Richard Slotkin

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Richard Slotkin has established a reputation as one of the preeminent cultural critics and historians of our times. He is the Olin Professor of English and American Studies at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. His award-winning trilogy on the myth of the frontier in America, which is comprised of Regeneration Through Violence, The Fatal Environment, and Gunfighter Nation offers an original and highly provocative interpretation of the United States' national experience. He has also published three historical novels: The Crater: A Novel of the Civil War, The Return of Henry Starr, and Abe: A Novel of the Young Lincoln. In his more than 25 years at Wesleyan, he has helped to establish both the American Studies and the Film Studies Programs. He offers interdisciplinary courses in American literature, history and film. In 1995 he received the Mary C Turpie Award of the American Studies Association for his contributions to teaching and program-building.

One of his most famous students is Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator, Joss Whedon.