Dr. Staples’s research takes seriously the productive intersection of theology—specifically mystical theology—and poetry in the development of alternative modes of critical thinking in the Middle Ages. Studying the Middle Ages through the lenses of queer theory, posthumanism, gender and sexuality studies, and critical race theory, Dr. Staples demonstrates the disorienting value of reading the past and the present together. He’s written articles related to these topics, published in various journals, including Romanic Review and Exemplaria, and he’s currently developing a book project on the Pearl-Poet.