David Puglia

David J. Puglia, Ph.D., has been interested in folklore since learning about Greek and Roman mythology in the fourth grade. He is currently Associate Professor and Deputy Chairperson in the English Department at the Bronx Community College of the City University of New York, where he teaches courses in folklore, children's literature, and writing. Before joining CUNY, he was a lecturer in the American Studies program at Penn State Harrisburg. A folklorist by training, he specializes in the study of legend and of local and regional culture, particularly in the Middle Atlantic. He has written several books and scholarly articles about Maryland and Pennsylvania culture, including Tradition, Urban Identity, and the Baltimore "Hon": The Folk in the City (2018), Maryland Legends: Folklore from the Old Line State (2014), and South Central Pennsylvania Legends and Lore (2012). He is the past president of the Middle Atlantic Folklife Association and the past editor of the scholarly journal New Directions in Folklore. He currently lives in New York with his wife, Mira, who is also a folklorist.