J. Hillis Miller, the Yale School, and Their Literary Legacy: An Interview with Professor Jonathan Locke Hart

In this interview, Professor Jonathan Locke Hart reflects on the legacy of J. Hillis Miller, a central figure of the Yale School. Hart traces Miller’s trajectory from phenomenology (influenced by Georges Poulet) to deconstruction, a shift catalyzed by Jacques Derrida’s 1966 lecture and sustained through dialogues with Poulet, Paul de Man, and Derrida. Despite this evolution, Miller consistently focused on the complexities and rhetorical analysis of literary language. Regarding the Yale School, Hart notes its members were united by “rhetorical reading” yet resisted rigid categorization; Miller, like Derrida, prioritized critical individuality over collective labels. In this interview, Hart also explains his conceptualization of Miller’s approach as the “play of literature,” underscoring literature’s linguistic performativity and inherent joy. Concluding, Hart asserts the enduring relevance of Miller’s close reading methodology against algorithmic trends, affirming literature’s power to explore human experience. For Hart, Miller’s legacy lies in passionate advocacy for literature, ethical scholarship, and fostering global dialogue.