The Catharine Macaulay Prize Winner for 2023:
Fauve Vandenberge: “Frances Brooke's Queer Forms in The Old Maid (1755-56)
This essay presents an exceptionally clear, well-argued claim that the “representations of non-normative and queer lives” in Frances Brooke’s The Old Maid (1755-56) “allow us to question the periodical genre’s supposed central role in establishing and normalizing heteronormativity.” The committee was struck at how Vandenberghe manages to both generously build on a range of previous scholarship and bring in an impressive number of close readings to bolster her argument. Her claim that the periodical’s “open-ended” nature pairs with Brooke’s eidolon Mary Singleton to rupture the progression of her orphaned niece Julia and friend Rosara “towards the logical conclusion of marriage" is particularly compelling. The piece beautifully brings together the queer potential of form and theme with a strong grounding in queer theory and recent eighteenth-century scholarship, illustrating both the expectations for women during the period and possibilities that exist beyond those expectations that were developing in relation to sentiment. The writing itself is especially clear and coherent, leading the reader through a series of complex but well-articulated points with ease and confidence. Overall, this essay represents a clear contribution to conversations around the link between periodicals and the increasing entrenchment of heteronormativity over the course of the century.
Fauve Vandenberge: “Frances Brooke's Queer Forms in The Old Maid (1755-56)
This essay presents an exceptionally clear, well-argued claim that the “representations of non-normative and queer lives” in Frances Brooke’s The Old Maid (1755-56) “allow us to question the periodical genre’s supposed central role in establishing and normalizing heteronormativity.” The committee was struck at how Vandenberghe manages to both generously build on a range of previous scholarship and bring in an impressive number of close readings to bolster her argument. Her claim that the periodical’s “open-ended” nature pairs with Brooke’s eidolon Mary Singleton to rupture the progression of her orphaned niece Julia and friend Rosara “towards the logical conclusion of marriage" is particularly compelling. The piece beautifully brings together the queer potential of form and theme with a strong grounding in queer theory and recent eighteenth-century scholarship, illustrating both the expectations for women during the period and possibilities that exist beyond those expectations that were developing in relation to sentiment. The writing itself is especially clear and coherent, leading the reader through a series of complex but well-articulated points with ease and confidence. Overall, this essay represents a clear contribution to conversations around the link between periodicals and the increasing entrenchment of heteronormativity over the course of the century.
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The Catharine Macaulay Prize deadline for submission: September 15, 2023
The Catharine Macaulay Prize is an annual award made by the Women’s Caucus of ASECS for the best graduate student paper on a feminist or gender studies subject presented at the ASECS Annual Meeting or at any of the regional meetings during the academic year. In addition to special recognition, the prize carries a cash award of $1000. To be eligible for the prize, papers must advance understanding of gender dynamics, women’s experience, and/or women's contributions to eighteenth-century culture, or offer a feminist analysis of any aspect of eighteenth-century culture and/or society. The paper you submit for the prize should be the one you presented at the conference without expansion or significant revision. Submissions for the Catharine Macaulay Prize must be sent directly to the ASECS office for consideration. 2397 NW Kings Blvd PMB 114 Corvallis, OR 97330 or as an email attachment (Word file or PDF) uploaded to this form: https://forms.gle/6qEPUury1SHJojJD6. The winner of the prize will be notified soon after the committee has made its decision and will be announced at the following year’s annual meeting and the Women's Caucus luncheon. |
Past Winners
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