), Vol. 51, no. 208, pp. 72-76. Oxford University Press, ISSN 0013-8215

Guest lectures

2020

• 'The Ethics of Reopening and Recovery'. Pandemic Webinar Series. Modern Literature and Culture Research Centre (Ryerson University)

2018

• '"A Common Ground": American Poetics and Denise Levertov's Ethical Lyric.' Keele University, David Bruce Centre for American Studies, Visiting Speaker Program

2017

• 'The future of security? The changing shape of an academic career.' University of Oxford, University English Association Annual General Meeting

2016

• 'Denise Levertov: Material Poetics, Counter-Culture in Community, and the Alternative Press, 1969-1971.' University of Westminster, Literary Criticism and the Small Press Symposium 

2015

• 'Denise Levertov: Cross-currents in the Trans-Atlantic Avant-Garde.' University of Northampton, School of Arts, Research Seminar Series
• 'Poetry and Revolution.' University of Surrey, English Research Seminar Series

2011

• 'The Ethical Turn: Ethics and Politics in Avant-Garde and Modern Poetry.' Modern Literature and Culture Lecture Series, Ryerson University, Canada
• 'Ethics and Politics in Modern American Poetry.' English Literature Visiting Speakers Program, Edinburgh University

2010

• 'Technology and the Poetic Cityscape.' English Literature Research Lecture Series, University of Brighton

2008

• 'Environmental Ethics in the Poetry of Gary Snyder.' Department of English Visiting Lecture Series, Aberystwyth University

Conference papers

2019

• "‘You are eroded as war erodes us’: Rhetoric and Postwar Ethics in the Poetry of Denise Levertov”. Modernist Studies Association 21st Annual Conference, Toronto.

2017

• 'Underground and Alternative Press Collection: Radical Brighton' (with Lisa Redlinski, Library Manager, University of Brighton). University of London, Senate House Library.

2015-16

• 'Denise Levertov: A Trans-National Pilgrimage.' Poetics: The (next) 25 Years, State University of New York, Buffalo
• '"The walls of the garden, the first light": Political Emotion in the Poetry of Denise Levertov.' Northeast Modern Language Association, Ryerson University, Toronto

2013-14

• 'Poetic Ecologies in New York Dada: A Case Study in Modernism's Urban Avant-Garde.' (with Professor Irene Gammel) British Association of Modernist Studies, Institute of English Studies, Senate House, London
• 'Literary Ethics and the New Rhetoric: Jack Kerouac's "Spontaneous Prose" as a "Structure of Knowing" in On the Road.' Rhetoric as Equipment for Living, Ghent University, Belgium

2010-12

• ‘Modernity's Dialectic.' Literatures of Modernity Symposium, Ryerson University, Canada
• ‘Maximus kinesis: Charles Olson and modernist women’s poetry.' Charles Olson 2010 Centenary Conference, University of Kent
• 'The "Turn to Ethics" or, Political Commitment "After Theory".' English Subject Centre Literature Politics Study Day, University of Brighton

2008-09

• ‘Ethnopoetics and the Performativity of Place.' Placing Poetry Colloquium, Bangor University
• ‘Frontier Testing: Re-thinking the Paradigms of Assessment’ (poster presentation). Gwella Launch Symposium: Good Practice in Technology-enhanced Learning and Teaching, Aberystwyth University
• ‘Authorised Identities: Approaching Charles Olson through the Archive Collection’ (co-authored with Melissa Watterworth, Curator of Literary Collections, Dodd Center, University of Connecticut) Archive Fervour/Archive Further, Aberystwyth University
• ‘Environmental Ethics in the Poetry of Gary Snyder.' Department of English, Research Seminar, Aberystwyth University

2005-06

• ‘Face Work: Bruce Andrews’ Poethical Praxis.' British Association of American Studies Annual Conference, University of Kent, Canterbury
• ‘Poethical Praxis: Ethics & Politics in “Language Poetry”.’ British Association of American Studies Postgraduate Conference, University of Sheffield
• ‘The Poethical Trajectory: Ethics and Politics in Modern and Contemporary American Poetry.' Rhetoric, Politics, Ethics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
• ‘Jerome Rothenberg’s Ethnopoetics.' British Association of American Studies Annual Conference, University of Cambridge
• ‘The Horizon of the Poem and Postmodern Ethics.' University of Wales Postgraduate Colloquium, Gregynog, Newtown, Wales

2004

• ‘Gary Snyder’s Eco-poetics.' Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment Annual Conference, University College Chichester
• ‘Questioning our Research Methodology: “Ways of Reading,” in the light of the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas.' University of Wales Postgraduate Colloquium, Newtown, Wales

English literature; American literature; the novel; poetry; philosophy of ethics; critical theory

 I am accepting graduate students interested in any aspect of modern and contemporary literature. Feel free to e-mail me for more information about the PhD program.