Jeff Melnick has been teaching and writing about American cultural history for some 25 years. His books on Black-Jewish relations, 9/11, immigration, and popular culture have been widely reviewed and cited often in academic journals and mainstream journalism. His first book, A Right to Sing the Blues: African Americans, Jews, and American Popular Song was given a Booklist Editor's Choice Award for 1999 and his most recent book, 9/11 Culture: American Under Construction was translated into Arabic soon after its initial publication. Melnick currently serves as Graduate Program Director for American Studies at University of Massachusetts Boston.