Gaston College instructor releases new book
Gaston College professor Dr. Christopher Thurley’s 2025 spring semester has been marked by significant achievements.
Thurley, an English instructor at Gaston College, received a summer fellowship from the American Council of Learned Studies in March. In April, he will launch his first book, “Anthony Burgess and America. ”
Originally from Rochester, N.Y., Thurley earned his undergraduate degree in English Literature from High Point University in 2009. He went on to complete his master’s in English Literature at UNC Charlotte in 2012 and his Ph.D. from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2022.
Thurley began writing his book in 2014 and acknowledges Gaston College’s role in its completion.
“I am very grateful that, early on, the English department at Gaston College – specifically Dr. Joe Argent, who was the department head for my first 10 years here – shared and supported my affinity for Burgess and allowed me to teach some of his novels in my ENG 112 classes,” Thurley said.
Anthony Burgess, who passed away in 1993 at 76, authored renowned works including “A Clockwork Orange,” “The Doctor is Sick,” and “The Wanting Seed.” Thurley, who teaches ENG 242 (British Literature II) at Gaston College, has presented lectures on Burgess.
“The Gaston College English department – and Gaston College as a whole – have been very supportive of my scholarly work on Burgess that has now spanned over a decade,” Thurley said.
Thurley’s interest in Anthony Burgess’s writing began in his teenage years after reading “A Clockwork Orange” and viewing Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation.
“From about that point on, I knew that I wanted to major in English literature and potentially become a professor of literature one day,” Thurley said. “As an undergraduate, I took a liking to Shakespeare and ended up doing most of my graduate schoolwork on Shakespeare. While I pursued this area of literary history, I also took some classes in twentieth-century literature in order to better understand Burgess’s era.”
The American Council of Learned Societies, partially funded by the Mellon Foundation, is part of ACLS’s Community College Humanities Initiative. This program recognizes academic work by community college educators.
During his fellowship, Thurley will have access to the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C., and he plans to research Burgess’ Shakespeare lectures in America.
The English department will celebrate Dr. Thurley’s accomplishment with a reading and reception on April 15, 2025, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in RCB 337.
