Eric solomon, Ph.d.

Instructor of English and Southern Studies

Originally from Leland, Mississippi, birthplace of Kermit the Frog, Eric Solomon received his B.A. in English and Spanish from UM's Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and his Ph.D. in English from Emory University. At UM, he teaches courses in English and Southern Studies, such as the literature survey course "American Intersections" and the seminar "Southern Currents."

His forthcoming first book project is a cultural history of Key West in the queer imagination. He is the editor of the series “Queer Intersections” with the journal Southern Spaces, and his work has been featured in Southern Spaces, Southern Cultures, south, Studies in the Literary Imagination, South Atlantic Review, and more. Solomon is the project manager of The #TUOR Project, a digital story tour of sites of importance in Atlanta's queer past. He also serves as Vice President of Historic Atlanta, a volunteer historic preservation advisory organization. Historic Atlanta is one of the sponsors of The Atlanta LGBTQ+ Historic Context Statement. Finally, Solomon serves as a cultural historian on the Mayor's LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee for the City of Atlanta. 

Dr. Solomon's second book in progress is supported by the generosity of the Isom Center. This book will deepen and expand his work documenting Atlanta's queer past, bridging his work in historic preservation and literary history. 

Gender Studies -Related Research Interests: Queer Souths; Queer history/studies; New Southern Studies; LGBTQ+ literature (Writers such as Tennessee Williams; James Baldwin; Carson McCullers); Drama & Performance; Spatial Theory; Ecoqueer Criticism