Areas of Interest
Film and social justice, postmodernism, pulp science fiction, postcolonialism
Career Goals
To enter the field of academia as an assistant professor, to continue exploring and engaging in creative writing, and to inspire avid young minds to explore and inspect the media they consume; to eventually obtain a tenure-track associate professor position at a community-driven university.
Education
May 2020
M.A. in English, summa cum laude, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Thesis Title: “Scorcese v. Superheroes: A Marxist Reading of Alienation and the Political Unconscious in Blockbuster Superhero Film
Thesis Advisors: Kevin Mahoney, Bob Kilker, Anthony Bleach
May 2016
B.A. in English Education, summa cum laude, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Honors: Perennial Dean’s List Honoree
Professional Experience
2021-Present
Copywriter, TuffWrap Installations, Inc.
2018-2021
Graduate Assistant/Contractor, Kutztown University College of Education
Spring 2018
Teacher of English, Antietam Middle-Senior High School
Courses taught: Literacy, Composition, Literature, Drama
Grades taught: 6-7, 9-11
Presentations and Publications
August 2021
“Is Dissociation a Superpower? Coping Mechanisms in Umbrella Academy”
Accepted to the Pop Culture Association 2020 National Conference in Philadelphia, PA. Presented as part of a panel on Superheroes and Performances of Power. Re-accepted for postponed virtual conference.
May 2021
“Truth, Social Justice, and the American Way: Small Screen Superheroes’ Social Justice Contributions”
DePaul Pop Culture Association Conference in Chicago, IL. (Remote)
Presented as part of a panel on Adaptations and Media.
October 2019
“Erased from History: the “Vanishing Indian” in Contemporary Education”
Michigan College English Association conference at Michigan State University.
Presented as part of a panel on Justice, Stereotypes, and Boundaries
July 2019
“Supercollisions: Spider-Man and Postmodernism”
Conference of Literature and the Moving Image at Macquarie University in Sydney Australia. Part of a panel on Comics and Adaptation with a focus on ideology and theory.
Read the paper or view the slides
April 2018
“Katanas and Revolvers: Iterability in Cinema”
Presented at the Kutztown University Composition Conference.
Panel presented in conjunction with other students focusing on Derridean literary theory and its application to media (cinema or otherwise).
David J. Eltz 