Amrita De is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at Colorado College. She holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from Binghamton University and was previously a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Humanities and Information at Penn State University. Her research explores the intersections of global south literary studies, masculinity studies, political economy, affect theory, and digital literacies, with a focus on postcolonial South Asia.
Her first monograph, Fragile Figurations (1947–), examines the social construction and processual naturalization of dominant qualities associated with postcolonial heteronormative Indian masculinities—such as virility, stoicism, and entrepreneurial risk-taking—in public culture (s). This interdisciplinary study reveals the anxious, dialectical relationship between the social reproduction of heteronormative masculinities and the historical evolution of global capitalism, rendering the fundamental instabilities within dominant heteromasculine fugurations often deemed as stable and aspirational. Engaging with contemporary debates on the “crisis in masculinities,” De moves beyond binary notions of “good” and “bad” masculinities, offering a nuanced exploration that departs from the negative framing of toxic masculinity.
Her second project, currently in development, investigates the long history of the “World Computer” from the margins. It traces how sociality, digital literacy, generational divides, data privacy, and obsolescence are shaped within the precarious infrastructure of neoliberal capitalism. This work critiques the simultaneous celebration and derision of the masculine “genius” archetype, exemplified by figures like the “genius in the garage” or the “startup maverick” prevalent in Silicon Valley narratives.
De is working on her debut novel and a collection of interlinked short stories in her free time. An avid fiction reader and writer, she would devote all her time and energy to these pursuits if given the chance. New to Colorado Springs, she looks forward to exploring the region, enjoying its stunning mountain sunsets, and connecting with students, colleagues, and kindred spirits at Colorado College.
