William Troy (1903–1961) was an American literary critic, essayist, and educator. He is best known for his influential teaching career, particularly at Bennington College, and his insightful critical analyses of modern literature.
Born in New York City, Troy graduated from Columbia University in 1925. He became a prominent figure in American literary circles during the mid-20th century. His critical approach was often characterized by a deep engagement with the psychological, mythical, and symbolic dimensions of literary works. He frequently explored the relationship between art and the human psyche, drawing on psychoanalytic theories.
Troy taught at various institutions, including the New School for Social Research, but his most significant and enduring impact was at Bennington College in Vermont, where he served as a professor of literature from 1937 until his death in 1961. During his tenure at Bennington, he profoundly influenced a generation of writers and intellectuals, including Shirley Jackson, who was his student.
Although he published relatively few works in book form during his lifetime, his essays and reviews appeared in prestigious journals such as The Nation, The Kenyon Review, The New Republic, and Partisan Review. His collected essays were posthumously published as Selected Essays of William Troy (1967), edited by Stephen Donadio.
Troy was married to the poet Léonie Adams. His legacy rests primarily on his reputation as a brilliant teacher and a perceptive critic whose work contributed significantly to the understanding of modernist literature.