C19: America in the 19th Century Society of Nineteenth-Century Americanists

Since May 2021, G19: The Graduate Student Collective of C19 has produced and published The New Book Forum, an online interview series that facilitates conversations between graduate students and the author of a recent book in the field of 19th-century American literature. This episode is hosted by the forum’s founders, Rachael DeWitt (Columbia University), Max Chapnick (Northeastern University), and Allison (Ally) Fulton (University of California Davis) who discuss the project’s beginnings and the insights they’ve gleaned since. They share a short selection from an April 2023 interview with Autumn Womack on her book The Matter of Black Living (2022), and then reflect on three years of conversations on new directions in the field, scholarly publication, and bringing the nineteenth century into the classroom. They wrap up by discussing some favorite interview moments and anticipate where the forum is headed in the future. Post-production support by Julia Bernier (Washington & Jefferson College). Full transcript available at https://bit.ly/S07E05Transcript

In this episode, Kassie Jo Baron (University of Tennessee at Martin) and Karah M. Mitchell (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) investigate the popularity and representation of “sagacious” Newfoundland dogs in nineteenth-century American literature. The episode begins with an overview of animal studies as a theoretical framework for analyzing the relationship between animals, history, and literature. Keeping this framework in mind, Kassie and Karah investigate how and why Newfoundlands, or “Newfies,” became so ubiquitous across the nineteenth-century United States. The Newfoundland’s association with loyalty, water rescue, and maritime industry means it’s no surprise that they appeared in the public and private writings of Lewis and Clark, Herman Melville, Edgar Allan Poe, and Emily Dickinson. This episode ultimately theorizes the conditions that led to the rise and fall of Newfoundlands’ popularity in the nineteenth century–what they represented and how they were viewed–and their impact on literary production. Post-production support by Ryan Charlton (Georgia State University). Transcript available at bit.ly/S07E04Transcript.

In this episode, Paul Fess (LaGuardia Community College) explores the connections between Martin Delany and the songwriters Joshua McCarter Simpson and Stephen Foster. Embedded in the mix of Delany’s novel Blake; or, The Huts of America are several songs that invoke some of Foster’s most familiar melodies, such as those associated with the songs “Oh! Susanna” and “Uncle Ned.” Digging through the archive, scholars have discovered these parodies to be the work of the relatively obscure Joshua McCarter Simpson, an activist in Ohio’s Colored Conventions movement, a conductor on the underground railroad, and, with the publication of his Original Anti-Slavery Songs, the first African American to produce a songbook of original compositions.

This episode examines how Delany and Simpson strategically repurpose Foster's sentimentalism-infused melodies, navigating the racial complexities of antebellum culture. While Foster aimed to soften the degrading aspects of minstrelsy, Delany and Simpson use these melodies to create a Black abolitionist discourse, challenging sentimental aesthetics. The novel's characters, like Simpson's lyrics, redefine the nostalgic longing in Foster's songs, emphasizing the harsh realities of enslaved life. Delany and Simpson employ music as a tool for political activism, crafting a counterhegemonic discourse and fostering a sense of collective resistance against enslavement. Post-production support provided by DeLisa D. Hawkes (University of Tennessee, Knoxville). Transcript available at https://bit.ly/S07E03Transcript. Additional resources available at https://bit.ly/S07E03Resources.

In this episode, we look forward to the upcoming C19 Conference, to be held March 14-16 in Pasadena, California. Jessica Van Gilder (University of Kentucky) interviews Chair of the C19 Program Committee Lara Langer Cohen (Swarthmore College) and G19 leader and editor Courtney Murray (Pennsylvania State University) to discuss the theme and location of the conference and offer practical advice for first-time participants. Along the way, we’ll check in with some of our past podcast contributors—Spencer Tricker (Clark University), Carie Schneider (Cameron University), Sean Gordon (California State University, Fresno), and Vanessa Ovalle Perez (California State University, San Bernardino)—all of whom will be attending this year’s conference. For additional information, the conference program is available online at c19theend.com/program. This episode was produced by Julia Bernier (Washington and Jefferson College), Crystal Donkor (SUNY New Paltz), Genevieve Johnson-Smith (Newcastle University), Lizzy LeRud (Minot State University), Stefan Schöberlein (Texas A&M University-Central Texas), Jessica Van Gilder (University of Kentucky), Ashley Rattner (Jacksonville State University), and Ryan Charlton (Georgia State University). Full episode transcript available: bit.ly/C19Podcast-S07E02-transcript

UPDATE: Unfortunately, Vanessa Ovalle Perez will no longer be able to attend the conference.

In this episode, Eagan Dean (Rutgers University, New Brunswick) makes the case that trans studies is an important new area for nineteenth century cultural history and that the stakes of this scholarship are higher than ever. Featuring author Peyton Thomas and scholars Rebekkah Mulholland (California State University, Sacramento) and Jen Manion (Amherst College), Eagan Dean gives an overview of current scholarship in the field and opportunities for intervention from C19 scholars, as well as tips for adding trans studies insights to your teaching. This episode also includes a sampling of cutting-edge scholarship in nineteenth century trans studies from the April 2023 Rutgers symposium on The Trans Nineteenth Century. Additional resources are available at https://bit.ly/StudyingTransnessResources and you can find the episode transcript at https://bit.ly/C19Podcast-S07E01-transcript.

How does an enslaved woman's song from 1830s in Georgia end up on a 1950s radio program in South Africa and in a modern singing class? This is the surprising story of an African-born woman named Tena, whose music has echoed for generations across continents, airwaves, and even college classrooms. Mary Caton Lingold (Virginia Commonwealth University) first encountered Tena’s song in a book of sheet music by Carl Sandburg but a series of events led her to uncover details about Tena’s life in living memories of her enslavers’ descendants and in archival recordings and documents. This episode is about Tena's life and legacy, the challenges of researching enslaved women’s lives, and how sound and performance can open up new ways of engaging with the past.

This episode was created and produced by Mary Caton Lingold (Virginia Commonwealth University) with post-production help from Kristie Schlauraff. Episode transcript available here: https://bit.ly/BestofLingold