My name is Andrew Kingston. I’m an academic who teaches and writes about literature, philosophy, and the arts. I hold a PhD in comparative literature from Emory University as well as an interdisciplinary MA in theory and criticism, and I have taught at institutions of higher education in both the United States and Canada. I now live in coastal Maine, where I am an Assistant Professor of Humanities and Literature at Maine Maritime Academy.¹

My research is concerned with creating conversations between literary theory and traditionally non-literary practices of meaning-making—from music and photography to folklore and the constellations. In other words, what I am generally interested in is how the philosophical study of literary writing can help us to understand the ways in which meaning manifests in the world “outside” of texts. Links to my previously published research can be found here, along with some recent conference papers. I am currently working on a project focusing on the poetics and philosophy of the night, some guiding ideas for which can be found in this short essay.

I also serve on the Board of Directors for Dark Sky Maine, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting responsible lighting practices and preserving Maine’s dark skies as a natural resource. We are an American state chapter of DarkSky International.

In my spare time, I like to work on my photography.

Thanks for visiting!