Abstract
PLL: Papers of Language and Literature is a generalist, transnational journal that publishes peer-reviewed academic work in literary studies, as well as in language, broadly defined: translation, digital humanities, and visual languages. It has been housed at SIUE for 60 years and has been self-supporting all this time (i.e. reliant exclusively on subscriptions and reprint permissions). In the last 12 years, under my editorship, the journal has undergone an update via a new website, a FB and then X profile, and book podcasts. The scope of authors has broadened in that time, in terms of both numbers and diversity. The focus on giving junior scholars and/or faculty at non-elite institution access to peer-reviewed publishing has also proven effective. Currently, the journal is undergoing its “oceanic journey”: the majority of our submissions come from scholars from the Global South. An old-fashioned journal that used to publish essays on Hemingway written by retired Midwestern professors is recasting itself as an international publication that accepts work ranging in its coverage from masculinity in Arab novels, to European experimental documentary, and Blue Humanities in Central Asia. In my presentation, I will ponder the rewards and challenges of this transition that include 1) working with global Englishes; 2) finding peer-reviewers; 3) negotiating publication practices that uphold both PLL standards and principles of diversity; 4) looking at a greater variety of theoretical approaches, and 5) mentoring junior faculty.
Presenters
Helena GurfinkelProfessor, English Language and Literature, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Illinois, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2025 Special Focus—Oceanic Journeys: Multicultural Approaches in Publishing Practices
KEYWORDS
Academic Publishing, Academic Journals, Global Publishing Practices, Publishing Challenges
