Craig Svonkin

Craig Svonkin, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of English at Metropolitan State University of Denver. His expertise is in amusement parks, children’s literature and poetry.

In addition to teaching, Svonkin is the executive director of the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association. He has quite a few publications including “A Southern California Boyhood in the Simu-Southland Shadows of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room” published in the book “Disneyland and Culture: Essays on the Parks and Their Influence” and “From Disneyland to Modesto: George Lucas and Walt Disney” published in the book Myth, Media, and Culture in Star Wars: An Anthology.” Svonkin has also delivered many presentations including “Theorizing Multicultural and Multiethnic Children’s Fantasy” at the Children’s Literature Association Conference in 2008 and “Muggles & Giants & House-Elves, Oh My!: Harry Potter, Liberalism, and Evil” at the National Popular Culture Association Conference in 2003.

Svonkin is often called upon to share his expertise on pop culture topics related to amusement parks, Disney, Sesame Street and The Muppets. He is a member of the Modern Language Association, the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association, the American Literature Association and the Oceanic Popular Culture Association. His research interests include American literature, children’s literature, and American film and visual culture.

Svonkin received his Ph.D., in English from University of California, Riverside in 2008, his master’s in English from California State University, Los Angeles in 1997 and his bachelor’s in English from University of Southern California in 1986.