Susanna Ashton, Ph.D.
Author / Scholar / Storyteller
Susanna Ashton is a Professor of English at Clemson University, and her work has been profiled in the New York Times, CNN and many other media outlets across the country. She has authored, edited, or coauthored multiple titles on American literary and cultural history, including Collaborators in Literary America 1870-1920; “I Belong in South Carolina.” South Carolina Slave Narratives; (w/ Tom Lutz) These ‘Colored’ United States: African American Essays from the 1920s; (w/ Rhondda R. Thomas) The South Carolina Roots of African American Thought; (w/Bill Hardwig) Approaches to Teaching Charles W. Chesnutt. In addition to those book projects, she has published in many scholarly journals as well as popular newspapers and public-facing digital media. She has appeared in various media interviews and served as a featured expert in the documentary film, Gina’s Journey: The Search for William Grimes.
Her latest book A Plausible Man was published by The New Press in August 2024 (https://thenewpress.com/books/plausible-man ). A lively and engaging presenter, Susanna Ashton speaks with humor, verve, and thoughtful storytelling for both public and academic events.
