C. Riley Snorton

Departmental website:
https://english.uchicago.edu/c-riley-snorton

C. Riley Snorton, professor of English language and literature, joins the department and the Center for Gender and Sexuality Studies, in which he is in residence. Prof. Snorton is a cultural theorist who analyzes representations of race and gender throughout history. His research and teaching expertise include cultural theory, queer and transgender theory and history, Africana studies, performance studies, and popular culture.

He is the author of Nobody Is Supposed to Know: Black Sexuality on the Down Low (2014) and Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity (2017), winner of the Modern Language Association’s William Sanders Scarborough Prize, Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Nonfiction, Boswell Award in LGBTQ history, Sylvia Rivera Award in Transgender Studies, and an American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book in Nonfiction.

He has published articles in the Black Scholar, the International Journal of Communication, Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy, and Souls: A Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture, and Society.

C. Riley Snorton

  • Title: Professor of English Language and Literature
  • Education: AB, Columbia University, MA, PhD, both from the University of Pennsylvania
  • Joined UChicago faculty: 2018
  • crsnorton@uchicago.edu
  • @CRileySnorton

Media Contact

Evan Williams

Media Relations Analyst

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Expertise

Gender and sexuality studies, Transgender history

Snorton Stories

Sixteen UChicago faculty members receive named, distinguished service professorships Spring on campus

Sixteen UChicago faculty members receive named, distinguished service professorships

In Humanities Day keynote, Wu Hung explores the rehabilitation of damaged art Wu Hung at Humanities Day

In Humanities Day keynote, Wu Hung explores the rehabilitation of damaged art

Kimberly Peirce reflects on how UChicago shaped her filmmaking career Kimberly Peirce, AB'90, at Logan Center

Kimberly Peirce reflects on how UChicago shaped her filmmaking career

Scholar explores overlapping worlds of black and trans communities Riley Snorton in apartment

Scholar explores overlapping worlds of black and trans communities

C. Riley Snorton and T Fleischmann Talk Gender, Freedom, and Transitivity

C. Riley Snorton and T Fleischmann Talk Gender, Freedom, and Transitivity


Literary Hub

Lit recs for talking about race and gender Citation image, Chicago Reader, C. Riley Snorton

Lit recs for talking about race and gender


UChicago Professor To Receive the MLA's William Sanders Scarborough Prize for His Transformative Scholarship Citation image, UChicago Humanities, C. Riley Snorton

UChicago Professor To Receive the MLA's William Sanders Scarborough Prize for His Transformative Scholarship


Division of the Humanities

43 books about LGBTQ life, culture, history, and politics everyone should read Citation image, Business Insider, C. Riley Snorton

43 books about LGBTQ life, culture, history, and politics everyone should read


New book explores trans cases in African-American history Citation image, Washington Blade, C. Riley Snorton

New book explores trans cases in African-American history


Washington Blade

Examining black 'transness' through contemporary media

Examining black 'transness' through contemporary media


Cornell Chronicle