Welcome back to the Andrew Hook Centre of American Studies blog – we hope this post finds you well following a particularly turbulent year. Previously this blog space was run expertly by PhD student Chiara Howe, and as the new academic year begins we would like to take some time to introduce the new team who will be leading on the blog this coming session.

Elisa Pesce currently lives in Turin, Italy. After working several years, first in the wine business and then as a language service provider, she decided to resume her studies with a 1-year University Masters in American Studies and an M.A. degree in Modern Languages and Literatures at the University of Turin. Elisa’s dissertation focused on the spiritual dimension as an essential space for resistance and re-appropriation for ethnic minorities in contemporary United States. At the University of Glasgow, she will have the pleasure to work on a PGR project dealing with the thorny question of maximalist female writers and the way in which looking at gender and race could provide further insight into what is normally considered a predominantly White-male-only subgenre.

Tilly Dunnachie lives in Glasgow and recently graduated with an M.A. (Hons) degree in English Literature from the University of Glasgow and is looking forward to beginning the MLitt American Modern Literature this September. Tilly’s previous research interests have centered around the intersection of literature and medicine, having recently completed her dissertation on representations of degeneration theory in fiction, focusing primarily on the ways in which said theory was used as a policing mechanism in Victorian society.

There will be a multitude of events hosted (virtually!) through the Andrew Hook Centre this coming session:

Tuesday 29 September 4.15: Hook Centre Welcome/Social Gathering. Meet fellow Americanists (staff and students) in an informal friendly setting – Please come and say hello!

Tuesday 13 October 4.15: American Studies Book Club Meeting

Tuesday 20 October 4.15: Dr Megan Hunt (Edinburgh) speaking on Civil Rights/Religion in Selma. Megan is one of the founders of the new Precarity Project – found on Twitter @PrecarityProj.

And many more to be revealed in the near future!

Additionally, the Transatlantic Literary Women group holds fascinating discussions, is open to all, and can be found on Twitter @atlantlitwomen. TLW’s next event is #TeawithTLW on Wednesday 7 October 5pm when Canadian scholar and editor of The Edith Wharton Review, Paul Ohler, will be talking about Edith Wharton’s short story career.

As always, all are welcome to join our community of scholars interested in the field of Americanist research. For updates on events and happenings in American Studies at the University of Glasgow, follow our Twitter page @UofGAmStudies.

We wish to amplify your voices through this blog space and are continually looking for contributions. If you would like to write a guest post about a book you have read, Americanist themes in your research, a conference you have attended, a trip you have gone on – we want to hear all about it!

Please get in contact by emailing AmStudiesBlog@gmail.com to pitch your idea to us and contribute to the blog this academic session.

We are both excited to co-lead on the Hook Centre’s American Studies blog this year and look forward to engaging with you all soon!

Elisa and Tilly