Jason Vanfosson

Jason Vanfosson
  • Associate Professor
  • Department: English
  • Institution: West Chester University of Pennsylvania
  • Email: JVANFOSSON@wcupa.edu

Education

  • Ph.D. Western Michigan University
  • M.A. Duquesne University
  • B.A. Fairmont State University

Research Interests

Youth Literatures and CulturesComics StudiesGender and Sexuality StudiesRoad LiteratureWriting for Children and Young AdultsAppalachian StudiesLGBTQIA+ Literatures and Cultures

Opportunities

Work Study Positions Available: No

Grant Funded Positions Available: No

Course-Credit Research Opportunities Available: Yes

I am always seeking ways to include students in my research projects and develop student research skills and projects that align with my expertise. Please email me at jvanfosson@wcupa.edu if you are interested in learning more about how we can collaborate on research and/or creative activity.

Volunteer Research Positions Available: Yes

If you are interested in research or creative activity in the field of youth literatures and cultures generally or specifically with my interest above, I am always happy to find ways to mentor students. Please email me at jvanfosson@wcupa.edu if you are interested in learning more about how we can collaborate or research and/or creative activity.

Biography

Jason Vanfosson received the 2023-24 Wilma Dykeman “Faces of Appalachia” Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship for his work on queer Appalachian youth literature. His research focuses on space and place in queer and trans youth literature and culture, particularly in rural Appalachia. His research has been published or is forthcoming in Beyond the Blockbusters: Themes and Trends in Contemporary Young Adult Fiction, Reading LGBTQ+ Children’s Picture Books, The Routledge Companion to Young Adult Literature, A New American Vein: Critical Essays on Contemporary Appalachian Literature, Research on Diversity in Youth Literature, and Pennsylvania Reads. Vanfosson also writes for children and young adults and conducts creative activity alongside his research. He is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Spalding University where he is at work on several projects that align with his scholarly research activity.

List of Publications

  • Vanfosson, Jason, and Emily Aguiló-Pérez. “Reading Pictures: Diverse Comics and Literacies.” Pennsylvania Reads: Journal of the Keystone State Literacy Association, vol. 21, no. 1, Fall 2022, pp. 26-30.
  • Vanfosson, Jason. (In press) “From Roommates to Spouses: Shifting Representations of Marriage Equality in United States Picturebooks from 1995-2020.” Reading LGBTQ+ Children’s Picture Books. Edited by Jennifer Miller. University Press of Mississippi, 2025.
  • Vanfosson, Jason, and Emily Aguiló-Pérez. “Keep It Short: Anthologies and Collections of Diverse Voices in Youth Literature.” Pennsylvania Reads: Journal of the Keystone State Literacy Association, vol. 20, no. 1, Fall 2021, pp. 11-14
  • Aguiló-Pérez, Emily, and Jason Vanfosson. “Resistance and Activism in Youth Literature: #Own Voices.” Pennsylvania Reads: Journal of the Keystone State Literacy Association, vol. 19, no. 1, Fall 2020, pp. 12-15.
  • Vanfosson, Jason. “New Directions for Old Roads: Rewriting the Young Adult Road Trip Story.” Beyond the Blockbuster: Themes in Trends in Contemporary Young Adult Literature. Edited by Rebekah Fitzsimmons and Casey Wilson. University Press of Mississippi, 2020.

Links