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 (Counterpoint) was a finalist for an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America, and named a best true crime book of the year by CrimeReads. His second book, Shadow Men: A Tangled Story of Murder, Media, and Privilege that Scandalized Jazz Age America (Counterpoint) came out in 2024 and was recently reviewed in The New York Times Book Review, which noted: “Polchin knows the era, and bring to his account a wealth of colorful supporting details.”

His work has been featured in The New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, Paris Review, Rolling Stone, Slate, TIME, Huffington Post, CrimeReads, NewNextNow, The New Inquiry, and the Gay and Lesbian Review. He has been interviewed about his work by Vox, Oxygen, BBC4 Radio, National Public Radio, The American Scholar, CrimeReads, Bookforum, House of Mystery Radio, among other places.

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” (CrimeReads)

“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)