Candidates: 2024 EDIS Member-at-Large Election

Standing for: Member-at-Large

• • Irene Lopez Sanchez
  • Name: Irene Lopez Sanchez
  • Candidate Statement:
    I recently completed my PhD in American Studies, titled “The Possibility of Happiness in Emily Dickinson’s Writings.” As an interdisciplinary research encompassing American literature, history and philosophy, this project was awarded the Vice Chancellor's Scholarship by the University of Kent (UK). This research offers the first systematic study of the idea of happiness from the perspective of Emily Dickinson, and it is rooted in the belief that Dickinson’s ways of writing, thinking, and living offer a new standpoint on the path toward a better understanding of what it means to lead a life worth living. As a candidate for the EDIS Member-at-Large position, I am pleased about the opportunity to contribute to the Society by assisting with its website and conference planning, as well as engaging with its international communities. For instance, I might support the Society by fostering a local Dickinson Community in Barcelona (Spain) that focuses on Dickinson’s work in the Catalan language.
• • Kimberly Ann Southwick-Thompson
  • Name: Kimberly Ann Southwick-Thompson
  • Candidate Statement:
    My dual identities as a poet and scholar make me a compelling candidate for the open EDIS Member-at-Large position. In 2023, my debut collection of poetry, Orchid Alpha came out, and I teach both Creative Writing and Literature at Jacksonville State University in Alabama, USA. I have been present at the EDIS conferences/annual members meetings since my membership began. As the founder and editor of the literary-arts journal, Gigantic Sequins, I have connections in the small press poetry world that could be beneficial for the society, particularly with its goals of increasing visibility and membership. I have experience building a social media following from running the journal as well, and I currently serve on the Website Committee of EDIS, overseeing our social media posts. I am also a co-admin on the EDIS Discord, where I hope my experience from the JSU chapter of the UCW/CWA union might be of use as EDIS begins to work on moving its Communities to that platform. When I first met many of the EDIS members in Sevilla, I was struck by everyone’s warmth and enthusiasm. I hope to continue to spread that warmth to potential new members as a Member-at-Large. I would be happy to bring my perspective and experience as someone living in the American South who is both poet and scholar to this role.