About Me

I’m Ethan King, a teacher, writer, and researcher who believes that writing is one of the most powerful tools we have for thinking critically and making meaningful contributions to the world around us.

This fall, I’ll begin teaching in the Writing and Rhetoric Program in the English Department at the University of Virginia, where I’ll launch new courses: “Writing About Attention and Distraction” and “Writing in the Age of Generative AI.” These courses reflect my longstanding commitments to process-based pedagogy and student-centered learning, where I help students view writing not as a fixed product, but as an evolving practice rooted in reflection, inquiry, and engagement.

I design my courses to support a wide range of learners and writing experiences. That means structuring the semester around small, iterative steps that build confidence and momentum. It means making space for metacognition, where students reflect on their process, assess their growth, and revise with intention. And it means fostering a classroom culture that values experimentation and risk-taking—where students can connect their academic work to broader public conversations. More than anything, I care about helping students become confident, thoughtful writers—writers who are attentive not only to their own ideas, but to the communities and contexts they’re writing into.

Before returning to UVA—my M.A. alma mater—I taught in the University Writing Program at Brandeis University and held teaching fellowships in the English Department and the Writing Program as a doctoral student at Boston University. In addition to my pedagogical work on writing, my research in literary studies explores the intersections of modernism and infrastructural development.