Jesse Alemán, Professor of American Literary Studies and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, Jesse Alemán has been named to the editorial board of American Literature. Published by Duke University Press, American Literature is widely regarded as the premier peer-reviewed venue for articles covering American literature from the colonial era to the contemporary period. Established in 1929, the journal also houses an extensive book review section and recently reaffirmed its commitment to anti-racist intellectual practices by seeking out alternative forms of scholarship and holding authors up to equitable citational standards (see the statement here). The term on the board is for three years.
Alemán was also recently named the chair of the American Literature Society’s highly competitive 1921 Prize in American Literature, which is awarded annually for the best article in any field of American literature. Named for the year that the American Literature Society was founded, the 1921 Prize promotes the study and diversification of American literature and is judged by a panel of distinguished scholars in the field. Two categories are awarded (one for tenured faculty and one for graduate students, scholars in contingent posts, and untenured faculty members) and winners are announced at the Modern Language Association. Alemán will chair the 1921 Prize committee for the duration of his three-year term on the American Literature Society’s Advisory Board.
Both appointments bode well for the national exposure they bring to the department’s American Literary Studies programming and also speak to the pressing relevance of studying, researching, and teaching American literature, especially during times of civil unrest.
