G. Christopher Williams

Associate Professor of English          

Department of English

University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point

cwilliam@uwsp.edu

 

Education

 

PhD                                         Northern Illinois University, DeKalb; Twentieth Century

                                                American and Twentieth Century British Literature.   Dissertation: “Little Gods: Claiming Worlds in Postmodern Literature, Film, and Online Gaming.”

 

M.A.                                        Northern Illinois University, DeKalb; English Literature.

 

B.A.                                        Metropolitan State College of Denver, Denver; English

Literature.  Thesis: “Inheritance of Blood: Pauline Theology in Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood.”

 

Teaching Experience

 

1.         University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point; Department of English

           

            Assistant Professor of English                        2002-present

 

2.         Northern Illinois University, DeKalb; Department of English

1997-2002

 

A) Teaching Assistant                                     1997-2002

B) Research Assistant                                     1998

 

3.         Kishwaukee College, Malta, Illinois; Department of Humanities

 

Instructor                                                        1998-1999, 2002

 

Courses Taught

 

Undergraduate Courses Taught

 

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

ENGL 399                  The Metafiction of Kurt Vonnegut

ENGL 399                  Metaphysics in New Media & Art

ENGL 399                  30 Days in Thailand (Photo/Writing Project)

ENGL 385                  Major Authors: James Joyce

ENGL 385                  Major Authors: Twain & Howells

ENGL 385                  Major: Authors: Twain & Crane

ENGL 383                  The Beauty of Violence: Violence in Literature and Film

ENGL 378                  Contemporary Fiction

ENGL 320                  American Realism & Naturalism

ENGL 314                  Modern Poetry

ENGL 310                  The Modern Short Story

ENGL 283                  Mythology in Literature

ENGL 214                  American Literature (Twain to present)

ENGL 213                  American Literature (Emerson to Twain)

ENGL 200                  Introduction to the Study of Literature

ENGL 150                  Advanced Freshman English

ENGL 106                  Reading Fiction         

ENGL 102                  Freshman English

ENGL 101                  Freshman English

 

Northern Illinois University

ENGL 116                  Masterpieces of American Literature

ENGL 110                  Experiences of Fiction

ENGL 105                  Rhetoric and Composition (Advanced)

ENGL 104                  Composition and Research

ENGL 103                  Rhetoric and Composition

 

Kishwaukee College

ENGL 104                  Literature and Composition

ENGL 098                  Developmental Reading

           

Graduate Courses Taught

 

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

 

ENGL 583                  The Beauty of Violence: Violence in Literature and Film

ENGL 578                  Contemporary Fiction

ENGL 520                  American Realism & Naturalism

ENGL 514                  Modern Poetry

ENGL 510                  The Modern Short Story

 

Publications

 

“Birthing an Undead Family: Reification of the Mother’s Role in the Gothic Landscape of 28 Days Later.”  Gothic Studies 9.2 (2007): 33-44.

 

“The Death of Jean Baudrillard Did Not Take Place.”  International Journal of Baudrillard Studies 4.3 (2007).   http://www.ubishops.ca/BaudrillardStudies/vol4_3/v4-3-article78-wlliams.html

 

“Pimp and Whore: The Necessity of Perverse Domestication in the Development of the West.”  Reading Deadwood: A Western to Swear By.  Ed. David Lavery.  I.B. Tauris, 2006.

 

“little gods and little heroes: Hyperreal Ethics in god games and Online Gaming.”  Reconstruction 6.1 (2005): http://reconstruction.eserver.org/061/williams.shtml

 

“The Beauty of Violence?: The Transubstantial and Charismatic Semiotics of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ.”  Passionate Dialogues: Critical Perspectives on Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ.  Mise, 2005.  95-105.

 

“Alain Robbe-Grillet’s Parody of Modernist Aesthetics Through the Kinetics of Violence.”  Atenea 24.1 (2004): 95-103.

 

            "Losing Himself in the Music: Will the Real Marshall Mathers Please Stand Up?" 

Popular Culture Review 15.1 (2004): 79-89.

 

            “Factualizing the Tattoo: Actualizing Personal History through Memory in

Christopher Nolan’s Memento.”  Post Script 23.1 (2003): 27-36.

 

“Mastering the Real: Trinity as the ‘Real’ Hero of The Matrix.” Film Criticism 27.3 (2003): 2-17.

 

Publications (forthcoming)

 

“Veronica Mars and the Case of the Displaced Detective.”  Untitled collection on Veronica Mars.  Ed. Rhonda Wilcox and Sue Turnbull.  Publisher TBA.  To be published in 2008 or 2009.

 

“Nihilism and Buddhism in a Blender: The Religion of Chuck Palahniuk.”  Beyond Fight Club.  Ed. Cynthia Kuhn and Lance Rubin.  Publisher TBA.  To be published in 2009.

 

Publications (under submission)

 

Reading Video Games: Towards an Ergodic Theory of Video Game Aesthetics and Narratology.  (under submission at Oford UP)

 

Feature Essays

 

“Wizards & Words: An Interview with Patrick Rothfuss.” PopMatters.com.  5 June  2008.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/55119/wizards-words-an-interview-with-patrick-rothfuss/

 

“Painfully Masculine: An Interview with Benjamin Percy.”  PopMatters.com.  24 April 2008.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/55833/painfully-masculine-an-interview-with-benjamin-percy/

 

 

“Super Columbine Massacre RPG!: Can a Historic Event Be Examined Seriously By a Video Game?.”  PopMatters.com.  20 September 2007.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/features/article/48398/super-columbine-massacre-rpg-can-a-historic-event-be-examined-seriously-by/

 

“The Death of Jean Baudrillard Did Not Take Place.”  PopMatters.com.  30 March 2007.  http://www.PopMatters.com/pm/features/article/32197/the-death-of-jean-baudrillard-did-not-take-place/

 

“My Favorite Things: Sid Meier’s Pirates!, or Pirating the Gangstahs: Why the Phrase ‘Yo Ho’ May Be Less Offensive Than You Think.”  popmatters.com.  21 July 2006.  http://www.popmatters.com/features/mft/pirates-060721.shtml

 

Essay Reviews

 

“Authentic, Kinetic, and Frenetic (Order Up!).”  PopMatters.com.  August 2008.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/62532/order-up/

 

“Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Conspiracy.”  PopMatters.com.  August 2008.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/61868/robert-ludlums-the-bourne-conspiracy/

 

 “Battlefield: Bad Company.”  PopMatters.com.  August 2008.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/61598/battlefield-bad-company/

 

“Battle of the Bands.”  PopMatters.com.  June 2008.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/58559/battle-of-the-bands/

 

“The Pursuit of Happiness (Grand Theft Auto IV).”  PopMatters.com.  May 2008.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/59070/grand-theft-auto-iv/

 

“Obscure: The Aftermath.”  PopMatters.com.  May 2008.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/58294/obscure-the-aftermath/

 

“Unevenly Odd (NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams).”  PopMatters.com.  April 2008.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/56962/nights-journey-of-dreams/

 

“Portrait of the Thug As a Young Man Redux (Bully: Scholarship Edition).”  PopMatters.com. April 2008.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/56712/bully-scholarship-edition/

 

“All This Useless Beauty (Devil May Cry 4).”  PopMatters.com.  March 2008.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/55988/devil-may-cry-4/

 

“Turok.”  PopMatters.com.  March 2008.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/55334/turok/

 

“Kinetic Kitsch (Endless Ocean).”  PopMatters.com.  February 2008.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/54036/endless-ocean/

 

“Morally Ambiguous, Ambiguously Dull (Soulcalibur Legends).”  PopMatters.com.  January 2008.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/52455/soulcalibur-legends/

 

“I n the Simulation Nothing Is True, and Everything is Permitted (Assassin’s Creed).”  PopMatters.com.  January 2008.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/52455/soulcalibur-legends/

 

“Dressing the Barbarian (Conan).”  PopMatters.com.  November 2008.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/50803/conan/

 

“With Great Power Comes Great Apologies (Spider-Man: Friend or Foe).”  PopMatters.com.  November 2007.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/multimedia/reviews/50502/spider-man-friend-or-foe/

 

“Stranglehold.”  PopMatters.com.  October 2007.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/multimedia/reviews/49336/stranglehold/

 

“Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80).”  PopMatters.com.  September 2007.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/multimedia/reviews/48148/guitar-hero-encore-rocks-the-80s/

 

“Fascist Ninjas and Other Sneaky Things (Tenchu Z).”  PopMatters.com.  August 2007.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/multimedia/reviews/46407/tenchu-z/

 

 “The Poetry of Motion Lost in Translation (Tomb Raider: Anniversary).”  PopMatters.com.  July 2007.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/multimedia/reviews/43378/tomb-raider-anniversary1/

 

“As Real As It Gets? (Made Man: Confessions of the Family Blood).”  PopMatters.com. May 2007.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/multimedia/reviews/39181/made-man/

 

“Nice Grills, But They Could Use Some Teeth (Def Jam Icon).”  PopMatters.com.  April 2007.  http://www.PopMatters.com/pm/multimedia/reviews/32577/def-jam-icon/

 

“Hell’s Angel: Image Over Substance (Ghost Rider).”  PopMatters.com.  March 2007.  http://www.PopMatters.com/pm/multimedia/reviews/32381/ghost-rider/

“Hitting the Punch Line Over and Over Again (Sam & Max: Episodes 1-3).”  PopMatters.com.  March 2007.  http://www.PopMatters.com/pm/multimedia/reviews/31978/sam-max-season-1-episode-1/

 

“More Saintly Than Stained (Saint’s Row).”  PopMatters.com.  February 2007.  http://www.PopMatters.com/pm/multimedia/reviews/10553/saints-row/

 

“Relationships are Hard Work, or Earning Your Eye Candy (Dead or Alive Xtreme 2).”  PopMatters.com.  January 2007.  http://www.PopMatters.com/pm/multimedia/reviews/10320/dead-or-alive-xtreme-2/

 

“Watching the Show (The Sopranos: Road to Respect).”  popmatters.com.  December 2006.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/multimedia/reviews/8140/the-sopranos/

 

“Portrait of the Thug As a Young Man (Bully).”  popmatters.com.  November 2006.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/multimedia/reviews/7331/bully/

 

“Art Imitates Art Imitates Art… (Scarface: The World Is Yours).”  popmatters.com.  October 2006.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/multimedia/reviews/6893/scarface/

 

“Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy.”  popmatters.com.  October 2006.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/multimedia/reviews/6411/lego-star-wars-ii-the-original-trilogy/

 

“The Movies: Stunts and Effects Expansion Pack.”  popmatters.com.  August 2006.  http://www.popmatters.com/pm/multimedia/reviews/the-movies

 

“Tomb Raider: Legend.”  popmatters.com.  July 2006.  http://www.popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/t/tomb-raider-legend2.shtml

 

“Massively Multiplayer Pong.”  popmatters.com.  July 2006.  http://www.popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/m/massively-multiplayer-pong.shtml

 

“Organizing Crime (The Godfather).”  popmatters.com.  May 2006.  http://www.popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/g/godfather-2006.shtml

 

“The Art of Nostalgia (Kingdom Hearts II).”  popmatters.com.  May 2006.  http://www.popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/k/kingdom-hearts-2-2.shtml

 

“Organizing Crime (Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure).”  popmatters.com.  March 2006.  http://www.popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/m/marc-eckos-getting-up.shtml

 

“Star Treatment (The Movies).”  popmatters.com.  February 2006.  http://www.popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/m/movies-2005.shtml

 

“Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing (City of Villians).”  popmatters.com.  February 2006.  http://www.popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/c/city-of-villains-pc.shtml

 

“Claustrophobia (Fantastic 4).”  popmatters.com.  November 2005.  http://www.popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/f/fantastic-4-2005.shtml

 

“Whatever Happened to the Good Outlaws? (Outlaw Volleball Remix)”  popmatters.com.  August 2005.  http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/o/outlaw-volleyball-remixed.shtml

 

“Underdeveloped (Advent Rising).”  popmatters.com.  July 2005.  http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/a/advent-rising.shtml

 

            “Alienating Humanity (Destroy All Humans!).”  popmatters.com.  July 2005.

            http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/d/destroy-all-humans.shtml

 

“Very Pretty Violence (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas).”  popmatters.com.  July 2005.  http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/g/grand-theft-auto-san-andreas.shtml

 

“These Are The Legos You’re Looking For (Star Wars Legos: The Video Game).”  popmatters.com.  June 2005.  http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/l/lego-star-wars.shtml

 

“Beautiful Evolution, Ugly Gaming (Capcom Fighting Evolution).”  popmatters.com.  April 2005.  http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/c/capcom-fighting-evolution.shtml

 

“Simcom (The Strangerhood)”  popmatters.com.  March 2005.  http://www.popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/s/strangerhood.shtml

 

            “Simming the Sexual Revolution (Playboy: The Mansion)”  popmatters.com. 

February 2005.  http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/p/playboy-the-mansion.shtml

 

“The Mother of War, or Is That a Snake in Your Pocket... Mom? (Metal Gear Solid 3)”  popmatters.com.  January 2005.  http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/m/metal-gear-solid-3.shtml

 

“Coinage & Cleavage (The Bard’s Tale)”  popmatters.com.  December 2004.  http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/b/bards-tale.shtml

 

“Army of One (Bush Shoot-Out!)”  popmatters.com.  November 2004.  http://www.popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/b/bush-shoot-out.shtml

 

“Band of Thieves (Sly 2)”  popmatters.com.  October 2004.  http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/s/sly-2-band-of-thieves.shtml

 

“All is Not Well in Eden. (Zoo Tycoon 2)”  popmatters.com.  October 2004.   http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/z/zoo-tycoon-2.shtml

 

“With Great Power Comes a Great Deal of Boredom (Spider-Man 2).”  popmatters.com.  September 2004.  http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/s/spider-man-2.shtml

 

“Restraining Order (True Crime: Streets of LA).”  popmatters.com.  August 2004. http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/t/true-crime-pc.shtml

 

“Gratuitous Thrills (Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy).  popmatters.com.  July 2004. http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/p/psi-ops.shtml

 

“Playing Out an American Mythology and the Dream of Wearing Tights (City of Heroes).”  popmatters.com.  June 2004.  http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/c/city-of-heroes.shtml

 

“Restraining Order (Mafia).”  popmatters.com.  June 2004.  http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/m/mafia.shtml

 

            “Gold Rush (Champions of Norrath: Realms of Everquest).”  popmatters.com. 

February 2004.  http://www.popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/c/champions-of-norrath-realms.shtml

 

“ru@newbie (Project .hack).”  popmatters.com.  February 2004.  http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/p/project-hack.shtml

 

            “Target: Osama (Fugitive Hunter: War on Terror)”  popmatters.com. 

January 2004.  http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/f/fugitive-hunter.shtml

 

            “Feminity vs. Power (Final Fantasy X-2)”  popmatters.com.  January 2004. 

http://popmatters.com/multimedia/reviews/f/final-fantasy-x-2.shtml

 

Conference Papers Delivered & Other Presentations

 

“Reading Video Games: Towards a Theory of Ergodic Characterization.”  Sigma Tau Delta Symposium   University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point.  20 November 2006.

 

“The Beauty of Violence?: The Transubstantial Semiotic of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ.”  Midwestern Conference on Film, Language, and Literature.   Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL.  May 2004.

 

"Being the Sons of Submission: Playing an Obedience to Authority in Metal Gear Solid 2."  (with UWSP graduate Christopher Harwood--the paper we prepared in ENGL 399 in Fall 2003).  Midwest Popular Culture Association.  Minneapolis, MN.  October 2003.

 

"Losing Himself in the Music: Will the Real Marshall Mathers Please Stand Up?"  Midwest Popular Culture Association.  Minneapolis, MN.  October 2003.

 

“It was forced maybe but still… humanistic”: The Neoromanticism that Directs Mulholland Drive.”  Midwestern Conference on Film, Language, and Literature.   Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL.  April 2003.

 

“god games: Hyperreal Ethics?”  Midwestern Conference on Film, Language, and Literature.  Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL.  April 2002.

 

            “Hypersuicide: The Death of an Avatar.”  Midwestern Conference on Film,

Language, and Literature.  Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL.  March 2001.

 

“An Electronic Edition of The Writings of Henry D. Thoreau.”  Illinois Library Association.  Chicago, IL.  April 2000.

 

“The Primacy of Epistemology in the Construction of India in Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children.”  Midwestern Conference on Film, Language, and Literature.  Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL.  March 2000.

 

“The Development of the Hero in John Updike’s ‘A&P.’”  Midwestern Conference on Film, Language, and Literature.  Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL.  March 1999.

 

“Re-Visioning in Flannery O’Connor’s ‘The Geranium’ and ‘Judgement Day.’” 6th Annual Graduate Conference at Northern Illinois University.  Dekalb, IL.  March 1998.

 

Electronic Publications

 

The UWSP Journal: A Refereed Publication of Student Achievement.  http://www.uwsp.edu/grantsup/StudentResearch/.  September 2004.

 

Issues in Writing.  http://www.uwsp.edu/english/iw/.  October 2003.

 

Department of English at University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point home page.  http://www.uwsp.edu/english/.  September 2003.

 

Midwestern Conference on Film, Language, and Literature.  http://www.engl.niu.edu/mcfll.  March 2001.

 

The Writings of Henry D. Thoreau at the Thoreau Edition.  http://www.engl.niu.edu/thoreau.  December 2000

 

Midwestern Conference on Film, Language, and Literature.   http://www.engl.niu.edu/mcfll.  March  2000.

 

Style.  http://www.engl.niu.edu/style.  May 1999.

 

Midwestern Conference on Film, Language, and Literature. (co-authored with Sarah Quirk).   http://www.engl.niu.edu/mcfll.  March 1999.

 

Writing Across the Curriculum at Northern Illinois University.  http://www.engl.niu.edu/wac/wac.html. May 1998.

 

Student Research Mentorship

 

Herndon, Michael.  “Destruction as Creation in Graham Greene’s ‘The Destructors’”

7th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.  Stevens Point, WI.  29 April 2006.

 

Kuhl, Patrick.  “The Progress of Artificial Intelligence: Why the Development of AI Will Never Meet or Exceed Levels Seen in Fictional Works.”  5th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.  Stevens Point, WI.  24 April 2004.

 

Meunier, Melissa.  “Mainstreaming in Public Schools.”  5th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.  Stevens Point, WI.  24 April 2004.

 

Harwood, Christopher.  "Being the Sons of Submission: Playing an Obedience to Authority in Metal Gear Solid 2."   Midwest Popular Culture Association.  Minneapolis, MN.  October 2003.

 

Service, Community, and Organizational Affiliations

 

  • Faculty Advisor, University Writers (2008-present)
  • Committee Member, Department of English Travel Committee (2007-present)
  • L&S Awards Committee (2007)
  • Publishing Editor, Issues in Writing (2006-present)
  • Editor-in-Chief and Webmaster, The UWSP Journal: A Refereed Publication of Student Achievement (2004-present)
  • Webmaster, Department of English (2003-present)
  • Webmaster, Issues in Writing (2003-present)
  • Chair, Department of English Travel Committee (2003-2004)
  • Committee Member, Department of English Ad Hoc Fund Raising Committee (2003-2006)
  • Technology Committee, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (2004-2005)
  • Academic Advisor (2003-present)
  • Tutor for college age students at Woodlands Evangelical Church (2002-present)
  • Multimedia Review Essayist, popmatters.com (2003-present)
  • Vice President of English Graduate Student Association at Northern Illinois University, 2001-2002
  • Committee Member for Midwestern Conference on Film, Language, and Literature, 1999-2002
  • Webmaster, Midwestern Conference on Film, Language, and Literature, 1999-2002
  • Webmaster, Style, 1999-2000
  • Member of Sigma Tau Delta, 1994-present

 

 

Awards and Other Honors

 

·         Best of popmatters.com Editor’s Pick, 2004, http://www.popmatters.com/features/pm-at-5/index-multimedia.shtml

·         Distinguished Designation on PhD Preliminary Examination on American Literature from 1865-Present, Northern Illinois University, 2001

·         PhD Preliminary Examination on Twentieth Century British Literature, Northern Illinois University, 2001

·         Distinguished Designation on M.A. Comprehensive Examination, Northern Illinois University, 1999

  • Best Web Site Design for an Organization, Midwestern Conference on Film, Language, and Literature, Northern Illinois University, 1999

·         Summa Cum Laude, Metropolitan College of Denver, 1996

  • Senior Honors Designation, Metropolitan College of Denver, 1996

·         Valedictorian, Horizon High School, Broomfield, CO, 1992

 

Web Editing & Other Editing and Technology Related Work Experience

 

1.         Northern Illinois University, DeKalb; Department of English

1997-2002

 

A) Network Resources Senior Assistant        1999-2001

     Network Resources Junior Assistant         1998-1999

B) Electronic Edition Editor, Thoreau           2000

     Edition

C) Web Page Designer & Editor, Style           1999-2002

D) Web Page Designer (co-authored with      1998-2002

     Sarah Quirk), Midwestern Conference on

     Film, Language, and Literature

 

2.         Crossroads of Dereth, Warcry Network         1999-2000

 

            A) Site Manager                                              2001

            B) Assistant Site Manager                              2000

            C) Lore Editor                                                            2000-2002

            D) Assistant Lore Editor                                1999-2000

 

3.         Teletech, Northglenn, CO

 

Technical Support Agent for America            1996-1997

Online and GTE Internet Services

 

4.         Information Handling Services, Denver, CO

 

CD-Rom Editor                                              1996