ISSUE 1 (Summer 2009) ISSN 2009-2377
IJASonline
Irish Journal of American Studies
Welcome to the first issue of IJASonline, the official journal of the Irish Association for American Studies.
Following the publication of volumes 13 and 14 of the Irish Journal of American Studies in April 2007, the IAAS executive committee took the decision to explore the possibility of publishing the journal online. One of the reasons for taking this decision had to do with the increasing cost of producing a print journal, but a number of existing online journals, most notably the Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies, showed what could be achieved in terms of audience outreach and design potential by publishing an academic journal online. IJASonline provides a location where the best work being done by Americanists everywhere can find an attractive and engaging space for scholarly and intellectual exchange. The editors of this inaugural issue look forward to receiving feedback from readers that will help the journal to realise its potential to become the premier publication for American studies research in Ireland.
IJASonline is a peer-reviewed journal published once a year, usually to coincide with the annual conference of the IAAS. Submissions are welcomed from scholars working in all of the various areas of American Studies, from art history and architecture to literature and film studies, history, music and philosophy to politics, economics, geography and the other social sciences. The editorial board will gladly consider articles from scholars at all stages of their academic development, and decisions about whether to publish submissions or not will be made solely on the basis of scholarly merit, as determined by the journal's external reviewers. Further information about submitting work to the journal is provided in the submissions section. IJASonline welcomes articles that explore the historical connections between Ireland and the United States of America, but it seeks to promote discussions that challenge and extend understandings of those spaces in various cultural and theoretical discourses. Articles that explore aspects of non-US American culture or history are therefore welcomed, as are submissions that challenge traditional or conventional understandings of "American Studies".
This issue of IJASonline was edited by Philip Coleman (Executive Editor, Trinity College Dublin), Alan Gibbs (University College Cork), Lee M. Jenkins (University College Cork), Maria Johnston (Reviews Editor, Trinity College Dublin), and Sinéad McEneaney (University of Essex). The editorial board was advised by Michael Hinds (Mater Dei Institute, Dublin City University), Kathleen McCracken (University of Ulster), Sharon Monteith (University of Nottingham), Peter Rawlings (University of the West of England), Kerry Sinanan (University of the West of England), Andrew Taylor (University of Edinburgh), Elaine Tyler May (University of Minnesota), and Gwenda Young (University College Cork) . The board gratefully acknowledges the technical advice and assistance that was provided by Elizabeth McCarthy and Clare Hayes Brady. Anthony Caleshu, Ron Callan, Brian Cliff, Tom Hayes, Agnes Koppányi, Stephen Matterson, Bernice Murphy, and Fionnghuala Sweeney also provided valuable editorial, technical, and moral support.
One of the advantages of producing an online journal is that errors can be corrected after an issue has been published, and readers are therefore encouraged to contact the editor if any typographical or, indeed, factual mistakes are found in the pieces included in this issue. Every effort has been made to ensure that the text is free of typos, but the editors apologise if any remain undetected. Every effort has also been made to acknowledge works quoted, but the editors will be happy to insert further acknowledgements if they are deemed necessary. Copyright for all items published in IJASonline is held jointly by the individual authors and the journal, and prior approval must be obtained from authors and editors before material is reproduced elsewhere. Fair usage procedures are followed in quoting from primary and secondary sources throughout IJASonline.
IJASonline 1 includes seven new articles based on recent research by scholars with diverse interests from a wide range of backgrounds. Some of the essays examine topics that touch on questions of Irish-American identity and Irish perspectives of the United States: Johannah Duffy writes on the reception of jazz and the construction of Irish identity during the early decades of the twentieth century, Brian Hanley explores the roles played by Irish republicans in New York during the interwar period, while Victoria Kennefick and Aoileann Ní Éigeartaigh examine the ways that Frank O'Connor and Joseph O'Connor respectively engage the transatlantic in their works. The transatlantic dimension is explored by Tara Stubbs also in her essay on Marianne Moore's American-Irish inheritance, while the question of nationalism as a distinctly American concern is considered by Nathanael O'Reilly in his essay on the first edition of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. The issue also includes an essay by Áine Kelly that explores the writing of philosophy in the work of Stanley Cavell.
The essays by Duffy, Hanley, and Stubbs draw on recent research conducted in various archives and libraries, and their work therefore refers to materials which are being discussed here for the first time. IJASonline 1 also sees the publication of a memoir piece by Peggy O'Brien and an important interview with architect Kevin Roche by art historian Ellen Rowley. The issue contains an extensive reviews section, with contributions from Justin Quinn, David Wheatley, and others on a range of recent publications that will be of interest to readers of American history, politics, poetry, and popular culture.
Readers of IJASonline are encouraged to submit articles for consideration, and they are asked to send ideas for reviews and other items to the editor. All suggestions will be considered, and it is hoped that the website will in time host a blog where readers and contributors can exchange ideas online. Readers are of course also asked to consider joining the Irish Association for American Studies, which is responsible for maintaining and funding this website, and to check the IAAS News section regularly for updates regarding IAAS activities and events.
