CV | Sol J Brager Comics

EDUCATION

Ph.D (2018), Women’s and Gender Studies, Rutgers University—New Brunswick.

Dissertation: Bodies of Evidence: The Image, The Flesh, and the Crisis of the Human

Committee: Judith Gerson (Chair); Sylvia Chan-Malik; Ethel Brooks; Tina Campt

Graduate Fellow, Rutgers Center for Historical Analysis; Women’s & Gender Studies Graduate Association President; Excellence Fellowship for Graduate Studies

B.A. (2010), American Studies; Certificate in LGBT Studies, University of Maryland—College Park

Cum Laude; Omikron Delta Kappa; Lorde-O’Leary Award (for advancement of the LGBT student community); Maryland Medallion Society; Pride Alliance President; Terpoets President; Jimenez-Porter Writers’ House Creative Writing Notation

RESIDENCIES AND AWARDS

Jerome Hill Artist Fellow, 2023-2025
Graphic Narrative Resident, Tin House, Fall 2021

PUBLICATIONS

Comics

2021. “When Settler Becomes Native.” Jewish Currents.

2020. "Material Relations." World War III Illustrated.

2020. "Whose Streets?" The Nib.

2020. "Heavyweight." Jewish Currents.

2020. "What We Do In A Crisis." The Nib.

2019. "Livejournal Made Me Gay." The Nib.

2019. "Not Forever Just Right Now." Self-published.

2017-2019. “My Gender is Saturn Return.” Guts Magazine.

2016. “Exo.” Apiary Magazine 8 (Soft Targets Issue).

2015. "String of Pearls." Self-published.

2014. “The Man Who Married a She-Demon.” In Steven M. Bergson (Ed.), Jewish Comix Anthology. Toronto: Alternate History Comics.

2014. "Untitled." Not in Our Name: Against U.S. Aid to the Massacre in Gaza. Sangría Editora.

2013. "The Furies." Self-published.

2012. “Sketches of a Self-Portrait: After Mark Aguhar.” Black Warrior Review 39(1 Fall/Winter), 73-74.

2012. “Post-College Flowcharts” and other comics. In Malcolm Harris with Neal Gorenflo (Eds.) Share or Die: Voices of the Get Lost Generation in the Age of Crisis. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers.

Peer-Reviewed Articles & Book Chapters

2020. “The Trophy and The Appeal: Colonial Photography and the Ghosts of Witnessing in German Southwest Africa.” Refract: An Open Access Visual Studies Journal.

2017. “On the Ethics of Looking.” In Adi Kuntsman (Ed.), Selfie Citizenship (161-63) . New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

2015. “The Selfie and the Other: Consuming Viral Tragedy and Social Media (After)lives.” International Journal of Communication, 9, 1660-1671.

2015. “Unknown Woman: The Visual Politics of Looking Back.” The Holocaust in History and Memory, 7, 153-168.

2011. “Archiving the Underground.” In Lyz Bly and Kelly Wooten (Eds.) Make Your Own History: Documenting Feminist and Queer Activism in the 21st Century. Sacramento: Litwin Books. 45-55.

Public Scholarship and Critique

2022. "States of Mind: Toward an Alternative Future for Jewish Art." Art Forum.

2022. "The Beloved Defiles The Hands." Jewish Currents.

2020. "Everybody Dance Now (With VS)." Pinko Magazine #2

2017. “One or Many Directions.” The New Inquiry (Bad Faith Issue).

2017. “Interview with the Metropolarity Collective.” Mask Magazine (The Material Issue).

2015. “Bodies of Water.” The New Inquiry, 40 (Trash Issue).

2014. “Selfie Control.” The New Inquiry, 26 (Consent Issue).

2013. “World of Weathercraft." Co-authored with Bailey Kier. The New Inquiry, 12 (Weather Issue).

Book Reviews

2019. “A Utopian Space Within the Dystopian World: On Tina Horn and Michael Dowling’s “SFSX.” The Los Angeles Review of Books.

2017. “See Hear: A Review of Listening to Images by Tina M. Campt.” The New Inquiry.

2015. “Our Boys Gone Wild: A Review of Visual Occupations: Violence and Visibility in a Conflict Zone by Gil Z. Hochberg and Digital Militarism: Israel’s Occupation in the Social Media Age by Adi Kuntsman and Rebecca L. Stein.” The New Inquiry.

2014. “Seeing Things: A Review of At the Edge of Sight: Photography and the Unseen by Shawn Michelle Smith.” The New Inquiry.

2014. “Whatta Mensch! A Review of Mendoza the Jew: Boxing, Manliness & Nationalism.” The Los Angeles Review of Books.

2012. “Back in the Fold: On ‘A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel.’” The Los Angeles Review of Books.

2012. “Yids: A Review of Unterzakhn by Leela Corman.” The New Inquiry.

2011. “Epic Fail: A Review of The Queer Art of Failure by Judith Halberstam.” The New Inquiry.

2011. “Bad Mothers: On the Casey Anthony Trial and Ruby C. Tapia’s American Pietàs: Visions of Race, Death, and the Maternal.” The New Inquiry.

2011. “Postmodern Prometheus, On The Hidden by Richard Sala.” The Los Angeles Review of Books.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL LIST OF HIGHER ED COURSES TAUGHT

Northwestern University, Evanston, IL | Spring 2020, Fall 2020

Scholar-in-Residence

Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ/ Newark, NJ | August 2012-August 2018, August 2020-Present

Course Director, "Knowledge & Power" (2021-2022); Instructor of Record, Women’s & Gender Studies (New Brunswick and Newark), History & Rutgers Writing Program

Develop syllabi and teach intersectional gender studies classes including “Gender, Race & Visual Media”; “Feminist Practices”; “The Gendered Body: Horror and the Grotesque”; “Gender & Science”; “Feminist Theory: Historical Perspectives”; “Introduction to Women, Culture & Society”
Plan, develop, implement, and assess intersectional, interdisciplinary curricula with an emphasis on skills and content based learning in the arts & humanities using critical and justice-based approaches
Facilitate classroom discussion, hands-on activities, and in and out-of-class writing assignments towards development of student college-level writing, critical thinking and analysis skills
Mentor instructors through the development of departmental pedagogy guidelines, formal and informal feedback and resource sharing
2016 Research Assistant to Dr. Arlene Stein, Department of Sociology

Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, NY | August 2018-January 2020

History Teacher

Develop syllabi and co-teach 10th grade interdisciplinary “Humanities” and “U.S. History Survey” with an emphasis on intersectional, interdisciplinary approaches and content
Develop syllabi and teacher upper school history electives including “The Civil War”; “World at War”; “Current Events”
Develop new courses including “Graphic History,” “Reconstruction, Removal and Revolt,” “Indigenous Studies” and “Queer(ing) History)
Curricular development with an emphasis on anti-bias and de-centering whiteness [Decolonizing American History 2019 Fieldston Venture Grant recipient]
Plan and facilitate classroom activities and assignments towards student understanding of historical methods, historical analyses, written and verbal communication of historical interpretation and research
Advise upper school queer and trans student groups as well as an 11th grade advisory group
Develop lesson plans for and teach 7th grade sex education

Ithaca College in New York City (ICNYC), New York, NY | September 2018-May 2019

Instructor of Record, Media Studies

University of Maryland, College Park, MD | August 2010-August 2012

Community Service-Learning Coordinator; Community Partnerships Project Coordinator

Coordinated student service learning activities, events, and placements for undergraduate students at the University of Maryland, College Park
Developed programs to promote student service-learning with an emphasis on social justice
Facilitated town-gown partnerships with an emphasis on K-12 public schools in Prince George’s County, Maryland
Acted as a liaison to community groups and stakeholders in a diverse community

Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, Easton, PA | June-July 2010

Teaching Assistant – The Graphic Novel

Collaborated with lead instructor to teach gifted and talented middle school students close reading, graphic literacy, and academic writing skills in a college environment during the summer
Planned and implemented skills-based lessons culminating in the publication of student graphic zines

University of Maryland, College Park, MD | August 2006-June 2010

Assistant—Office of Multicultural Involvement & Community Advocacy

Led anti-bias trainings for students and university community members with an emphasis on gender and sexuality
Developed and managed LGBTQIA student programming including event planning and budget administration
Coordinated small group meetings for students in the LGBTQIA community on campus
Supported coordinators in providing student organizations with advising and resources
Assisted in developing materials to bring an awareness of diversity and intersectionality to campus

OTHER RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Artist in Residence | Hacking Hustling, 2020
Host & Founder, In the Gutter Comics Reading Series, Bluestockings Bookstore NYC | 2020-Present
Editorial Board/Founding Member, Pinko Magazine | 2019-Present
Sole proprietor, J Brager Art (Freelance illustration and design) | 2010-Present
Editor, Slow Holler Tarot | 2016
Department representative, AAUP & AFT, Rutgers TA/GA unit | 2013-2014
Organizer & Founder, Washington D.C. Zinefest | 2011 & 2012
Intern, National Center for Transgender Equality | 2007

INVITED TALKS AND WORKSHOPS

2020. "Imagining Transgender Cultural Production as Revolt" Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.

2020. "Rise Up, Re(f)use, Repurpose" Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York

2020. "Meaningful Stuff: Writing Flash Fiction Comics with Sentimental Objects", Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn, New York

2019. "Finding Your Voice Through Zines!" Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York

2019. "Queer Zines!" Gender and Sexuality Alliance Summit, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York

2017. “Create Your Family’s Graphic Novel” in Conjunction with the Stories from Oświęcim installation at the Auschwitz Jewish Center, Museum of Jewish Heritage, New York

2015. “The Selfie and the Other: Reading Viral Images in the War on Terror” PHOTOBOMB, Humanities in Public, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, England

2013. “In the gutter: a super-quick intro to writing and drawing comics” Chicago Zinefest, Chicago

2011. “The Past, Present, and Potential of Queer Zines” Red Emma’s Bookstore, Baltimore, MD

PODCAST APPEARANCES

2020. "Why Are People Into Fascism" Why Are People Into That?!

2019. "Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975)" Girls, Guts, Giallo.

REFEREED CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

2019. “Parallactic Witnessing: The Dana Schutz Spectacle and Emmett Till’s Martyred Body” Accepted at the Organization of American Historians Annual Meeting, Philadelphia

2018. “Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones: Returning the Body, the Bones and the Meat,” American Studies Association Annual Conference, Atlanta

2016. “Shore Selfies and Migrant Hoaxes: Visual Media Panics in Europe's Refugee Crisis,” Cultural Studies Association Annual Conference, Philadelphia

2015. “#me #in #auschwitz: Holocaust Remembrance Selfies and the Performative Politics of Sadness,” American Studies Association Annual Conference, Toronto

2014. “The Heavyweight Champion and A String of Pearls: Postmemory, Family Archives and Historical Fictioning,” Association for Jewish Studies Annual Conference, Baltimore

2014. “Archival Time Machine: Queer Cultural Production and Ephemeral Worlding,” American Studies Association Annual Conference, Los Angeles

2014. “#me #in #Auschwitz: The Embodied Technics of the Selfie at Sites of Trauma,” Gender, Bodies, and Technology Conference, Blacksburg, VA

2014. “#We_are_not_numbers: The Selfie and Viral Networks in Post-Scarcity Media Culture,” Global Contagions Conference: Narrative, Ethics, and Illness, New Brunswick

2013. “Visceral Possession and Queer Haunting in ‘The Dybbuk’,” National Women’s Studies Association Annual Conference, Cincinnati

2012. “Bridging Campus and Community,” (co-presenter Gloria Aparicio Blackwell), International Town-Gown Association Annual Conference, Richmond, KY

2010. “I Can Do That!: Imagining Community and Affection in Queer Perzine Production and Trade,” Chesapeake American Studies Association Annual Conference: New American Spaces, Washington, DC

2010. “La Femme à Barbe: Facial Hair, Sideshow, and Performance of the Grotesque Female Spectacle,” Lavender Languages & Linguistics Conference XVII, Washington, DC

Solomon JB Brager

CC