TWC New Coeditors [Press Release]

Transformative Works and Cultures is pleased to announce that Dr. Mel Stanfill and Dr. Poe Johnson will soon be joining the editorial team as coeditors. Dr. Stanfill is an associate professor at the University of Central Florida in the department of English. Dr. Poe Johnson is an assistant teaching professor in media and communications at Drew University.

Drs. Stanfill and Johnson join TWC as coeditors with the intention to “continue the important work of expanding and diversifying the field, both in objects and approaches” in three key ways: (1) seeking out research that looks at specifically nonwhite and/or non-Western fandoms, (2) featuring work that complicates the transformative/affirmative binary further, and (3) tempering the tendency of the field to be overly celebratory.

Additionally, the incoming editors intend to expand and strengthen the internal structure of TWC. Dr. Stanfill shared that they “look forward to building from the strong foundation Dr. Busse and Dr. Hellekson have cultivated since the journal began while pushing in new directions—and getting to read all the newest, most cutting-edge research before anybody else!” Following that, Dr. Johnson added: “I’m excited to finally be given the opportunity to destroy fan studies from within! In all seriousness, it is truly a pleasure to be working with Dr. Busse and Dr. Hellekson in order to contribute to the legacy of this great journal, while broadening its previous delimitations.”

After fifteen years as founding editors of Transformative Works and Cultures, Dr. Kristina Busse and Dr. Karen Hellekson will be stepping down from their joint role within the next year. Both are thrilled to welcome Drs. Stanfill and Johnson as TWC, and the fan studies field, continues to grow into new areas.