Faculty profile: Craig Epplin

After finishing graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania in 2009 and teaching at Reed College and Columbia University, Craig Epplin is excited to be working at Portland State.

Epplin is teaching two classes this term: A survey course of “Modern Latin American Literature,” focusing on pieces from 1900 to the present day, and “Latin American Modern Poetry.”

Epplin looks forward to getting to know the students at PSU and to learning about the publishing projects going on here. A great deal of his research concerns small-press publishing, and he is currently wrapping up a book on the esthetics of small-press publishing in Argentina.

He became interested in this topic because he believes Argentina has a really lively small-press scene right now. “I love books as physical objects,” he said. “And people are doing really creative work with the format of books.”

Many people have been asking themselves recently if it even makes sense to publish physical books anymore. But Epplin’s not worried about that.

“I think it will stay around. I’m more interested in what the economics of it are and what the distribution models are going to be,” he said.

He also thinks it’s interesting to see what’s going to happen to bookstores. He believes that if people prefer an electronic format to paper format, that’s fine. The question is about the physical spaces where people get these objects.

One direction he sees the industry going is that bookstores will start focusing on other things, like hosting events. He pointed to Powell’s Books as a great example of that. Its calendar of events is extensive: “That’s something I’m watching,” he said.

Outside of academics, Epplin is coeditor of a magazine based in Portland and New York called Rattapallax. Though it’s mainly a poetry magazine, Epplin said they are currently in the process of adding music and nonfiction sections as well.

After spending time on the East Coast, Epplin is stoked to be back in Portland. He described the city as lively for its size. “I feel like there’s a lot of really interesting, creative energy here in Portland.”