Philip F. Gura
Encyclopedia
Philip F. Gura is an American
scholar, writer, editor, and educator. He currently serves as William S. Newman
Distinguished Professor of American Literature and Culture at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
, where he holds appointments in the Departments of English and Comparative Literature, Religious Studies, and American Studies.
Gura was born in Ware, Massachusetts
. A graduate of Phillips Academy
(1968), he received his A.B.
, magna cum laude, in History and Literature in 1972 from Harvard College
, and his Ph.D.
, in the History of American Civilization in 1977, from Harvard University
, where he lived in Lowell House
.
He is the author or editor of nine books, including The Wisdom of Words: Language, Theology, and Literature in the New England Renaissance (1981), A Glimpse of Sion's Glory: Puritan Radicalism in New England, 1620-1660 (1984), the prize-winning America's Instrument: The Banjo in the 19th Century (1999), Buried from the World: Inside the Massachusetts State Prison, 1829–1831 (2001), C. F. Martin and His Guitars, 1796-1873 (2003), Jonathan Edwards: America’s Evangelical (2005), and American Transcendentalism: A History (2007), which was a National Book Critics Circle Award
finalist in non-fiction. Some of his essays, which number over fifty, have been collected in The Crossroads of American History and Literature (1996). He also serves as an editor for the Norton Anthology of American Literature.
Gura is an elected member of the American Antiquarian Society
, the Massachusetts Historical Society
, the Colonial Society of Massachusetts
, and the Society of American Historians. In 2008, the Division on American Literature to 1800 of the Modern Language Association
honored him with its Distinguished Scholar award.
He plays the clawhammer banjo in a traditional Appalachian style, known as "old-time."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
scholar, writer, editor, and educator. He currently serves as William S. Newman
William S. Newman
William Stein Newman was an American musicologist.He was born in Cleveland, Ohio. From 1945 he taught at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill...
Distinguished Professor of American Literature and Culture at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, where he holds appointments in the Departments of English and Comparative Literature, Religious Studies, and American Studies.
Gura was born in Ware, Massachusetts
Ware, Massachusetts
Ware is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,707 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Ware....
. A graduate of Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
(1968), he received his A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, magna cum laude, in History and Literature in 1972 from Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
, and his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
, in the History of American Civilization in 1977, from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, where he lived in Lowell House
Lowell House
Lowell House is one of the twelve undergraduate residential houses within Harvard College, located on Holyoke Place facing Mount Auburn Street between the Harvard Yard and the Charles River...
.
He is the author or editor of nine books, including The Wisdom of Words: Language, Theology, and Literature in the New England Renaissance (1981), A Glimpse of Sion's Glory: Puritan Radicalism in New England, 1620-1660 (1984), the prize-winning America's Instrument: The Banjo in the 19th Century (1999), Buried from the World: Inside the Massachusetts State Prison, 1829–1831 (2001), C. F. Martin and His Guitars, 1796-1873 (2003), Jonathan Edwards: America’s Evangelical (2005), and American Transcendentalism: A History (2007), which was a National Book Critics Circle Award
National Book Critics Circle Award
The National Book Critics Circle Award is an annual award given by the National Book Critics Circle to promote the finest books and reviews published in English....
finalist in non-fiction. Some of his essays, which number over fifty, have been collected in The Crossroads of American History and Literature (1996). He also serves as an editor for the Norton Anthology of American Literature.
Gura is an elected member of the American Antiquarian Society
American Antiquarian Society
The American Antiquarian Society , located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and national research library of pre-twentieth century American History and culture. Its main building, known also as Antiquarian Hall, is a U.S. National Historic Landmark...
, the Massachusetts Historical Society
Massachusetts Historical Society
The Massachusetts Historical Society is a major historical archive specializing in early American, Massachusetts, and New England history...
, the Colonial Society of Massachusetts
Colonial Society of Massachusetts
The Colonial Society of Massachusetts is a US non-profit educational foundation, founded in 1892, and established for the study of the history of Massachusetts. The period of study is from its settlement through the early nineteenth century. It is a member of the New England Regional Fellowship...
, and the Society of American Historians. In 2008, the Division on American Literature to 1800 of the Modern Language Association
Modern Language Association
The Modern Language Association of America is the principal professional association in the United States for scholars of language and literature...
honored him with its Distinguished Scholar award.
He plays the clawhammer banjo in a traditional Appalachian style, known as "old-time."
Selected work
- American Transcendentalism: A History (2007).
- Jonathan Edwards: America's Evangelical (2005).
- C.F. Martin and His Guitars, 1796-1873 (2003).
- Buried from the World: Inside the Massachusetts State Prison, 1829–1831, The Memorandum Books of the Rev. Jared Curtis (2001).
- America's Instrument: The Banjo in the Nineteenth Century (1999).
- The Crossroads of American History and Literature (1996).
- Memoirs of Stephen Burroughs (1988).
- A Glimpse of Sion's Glory: Puritan Radicalism in New England, 1620-1660 (1984).
- Critical Essays on American Transcendentalism (1982).
- The Wisdom of Words: Language, Theology, and Literature in the New England Renaissance (1981).