Drake University is set to welcome C. Wylie Lenz for an insightful lecture titled “The Evolving Zombie in Film and Fiction.” Scheduled for Tuesday, March 31, at 6 p.m., the event will take place in the Cowles Library Reading Room. Attendance is free, open to the public, and will feature refreshments.
In his lecture, Lenz plans to delve into the history and transformation of zombies within popular literature and film, paying special attention to developments in twenty-first-century fiction. The presentation will feature excerpts from his upcoming edited collection, The Post-Zombie: Essays on the Evolving Undead, set for release in 2025.
“The Susan Glaspell Writers & Critics Series has a long-standing tradition of bringing thinkers to Drake who challenge our perspectives on contemporary culture,” commented Dina Smith, Associate Professor of English at Drake University. “We are delighted to continue our series with Dr. Lenz, whose scholarship reminds us that the zombie is a flexible metaphor. It helps us process our modern world—from social contagions to the breakdown of institutions—proving the undead remain a vital and unsettling presence in our cultural landscape.”
About C. Wylie Lenz
With over fifteen years of contribution to “zombie studies,” C. Wylie Lenz has been a significant figure since the academic discipline emerged in the early 2000s. His work includes authoring and co-authoring numerous articles and essays on zombie-related films and fiction. Lenz has co-edited anthologies such as Generation Zombie: Essay on the Living Dead in Modern Culture (2011) and The Post-Zombie: Essays on the Evolving Undead (2025). Additionally, he edited Poverty in American Popular Culture: Essays on Representations, Beliefs and Policy (2020). Lenz holds an MFA in creative writing and a PhD in English from the University of Florida and is currently an Associate Professor of English at Florida Polytechnic University.
About the Susan Glaspell Writers & Critics Series
The Susan Glaspell Writers & Critics Series, named after Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and Drake alumna Susan Glaspell, brings esteemed authors to the university to engage with students and the wider community. The series aims to facilitate meaningful interactions between students and writers, both inside and outside the classroom. Past participants have included MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipients Ocean Vuong and Kiese Laymon, as well as renowned authors and critics like George Saunders, Alison Bechdel, Rachel Yoder, Marcie Rendon, Dr. Carolyn Finny, and Dr. Devoney Looser.
For more information about the event, visit drake.edu/english/susanglaspellwriterscriticsseries.
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