Two U of Arkansas Humanities Faculty Receive NEH Summer Stipends

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Lissette Lopez Szwydky-Davis and Justin Gage

Two faculty members at the U of A have been selected to receive summer stipends from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The NEH's Summer Stipend program is very competitive — with an average funding ratio of 10-15 percent — and provides financial support for faculty to pursue research and publication during the summer months.

Lissette Lopez Szwydky-Davis, associate professor of English and associate director of the U of A Humanities Center, will use her award to work on "Frankenstein's Bride in Contemporary Fiction and Poetry," a chapter from her book-in-progress, Frankenstein's Bride: A Transmedia Cultural History of Her Own.

The chapter traces the iconic character's representation across more than a dozen novels and several poems. This research continues Szwydky's specializations in adaptation studies, gender studies and popular culture from the 19th century through the present.

This research will also support her "Transmedia Frankenstein" course, which will be offered again in Fall 2022 as ENGL 4933: Studies in Popular Culture and Popular Genres.

Justin Gage, instructor in the Department of History, received an NEH Summer Stipend to work on a book project titled Writing to Resist: Native Activism through Correspondence, 1870-1900.

His book explores how late-19th century western Native Americans from more than 80 tribal nations corresponded with white Americans to push for justice and self-determination, utilizing literacy to decolonize their lives, prevent colonial abuses and reestablish a sense of sovereignty.

The book relies on digital methods of analysis and new sources of evidence, especially correspondence written by Native Americans, to better understand how Native Americans resisted U.S. colonialism by spreading ideas and information, despite their confinement on reservations.

New Submissions
Each year, the U of A selects up to two applications from instructional faculty for consideration for the NEH Summer Stipend competition. The next round of applications for the Summer 2023 award are due to the U of A Humanities Center no later than Sept. 1.

Submissions should be formatted according to NEH Summer Stipend guidelines. Those nominated by the university will submit full applications to the NEH by Sept. 21. To submit materials, or for questions, please contact Humanities Center Director Tricia Starks at tstarks@uark.edu.