The executive board of the American Folklore Society has selected Mason folklore faculty as the next editors of the Journal of American Folklore. Lisa Gilman, Editor-in-chief, along with associate editors, Benjamin Gatling, Debra Lattanzi Shutika, and Lijun Zhang, will edit the journal through 2023. The Folklore Program’s editorship is generously supported by Mason’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
JAF has been the quarterly journal of the American Folklore Society since the society's founding in 1888. It publishes scholarly articles, notes, commentaries, creative work, and reviews of books, exhibitions and events, films, sound recordings, and digital/online resources. As the flagship publication of the society, JAF reflects the concerns of members in both the academic and public spheres and publishes materials on folklore from across the world.
When asked about her new position as Editor-in-Chief, Gilman said while the task at times seems daunting, she is “looking forward to serving the field and contributing to shaping the journal in the next few years.” Gilman said she hopes to prioritize “engaging with issues of diversity” and to identify ways to “create more opportunities for dialogue between folklorists and those in allied fields within the publication.”
Gilman credited the work of the Mason-based editorial team. She is delighted to be part of a group of scholars who are as excited about shaping the journal as she is. Mason Folklore’s editorship of JAF proves to increase the program’s visibility on a national scale.
February 24, 2020