Smithsonian Inst.
Biographical Sketch: James Deutsch is senior content coordinator for the Smithsonian Institution’s America at 250 book project, which will mark the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. He was formerly a curator and editor at the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, where he helped plan and develop public programs on California, China, Hungary, Baltic nations, Ukraine, Peace Corps, Apollo Theater, Circus Arts, Native Americans, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Mekong River, U.S. Forest Service, World War II, Silk Road, and White House workers. In addition, he serves as an adjunct professor—teaching courses on American film history and folklore—in the American Studies Department at George Washington University. Deutsch has also taught American Studies classes at universities in Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, Norway, Poland, and Turkey. He has earned academic degrees from Williams College (B.A.), University of Minnesota (M.A.), Emory University (M.Ln.), and George Washington University (Ph.D.), and has published numerous articles and encyclopedia entries on a wide range of topics relating to film and folklore.