Charles B. Harris

Charles B. Harris is an American literary scholar, critic, and academic administrator known for his influential work on postmodern literature and American fiction. He served as a longtime professor of English at Illinois State University, where he also directed the Unit for Contemporary Literature. His scholarship is particularly focused on authors such as John Barth, Thomas Pynchon, and Kurt Vonnegut, and he founded the notable literary press FC2.

Early life and education

Harris completed his undergraduate and initial graduate studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, earning both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts. He later pursued his doctoral degree at the University of California, Davis, where he completed his Ph.D. in English. His early academic work was shaped by the evolving critical discourses surrounding narrative theory and the American novel in the mid-twentieth century.

Academic career

Harris joined the faculty of Illinois State University, where he spent the majority of his academic career as a professor in the Department of English. He played a pivotal role in establishing and directing the university's Unit for Contemporary Literature, an interdisciplinary center promoting the study of postmodernism and innovative fiction. His administrative leadership extended to serving as the director of the Illinois State University Press and he held significant editorial positions with the scholarly journal American Book Review.

Research and contributions

Harris's research is centrally concerned with the formal and philosophical contours of postmodern fiction in the United States. He is recognized as a leading authority on metafiction and the literature of the absurd, with seminal studies of key figures like John Barth, Robert Coover, and Donald Barthelme. His critical approach often examines the intersection of literary technique with broader cultural critique, particularly in analyzing works by Thomas Pynchon and Kurt Vonnegut. His founding of the fiction collective FC2 (formerly Fiction Collective Two) provided a vital publishing venue for experimental writers outside the commercial mainstream.

Publications and editorial work

Among his major scholarly publications are the books Passionate Virtuosity: The Fiction of John Barth and Contemporary American Novelists of the Absurd. He has authored numerous articles and chapters in prominent venues such as Twentieth Century Literature and Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction. As an editor, his work with FC2 was instrumental in publishing early works by authors such as Ronald Sukenick, Raymond Federman, and Clarence Major. He also served on the editorial board for the Dalkey Archive Press and contributed to projects with the Association of Writers & Writing Programs.

Awards and recognition

Harris's contributions to literary scholarship were honored with a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship. He has also received research grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and various awards from Illinois State University for distinguished teaching and service. His work with FC2 earned recognition from the American Library Association and solidified his reputation as a key facilitator of the American literary avant-garde.

Category:American literary critics Category:American academics Category:Illinois State University faculty Category:Guggenheim Fellows