William Slaymaker
World Literature, Philosophy

William Slaymaker grew up in Indiana and Michigan where he received his undergraduate education (Western Michigan, English & German, 1968) and gradute degrees (Indiana Univ., Comparative Literature, Ph.D., 1975). He has taught a wide range of humanistic disciplines from German language and literature to Literary Theory and Philosophy. As a Comparatist he is interested in the intersections of literature and philosophy, and he likes to teach world literature and world philosophy. Most recently, he has been teaching and researching nature and environmental writers.

Slaymaker has published over a dozen articles on literature, literary theory and philosophy. His recent publication in the journal PMLA (Jan., 2001), demonstrates his interests in African literature and "ecocriticism." Much of his interest in Asia and Africa are linked to NEH Institutes he has attended and to his participation in world conferences that focus on cultures and literatures outside the U.S.

Slaymaker has taught in a variety of institutions in Indiana, Michigan and Kentucky prior to coming to Wayne State College in 1989.