May and June: Engaging in International Scholarship

Margaret Stetz, Mae and Robert Carter Professor of Women’s Studies and Professor of Humanities at the University of Delaware, had a busy summer publishing new works of poetry and presenting her poetry and research at conferences and seminars, both nationally and internationally.

Stetz is renowned as an expert in women and material culture, women's representations of war, women's comedy and late-Victorian feminism. She is particularly knowledgeable about British women's literature and art from the 19th-21st century.

She is also an accomplished and prolific poet who continues to be widely published. Through her poetry, Stetz explores historical women writers, memory and literary imagination, demonstrating the integration of creative and scholarly work.

Presentations

Stetz began the summer with a hybrid scholarly seminar at the University of Essex in the United Kingdom. Held on May 7, 2025, and organized by the university’s Centre for Interdisciplinary Literary Studies, where Stetz serves as an advisory board member, the seminar focused on The Mune by Susan Dawes. The discussion examined how neo-Victorian feminist fantasy portrays “fallen women” of different races and classes establishing a progressive society on a 19th-century island. Stetz’s participation highlighted her expertise in feminist literary studies and her commitment to international collaboration.

Additionally, Stetz presented at the Decadence and War conference at Goldsmiths, University of London, sponsored by the British Association of Decadence Studies and the Decadence Research Centre. Her talk, “Late-Victorian and Neo-Victorian Women Writers on War: From E. Nesbit to Sandi Toksvig,” examined the unexpected ways avant-garde late-19th-century women poets supported British imperialism and how Sandi Toksvig’s 2012 novel Valentine Grey reflects these historical tensions.

In July, Stetz participated in the Research Society for Victorian Periodicals conference, “Voices and Visions,” at Loyola University, Chicago, delivering a paper titled “Harland vs. Wedmore: Men’s Visions and Women’s Voices in The Yellow Book and The Savoy, January 1896.”

Publications

Stetz had several new poems that intersect with her academic work published over the summer as well.

In June, four poems were released. These include Commencement in Steam Ticket: A Third Coast Review, Shoreline in Her House Magazine, Circadian Rhythms published online in Feminine Collective, and French Kiss in Hanging Loose Magazine, Issue #117. This magazine published one of Stetz’s first poems when she was just 16 years old.

In July, she added Finding Virginia in The Courtship of Winds and Quiet in Thimble Literary Magazine. These accomplishments highlight Stetz’s dual focus on research and creative writing, as well as her ability to contribute to both national and international scholarly communities.

In August, Stetz published The Hours, a poem imagining a conversation with Virginia Woolf, in Issue #21 of Last Stanza Poetry Journal, edited by Jenny Kalahar (North Haven, CT: Stackfeed Press, 2025). These publications reflect her ongoing commitment to creative work connected to her scholarly interests and her dedication to elevating literary voices.

Impact and Departmental Significance

Stetz’s summer activities demonstrate the University’s commitment to research, creativity and global engagement. By presenting her scholarship at international conferences and publishing widely, she advances the visibility of the Department of Women’s Studies and the College of Arts and Sciences. Her work connects historical scholarship with contemporary literary creativity, enriching student learning and fostering interdisciplinary exploration. Without such engagement, opportunities for interdisciplinary scholarship and the preservation of women writers’ legacies would be limited, underscoring the importance of faculty contributions like hers in achieving the department’s strategic goals.