Michael G. Cornelius
Encyclopedia
Professor Michael G. Cornelius is an American scholar, specialising in early British Literature
, and an award-winning author.
, New York. After receiving a bachelor's degree at St. John Fisher College and a master's at Marshall University
, he completed a PhD in medieval literature
at the University of Rhode Island
. Subsequently, Cornelius joined Wilson College
- a liberal arts
women's college in Pennsylvania
- in 2002, where he currently holds the post of Chair of the Department of English and Mass Communications. He is openly
gay
. He now lives in Chambersburg
with his partner, Joe.
's ploughman appeared in the anthology Black Earth, Ivory Tower, and he has completed a manuscript on Edward II.
Although he specializes in early British literature
, he has also taught on the structure of the English language
, Christopher Marlowe
, Robert Burns
, and gay and lesbian literature. He runs a creative writing
course at Wilson College, and was named a Pennsylvania Humanities Council scholar for 2006–2007, specialising in horror cinema.
on the eighth day, told through a number of tales about gay men
, the novel was a finalist at the 2002 Lambda Literary Award
s, and was nominated for both an Independent Press Award and an American Library Association Award.
Two years later, in 2003, he co-authored (with Kate Emburg) the first of the Susan Slutt - Girl Detective novels, a parody
of Nancy Drew
-style works.
In 2007, Cornelius released his third novel - The Ascension - a religious-themed horror story.
He has also published short fiction in various journals, magazines, and anthologies, including Velvet Mafia, The Egg Box, Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine, The Spillway Review, and Encore, as well as in anthologies from Alyson Press and StarPress Books.
British literature
British Literature refers to literature associated with the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. By far the largest part of British literature is written in the English language, but there are bodies of written works in Latin, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Cornish, Manx, Jèrriais,...
, and an award-winning author.
Background
Michael Cornelius was raised in SummerhillSummerhill, New York
Summerhill is a town in Cayuga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,217 at the 2010 census. The current town name is that of a location in Ireland....
, New York. After receiving a bachelor's degree at St. John Fisher College and a master's at Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
, he completed a PhD in medieval literature
Medieval literature
Medieval literature is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe and beyond during the Middle Ages . The literature of this time was composed of religious writings as well as secular works...
at the University of Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
. Subsequently, Cornelius joined Wilson College
Wilson College (Pennsylvania)
Wilson College, founded 1869, is a private, Presbyterian-related, liberal arts women's college located on a campus in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded by two Presbyterian ministers, but named for its first major donor, Sarah Wilson of nearby St. Thomas Township,...
- a liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
women's college in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
- in 2002, where he currently holds the post of Chair of the Department of English and Mass Communications. He is openly
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
. He now lives in Chambersburg
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg is a borough in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley. Chambersburg is the county seat of Franklin County...
with his partner, Joe.
Professor
Cornelius has been published in a number of journals, including Fifteenth-Century Studies, Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Teaching, The Delta Epsilon Sigma Journal, and SCOTIA: A Journal of Scottish Studies. An article he wrote on Geoffrey ChaucerGeoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer , known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey...
's ploughman appeared in the anthology Black Earth, Ivory Tower, and he has completed a manuscript on Edward II.
Although he specializes in early British literature
British literature
British Literature refers to literature associated with the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. By far the largest part of British literature is written in the English language, but there are bodies of written works in Latin, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Cornish, Manx, Jèrriais,...
, he has also taught on the structure of the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe was an English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. As the foremost Elizabethan tragedian, next to William Shakespeare, he is known for his blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his mysterious death.A warrant was issued for Marlowe's arrest on 18 May...
, Robert Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
, and gay and lesbian literature. He runs a creative writing
Creative writing
Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...
course at Wilson College, and was named a Pennsylvania Humanities Council scholar for 2006–2007, specialising in horror cinema.
Writer
In 2001, Cornelius (as "Michael G. Cornelius") published his first novel, Creating Man. A story of God's accidental creation of human emotionsHuman Emotions
Human Emotions is an album released by country musician David Allan Coe. It was released in 1978 on Columbia.-Happy Side:#"Would You Lay with Me " – 2:54#"If This Is Just a Game" – 3:29#"You Can Count on Me" – 2:40...
on the eighth day, told through a number of tales about gay men
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, the novel was a finalist at the 2002 Lambda Literary Award
Lambda Literary Award
Lambda Literary Awards are awarded yearly by the US-based Lambda Literary Foundation to published works which celebrate or explore LGBT themes. Categories include Humor, Romance and Biography. To qualify, a book must have been published in the United States in the year current to the award...
s, and was nominated for both an Independent Press Award and an American Library Association Award.
Two years later, in 2003, he co-authored (with Kate Emburg) the first of the Susan Slutt - Girl Detective novels, a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of Nancy Drew
Nancy Drew
Nancy Drew is a fictional young amateur detective in various mystery series for all ages. She was created by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate book packaging firm. The character first appeared in 1930. The books have been ghostwritten by a number of authors and are published...
-style works.
In 2007, Cornelius released his third novel - The Ascension - a religious-themed horror story.
He has also published short fiction in various journals, magazines, and anthologies, including Velvet Mafia, The Egg Box, Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine, The Spillway Review, and Encore, as well as in anthologies from Alyson Press and StarPress Books.
Works
- Creating Man (Vineyard Press, 2000) ISBN 1930067038
- Susan Slutt - Girl Detective (with Kate Emburg) (Vineyard Press, 2003) ISBN 1930067305
- The Ascension: A Novel (Breakneck Books, 2007) ISBN 097865515X