Delano R. Copprue

Delano R. Copprue graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers College with a major in English literature and a minor in art history. His undergraduate honors thesis examines the underpinnings of American Transcendentalism in the writings of Emerson and Thoreau. Seeking to further his literary studies, Delano attended Columbia University in the City of New York. At Columbia, he earned two master’s degrees and a doctorate while conducting original archival research for Harvard University Press, collaborating on book projects with New York City writers, and participating in the Jazz Studies program at Columbia. His doctoral thesis investigates how the improvisational nature of jazz music can be used as a critical lens for interpreting canonical American writers ranging from Hawthorne and Melville to Morrison and Ellison.

A specialist in nineteenth-century American literature, Dr. Copprue has published widely on various aspects of history, philosophy, literary criticism, music, and popular culture. An ardent  proponent of lifelong learning, Dr. Copprue enjoys studying the humanities and watching the New York Mets with his wife Margaret Mack, a classically-trained soprano.