91原创

May and June: Engaging in International Scholarship

Margaret Stetz, Mae and Robert Carter Professor of Women鈥檚 Studies and Professor of Humanities at the 91原创, had a busy summer publishing new works of poetry and presenting her poetry and research at conferences and seminars, both nationally and internationally.

Stetz is renowned as an expert in women and material culture, women's representations of war, women's comedy and late-Victorian feminism. She is particularly knowledgeable about British women's literature and art from the 19th-21st century.

She is also an accomplished and prolific poet who continues to be widely published. Through her poetry, Stetz explores historical women writers, memory and literary imagination, demonstrating the integration of creative and scholarly work.

Presentations

Stetz began the summer with a hybrid scholarly seminar at the University of Essex in the United Kingdom. Held on May 7, 2025, and organized by the university鈥檚 Centre for Interdisciplinary Literary Studies, where Stetz serves as an advisory board member, the seminar focused on The Mune by Susan Dawes. The discussion examined how neo-Victorian feminist fantasy portrays 鈥渇allen women鈥� of different races and classes establishing a progressive society on a 19th-century island. Stetz鈥檚 participation highlighted her expertise in feminist literary studies and her commitment to international collaboration.

Additionally, Stetz presented at the Decadence and War conference at Goldsmiths, University of London, sponsored by the British Association of Decadence Studies and the Decadence Research Centre. Her talk, 鈥淟ate-Victorian and Neo-Victorian Women Writers on War: From E. Nesbit to Sandi Toksvig,鈥� examined the unexpected ways avant-garde late-19th-century women poets supported British imperialism and how Sandi Toksvig鈥檚 2012 novel Valentine Grey reflects these historical tensions.

In July, Stetz participated in the Research Society for Victorian Periodicals conference, 鈥淰oices and Visions,鈥� at Loyola University, Chicago, delivering a paper titled 鈥淗arland vs. Wedmore: Men鈥檚 Visions and Women鈥檚 Voices in The Yellow Book and The Savoy, January 1896.鈥�

Publications

Stetz had several new poems that intersect with her academic work published over the summer as well.

In June, four poems were released. These include Commencement in Steam Ticket: A Third Coast Review, Shoreline in Her House Magazine, Circadian Rhythms published online in Feminine Collective, and French Kiss in Hanging Loose Magazine, Issue #117. This magazine published one of Stetz鈥檚 first poems when she was just 16 years old.

In July, she added Finding Virginia in The Courtship of Winds and Quiet in Thimble Literary Magazine. These accomplishments highlight Stetz鈥檚 dual focus on research and creative writing, as well as her ability to contribute to both national and international scholarly communities.

In August, Stetz published The Hours, a poem imagining a conversation with Virginia Woolf, in Issue #21 of Last Stanza Poetry Journal, edited by Jenny Kalahar (North Haven, CT: Stackfeed Press, 2025). These publications reflect her ongoing commitment to creative work connected to her scholarly interests and her dedication to elevating literary voices.

Impact and Departmental Significance

Stetz鈥檚 summer activities demonstrate the University鈥檚 commitment to research, creativity and global engagement. By presenting her scholarship at international conferences and publishing widely, she advances the visibility of the Department of Women鈥檚 Studies and the College of Arts and Sciences. Her work connects historical scholarship with contemporary literary creativity, enriching student learning and fostering interdisciplinary exploration. Without such engagement, opportunities for interdisciplinary scholarship and the preservation of women writers鈥� legacies would be limited, underscoring the importance of faculty contributions like hers in achieving the department鈥檚 strategic goals.