Postcard: Elle of Ganado, ca. 1907, Fred Harvey Co. (Courtesy DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University)

I’m thrilled to announce the publication of the fall 2017 special issue of Studies in the Novel, “Gender and the Cultural Preoccupations of the American West,” which I co-edited with Sigrid Anderson Cordell (U Michigan). When the editors of Studies put out a CFP for special issue editors, we jumped at the opportunity to see who else out there was studying the lesser-known aspects of the literary production of American West, particularly the ways gender roles have been negotiated and constructed through literature.

We were the recipients of countless acts of academic generosity and camaraderie during the process of editing the issue, which I was pleasantly surprised to learn is quite the norm for women working in western studies. Victoria Lamont, Krista Comer, Melissa Homestead, Annette Kolodny, and Cathryn Halverson all offered support and mentorship through the process, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Krista ended up writing the Afterword, offering insight and reflection on the issue, as well as vision for the field’s next steps. In the extremely competitive world of academia, it’s refreshing (to say the least) to find a community of women that rallies around its members and advocates for everyone’s success.

Working with Studies‘ Managing Editor, Timothy Boswell, and Editor, Nora Gilbert, was also a delight. Their professional generosity made navigating the world of academic publishing from the editorial side (for the very first time), well, possible.

It is with gratitude that I announce the publication of this special issue.