Writer, professor, and cultural historian, James Polchin holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from New York University. His book Indecent Advances: A Hidden History of True Crime and Prejudice Before Stonewall was a finalist for an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America, and named one of the best true crime books of the year by CrimeReads.

His next book, Shadow Men: A Tangled Story of Murder, Media, and Privilege that Scandalized Jazz Age America, will be published by Counterpoint Press in June of 2024.

His work has appeared in Slate, TIME, Huffington Post UK, CrimeReads, Paris Review, Rolling Stone, NewNextNow, The New Inquiry, Lambda Literary, The Smart Set and the Gay and Lesbian Review. He has been interviewed on the subject of queer history and cirme by Vox, Oxygen, BBC4 Radio, NPR, Advocate, The American Scholar, Crime Reads, Bookforum, and Publishers Weekly.

James is a Clinical Professor in Liberal Studies at New York University where he teaches writing and cultural history. For a number of years he taught at NYU sites in London, Paris, and Florence. He has previously taught at the Creative Nonfiction Foundation, Princeton University Writing Program, The New School, and the American University.

He splits his time between New York and Provincetown, Massachusetts where he lives with his partner, the painter and photographer Greg Salvatori, and a Labrador named Albert. 

INTERVIEWS

 “House of Mystery True Crime History” (NBC Radio)

“Hidden Gay Lives” (BBC4 Radio)

“Queers Deserved It: New Book Chronicles Antigay Crime Pre-Stonewall” (Advocate)

“'Indecent Advances' Chronicles Violence Gay Men Experienced Before Stonewall Riots” (NPR/WBUR)

“The Killer Crooner And The Death Of A Thrill-Killer: LGBT True Crime Of The Past” (Oxygen/NBC)

“Crimes Against Sexuality: How true crime stories were used to fan the flames of homophobia—and let killers get away with murder” (Smarty Pants Podcast/ American Scholar)

“Queer true crime stories of the past show how the press stoked fear of gay men” (VOX)

“How Sensationalizing True Crime Criminalized Queer People” (Crime Reads)

“James Polchin Looks at Violence Against Gay Men Before Stonewall” (Provincetown Local)

“Homosexual Panic: PW Talks with James Polchin” (Publishers Weekly & The Millions)

“Reading with James Polchin” (Shelf Awareness)