an old tree in the middle of a verdant forest


Dr. Esther Brownsmith
Assistant Professor at Dayton University
@brownsmith.bsky.social

Hebrew Bible, gender, queer theory, fan fiction theory

Books:
Gendered Violence in Biblical Narrative: The Devouring Metaphor
Unruly Books: Rethinking Ancient and Academic Imaginations of Religious Texts

Popular Scholarship:
Purim’s original queen: How studying the Book of Esther as fan fiction can teach us about the roots of an unruly Jewish festival
Burning Desire Punished by Fire
Slightly Alive Translations

CV (updated May 2025)