Orange Alert

David Yaffe

David Yaffe

David Yaffe

Assistant Professor, Humanities

CONTACT

Humanities Faculty
302 113 Euclid Ave
Email: dyaffe@syr.edu
Office: 315.443.9474

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Social/Academic Links

Biographic Overview

David Yaffe was born in Dallas, TX and received his B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and his Ph.D. in English from the CUNY Graduate Center. He is the author of Fascinating Rhythm: Reading Jazz in American Writing (Princeton, 2006) and Bob Dylan: Like a Complete Unknown (Yale, 2011). He is currently at work on Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, forthcoming). He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on 20th and 21st Century American fiction, poetry, music, and creative nonfiction. He is a music critic for The Nation and has also written for Harper's, Slate, The New York Times, New York, The Village Voice, The New Republic, Bookforum, The Chronicle of Higher Education Review, and other publications. Click here to visit David's website.

Research and Teaching Interests

20th and 21st century American fiction and poetry; music criticism; creative nonfiction; biography and autobiography; the book review; the essay.

20th and 21st century American fiction and poetry; interdisciplinary studies, especially the intersections of music and literature; creative nonfiction; biography and autobiography; the book review; the essay; public intellectuals; jazz and rock criticism.

News
Rock Biographers Anthony DeCurtis, David Yaffe Headline Syracuse Symposium Feb. 19

(Feb. 11, 2019)

Bestselling authors discuss books on Lou Reed '64, Joni Mitchell and rock journalism, in general

Joni Mitchell Biography Hits All the Right Notes

(Oct. 11, 2018)

Professor David Yaffe continues to rake in awards for 2017 bestseller

Professor Pens 'Swooney Valentine' to Musician Joni Mitchell

(Nov. 27, 2017)

Humanities Prof David Yaffe to Discuss Joni Mitchell Book at Barnes and Noble

Books