For scholars of early America, academic journals have a long and respected tradition of publishing original research in the field, such as that found in the McNeil Center’s Early American Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal.
While journals are one way to tell the story of early America, sometimes researchers want to say so much more, according to Rosalind Beiler of the University of Central Florida and Judith Ridner of Mississippi State University, co-editors of Early American Studies.
When Beiler and Ridner took the reins as co-editors of the journal in 2021, they saw an opportunity to expand the offerings of the journal beyond what could fit on a printed page. They saw ways in which the world of multi-media could open up creative and exciting possibilities for the future of the journal. And in short order, the idea for EAS Miscellany was born.
Launched in March 2022, EAS Miscellany is a website that serves as the digital companion to Early American Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal. It features an eclectic range of content that doesn’t fit easily within a print medium, including interviews, reviews, forums, resource guides, multimedia sources, and articles by the journal’s authors.
“EAS Miscellany allows scholars to reflect on the contemporary relevance of their studies. It also opens up a space where they can examine primary sources or classroom pedagogies,” Ridner says.
The editors encourage submissions and also welcome proposals for forums to discuss topics of interest to early Americanists, or ideas for other kinds of contributions, including creative works. The editors have a particular interest in Contemporary Connections that explore the relationship between the early American past and contemporary issues; Pedagogy that offers educational materials or teaching strategies of use in college or university classrooms; and Source Highlights that analyze source materials or methods that would be of interest to interdisciplinary audiences.
The mission of EAS Miscellany is to bring early America into the present. It seeks to be educational, thoughtful, and provocative, with the goal of spreading knowledge.
“We welcome early Americanists from all disciplines to contribute and join the discussion. We want to create an interdisciplinary dialogue with scholars, students, and others who are passionate about understanding early America and how it resonates with us today,” Beiler adds.
EAS Miscellany is a collaboration between the McNeil Center for Early American Studies, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Central Florida’s Center for Humanities and Digital Research, and Mississippi State University. For more information, visit the EAS Miscellany website.