I’m Xuyang (Daniel) Zhang. I received my B.A. degree in East Asian Studies from Colby College with a concentration in Japan. My academic interests lie in Japanese literature, media, and visual culture, as well as in the area of sociolinguistics. During my undergraduate years, I adopted a gender and sexualities perspective and examined a wide range of topics manifested in Japanese erotica, from novels written in the Edo Period to contemporary porn. My most recent research focuses on the construction of heteronormativity in Japanese gay pornographic videos. My goal here at Duke is to continue exploring my research interests and build upon what I have done so far. At the same time, I would like to receive more academic training in research methodologies, especially in the disciplines of anthropology and gender and sexualities studies. Outside of classes, I enjoy photography and cooking.