USC.edu

Christopher Freeman

Professor (Teaching) of English
Christopher Freeman
Pronouns He / Him / His Email cefreema@usc.edu Office THH 404G Office Phone (213) 740-3745

Research & Practice Areas

20th century literature; the novel; memoir; literary theory; gay and lesbian studies; Los Angeles/Hollywood

Center, Institute & Lab Affiliations

  • Monette-Horwitz Trust, advisory board member since 2006
  • ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archive, Board Member

Biography

Chris Freeman moved to Los Angeles from Minneapolis in May, 2005. He grew up in Rome, Georgia and has a PhD in English from Vanderbilt University.

Education

  • Ph.D. English, Gender Studies, Vanderbilt University, 8/1993
  • M.A. English, Vanderbilt University, 5/1989
  • B.A. English, summa cum laude, Berry College, 6/1987

  • Research, Teaching, Practice, and Clinical Appointments

    • Professor (Teaching), USC Dornsife College, 2015-08-
    • Associate Professor (Teaching), USC Dornsife College, 2012-08-2015-07
    • Lecturer, University of Southern California, 2006-01-2012-07

  • Summary Statement of Research Interests

    My work has primarily been in 20th century gay and lesbian studies. I’ve edited three books on Christopher Isherwood, including THE AMERICAN ISHERWOOD (Dec 2014), a Hollywood memoir by John Carlyle; and more recently a collection of essays about gay Los Angeles called LOVE, WEST HOLLYWOOD. I am also working on a longer term project on the life, work, and times of the gay writer Paul Monette (and editing his journals for publication).

    Research Keywords

    gay and lesbian studies; popular culture; memoir; Hollywood; Los Angeles; modernism

    Detailed Statement of Research Interests

    My work as a scholar in the past decade has centered on gay writing and culture in post World War II Los Angeles. I’ve also published some journalism, many book reviews, and have been a consultant and interviewee on several films and television programs, including the award-winning CHRIS AND DON: A LOVE STORY, which premiered in LA at the AFI Film Festival on November 10, 2007. I am also a consultant for a new documentary called LA: A QUEER HISTORY. My work on Christopher Isherwood continues, with the publication of THE AMERICAN ISHWEROOD (Minnesota, Dec 2014) and a forthcoming two-day conference on Isherwood in Southern California in Nov 2015.

  • Contracts and Grants Awarded

    • Oscar Wilde and His Circle, Joseph Bristow (UCLA), (National Endowment for the Humanities), Chris Freeman, http://www.neh.gov/divisions/education/other-opportunities/oscar-wilde-and-his-circle, $3,900, 06/2012 – 07/2012

  • Conference Presentations

    • “Teaching A SINGLE MAN in Los Angeles , Modern Language AssociateRoundtable/Panel, MLA, Invited, Los Angeles, CA, 01/08/2011 –
    • ‘Feasting with Panthers,’ or Thrown to the Lions: On the Limits of Camp , Modern Studies AssociationRoundtable/Panel, MSA, Invited, Las Vegas, Nevada, 10/2012
    • “We Have to Say We’ve Been Here”: Paul Monette and the Making of an Activist , UCLA GLBTQ ConferenceTalk/Oral Presentation, Invited, UCLA, Fall 2007

    Other Presentations

    • “On These Shoulders We Stand” documentary, Screening/Moderator, Los Angeles, CA, 2009-CONT
    • Howard Fine Live Interview, Life Raft, Los Angeles, CA, 2009-CONT
    • Keynote address: The “Truth” about Paul Monette, One Person’s Truth: The Life and Work of Paul Monette, UCLA, 2005-CONT
    • The Importance of Being Earnest, Pre-Play remarks, Pasadena, CA, 2014-2015
    • Queer Pulp Fiction, with Katherine V. Forrest, Interview and discussion, Palm Springs, CA, 2013-2014
    • The Days of Anna Madrigal, Interview with Armistead Maupin, downtown LA, 2013-2014
    • Christopher Street West and Gay LA, Talk, Palm Springs, CA, 2013-2014
    • Queer LA Panel, LA Festival of Books, USC campus, 2011-2012
    • “How Do We Learn What We Need to Know”, Faculty Showcase, USC Campus, LA, CA, 2010-2011
    • “On These Shoulders We Stand”, moderator at film screening, Hollywood, CA, 2010-2011
    • Brokeback Mountain Panel, LA Book Fair, USC Campus, LA, CA, 2010-2011
    • “On These Shoulders We Stand”, moderator at film screening, Taper Hall, USC campus, 2010-2011
    • “Jack, I swear”: Some Promises to Gay Culture from Brokeback Mountain, Invited Lecture, Retirement of Professor Joe Wittreich, New York, New York, CUNY Grad Center, 2009-2010
    • Talk on Love, West Hollywood, Brown Bag Lunch, Ide Room, 2008-2009
    • Measure for Measure, moderator/discussion leader, USC campus, 2006-2007
    • Moderator: GLBT Visibility in Hollywood, “Gay but not Forgotten”, Writers’ Guild of America, Hollywood, CA, 2006-2007
    • An Evening with Tab Hunter, Interview/moderator, Santa Monica, CA, 2005-2006

  • Book

    • Freeman, C., Berg, J. (2020). Isherwood in Transit. 267. Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. Press catalog
    • Freeman, C., Berg, J. (2014). The American Isherwood. 305. Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. Book catalog
    • Fine, H., Freeman, C. (2009). Fine on Acting: A Vision of the Craft. Los Angeles, CA: Havenhurst Books. havenhurst books
    • Freeman, C., Berg, J. (2008). Love, West Hollywood: Reflections of Los Angeles. New York, NY: Alyson Books.
    • Freeman, C., Carlyle, J. (2006). Under the Rainbow: An Intimate Memoir of Judy Garland, Rock Hudson, and the End of Old Hollywood. (Chris Freeman, Ed.). New York, NY: Carroll and Graf.
    • Freeman, C., Berg, J. (2001). Conversations with Christopher Isherwood. (Vol. USA) University Press of Mississippi.
    • Freeman, C., Berg, J. (2000). The Isherwood Century: Essays on the Life and Work of Christopher Isherwood. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

    Book Chapters

    • Freeman, C. (2022). Christopher Isherwood’s A SINGLE MAN: LA in a Day. THE MANY VOICES OF THE LOS ANGELES NOVEL pp. 56-69. Newcastle upon Tyne,: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. https://www.cambridgescholars.com/
    • Freeman, C., Berg, J. J. (2013). “Auden and Isherwood” ch 30 in AUDEN IN CONTEXT. W.H. Auden in Context pp. 316-325. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/literature/english-literature-1900-1945/w-h-auden-context?format=HB
    • Freeman, C. (2011). “Jack, I swear”: Some Promises to Gay Culture from Mainstream Hollywood. The Brokeback Book pp. 103-117. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.
    • Freeman, C. (2001). “Something They Did in the Dark”: Lesbian and Gay Novels in the US, 1948-73. Philadelphia, PA: Modern American Queer History, Temple University Press.

    Book Review

    • Freeman, C. (2015). LGBT History 101: A Review of “US Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History”. Gay and Lesbian Review. pp. 42. glreview.org
    • Freeman, C. (2014). Review of Barrie Jean Borich, BODY GEOGRAPHIC. Gay and Lesbian Review.
    • Freeman, C. (2013). Isherwood after Stonewall. Gay and Lesbian Review. pp. pp 24-25. www.GLReview.com
    • Freeman, C. (2011). “Too Much Information” Review of Isherwood’s 60s Diaries. Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide. pp. 31-2.
    • Freeman, C. (2010). “A Not So Distant Mirror” review of GAY BAR by Will Fellows and Helen Branson. Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide. pp. p 40. PubMed Web Address http://www.glreview.com/index.php
    • Freeman, C. (2010). E.M. Forster: Brief Lives by Richard Canning (review). Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide. pp. 42. http://www.glreview.com/issue.php?issueid=57
    • Freeman, C. (2010). “The Making of a Magazine” review of ADVOCATE DAYS by Mark Thompson. Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide. pp. 41-2. PubMed Web Address http://www.glreview.com/issue.php?issueid=53
    • Freeman, C. (2008). Review of WHAT BECOMES YOU. White Crane. pp. p. 45. PubMed Web Address http://www.whitecranejournal.com/main.asp
    • Freeman, C. (2008). Review of THE END OF THE WORLD BOOK. GLR. pp. 44.
    • Freeman, C. (2007). Review: Armistead Maupin’s MICHAEL TOLLIVER LIVES. GLR Worldwide.
    • Freeman, C. (2006). GRIEF, a novel by Andrew Holleran. The Advocate. pp. 57, 59.
    • Freeman, C. (2006). Review: 3 Young Adult Novels. The Advocate. pp. 58.

    Essay

    • Freeman, C. (2012). Yale AIDS Memorial Project (online). New Haven, CT. Yale University.
    • Freeman, C. (2011). “The Many Lives of Malcolm Boyd”. (Richard Schneider, Ed.). pp. p 30. Boston, MA. Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide.
    • Freeman, C. (2011). “Art Memo: Paul Monette’s BORROWED TIME”. (Richard Schneider, Ed.). pp. 36-7. Boston, MA. Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide.
    • Freeman, C. (2011). The Professor on the Dance Floor: Alice Echols and HOT STUFF. pp. 1. Los Angeles, CA. The Advocate. www.advocate.com
    • Freeman, C. (2010). Artist Profile: Jeff Sheng “A Lens on the Soldiers of DADT”. (Richard Schneider, Ed.). pp. p 26. Boston, MA. Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide. PubMed Web Address http://www.glreview.com/images/GLR-17.3-cover.jpg

    Encyclopedia Article

    • Freeman, C. (2013). “Found History: LETTERS TO ONE”. (Claude Sumers, Ed.). New Orleans: GLBTQ Online. PubMed Web Address
    • Freeman, C. (2009). Essay on Jim Grimsley for Encyclopedia of Contemporary LGBTQ Literature of the U.S. (Emmanuel Nelson, Ed.).275-76. Vol. 1 Greenwood, CT: Greenwood Press. PubMed Web Address www.abc-clio.com (greenwood press)
    • Freeman, C. (2005). Dictionary of Literary Biography. (James and Wanda Giles, Ed.). Vol. fiction, 20th century American Gale.

    Journal Article

    • Freeman, C. (2020). “A Lament of Everything, and Praise” on Sara Vap’s “WInter”. LARB. (14 January 2020) LARB
    • Freeman, C. (2016). Christopher Isherwood and the Limits of Camp. Modernism/Modernity. Vol. 23 (1), pp. 14-17. PubMed Web Address http://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/modernism_modernity/
    • Freeman, C., Berg, J. (2010). Isherwood the Multiculturalist. The Chronicle of Higher Education/Chronicle Review. Vol. LVI (18), pp. B13-B15. http://chronicle.com/article/Isherwood-the-Multiculturalist/63446/
    • Freeman, C. (2008). Lives in Art: Isherwood and Bachardy. GLR. Vol. Sept-Oct 2008 (15/5), pp. 30-33.
    • Freeman, C. (2006). GLAAD history: From Rags to Kudos. Variety. pp. A2, A7.
    • Freeman, C. (2005). “Making Fun Out of It”: Rethinking Isherwood’s WORLD IN THE EVENING. The Christopher Isherwood Review. (1, 2005), pp. 89-103.

    Magazine/Trade Publication

    • Freeman, C.”Sarah Schulman on Her Latest Provocations” (Interview by Chris Freeman). Gay and Lesbian Review. Vol. 23, pp. 34. glreview.org
    • Freeman, C.”A Single Man We Can Live With”. Gay and Lesbian Review. Vol. 21, pp. 34. glreview.org
    • Freeman, C.Interview with Sean Strub. Gay and Lesbian Review. pp. 28-31.
    • Freeman, C.At the Corner of Hollywood and Gay. Gay and Lesbian Review website blog. glreview.org
    • Freeman, C.Artist Profile: Peter Paige. Gay and Lesbian Review.
    • Freeman, C.”From Sexy to Serious: Ben Patrick Johnson”. Frontiers Magazine. Vol. 28, pp. 2 pp.. Frontiers
    • Freeman, C.First Lady of Celluloid Community: Kirsten Schaffer. Frontiers Magazine. Vol. 28, pp. 2pp. frontiers
    • Freeman, C.Interview with Artist Don Bachardy. Frontiers. Vol. 27, pp. 18, 20.
    • Freeman, C.Interview with Director Donna Deitch. Frontiers. Vol. 27, pp. 18, 20.
    • Freeman, C.Interview with Gay Historian Boze Hadleigh. Frontiers. Vol. 27, pp. 18, 20.
    • Freeman, C.Interview: Stephen McCauley. pp. pg 124.

    Other

    • Freeman, C. (2013). Tom Bianchi: Eyes on the Pines. Gay and Lesbian Review. www.glreview.com
    • Freeman, C. (2012). “Vito: The Artist as Activist”. Gay and Lesbian Review. www.GLReview.com
    • Freeman, C. (2012). “Marilyn Monroe: a serious, mysterious life”. Gay and Lesbian review. www.GLReview.com
    • Interviewed for SIN CITIES:Berlin for CBC, I was interviewed for a documentary on Berlin between the wars; aired on CBC and A&E, released on DVD, 2006., 2005-2006
    • interviewee and consultant for CHRIS & DON: A LOVE, This documentary on Isherwood and Bachardy premiered at the AFI Festival in Hollywood in November, 2007. I am in the film half a dozen times, and my first book, THE ISHERWOOD CENTURY, was a major source for the project., 2007-2008
    • Interviewed for SAVING THE BOOM, Commentary on documentary about historic preservation and gay culture, 2008
    • Interview, Interview of Pyramid TV (Canada) for a series, “Inside Hollywood” on Gay Hollywood for TV broadcast in North America., 2009-2010
    • interview, Interview for History Channel Documentary series, How Sex Changed the World, on Weimar Germany. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPV4TtQnWRM, 06/2012
    • TV roundtable, KLCS, a public television channel of LAUSD, roundtable discussion of GAY LA: Then and Now. Broadcast Oct/Nov 2013. http://www.klcs.org/, 10/2013
    • USC or School/Dept Award for Teaching, overall contribution to GE program, 2018-2019
    • USC Parents’ Association finalst, 2006-2007

  • Reviewer for Publications

    • Twentieth Century Literature, Hostra University, Peer-reviewed two essays: one Edmund White’s novel FAREWELL SYMPATHY and one on Baldwin’s GIOVANNI’S ROOM and Vidal’s CITY AND PILLAR. , Fall 2011
    • ORAL HISTORY REVIEW, Oxford Journals for the Humanities, Peer reviewed an essay called “Animate Ephemera” on queer archives., 07/2011
    • TWENTIETH CENTURY LITERATURE, Hofstra University, Peer-reviewed essay on Isherwood’s final GOODBYE TO BERLIN, 12/2010
    • Postscripts: The Journal of Sacred Texts and Contemporary Worlds, Equinox Journals, Peer review of essay called “The Guru and His Queer Disciples”–on Christopher Isherwood and Vedanta., Spring 2010
    • Twentieth Century Literature, Hofstra University, Peer review of essay on Isherwood’s novel THE WORLD IN THE EVENING, Fall 2008
    • Twentieth Century Literature, Hofstra University, Peer review essay on Christopher Isherwood’s BERLIN STORIES., Fall 2007

    Media, Alumni, and Community Relations

    • Gay and Lesbian Caucus of the WGA, led panel discussion for a crowd of 200+, Spring 2007