Comparative Literature Studies
Encyclopedia
Comparative Literature Studies is an academic journal
in the field of comparative literature
. It publishes essays ranging across the traditions of Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America. Articles also explore movements, themes, forms, the history of ideas, relations between authors, and the foundations of literary and cultural criticism and theory. Each issue includes reviews of significant books of literary criticism that fall under the rubric of comparative literature noted above.
Volumes 4, no. 3 (1967) to 23, no. 4 (1986) were published at the University of Illinois at Urbana under the auspices of its Program in Comparative Literature. From volume 24, no. 1 (1987), it began to be published by the Penn State University Press
. Aldridge continued as editor throughout, but with issue 24.1, Stanley Weintraub joined him as co-editor. In 1989, Aldridge became editor emeritus and Gerhard F. Strasser joined Stanley Weintraub as co-editor. In 1992, beginning with volume 29, no. 3, Stanley Weintraub also became editor emeritus and Robert R. Edwards became editor-in-chief. Since 2001, Thomas O. Beebee is editor-in-chief.
. The journal is published under the auspices of the Department of Comparative Literature in the College of the Liberal Arts at the Pennsylvania State University
.
located in Mishima
, Japan.
and supported by the Department of Comparative Literature at Penn State. The award carries a monetary prize as well, including an honorarium and help with travel expenses to attend the American Comparative Literature Association meeting.
Academic journal
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
in the field of comparative literature
Comparative literature
Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the literature of two or more different linguistic, cultural or national groups...
. It publishes essays ranging across the traditions of Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America. Articles also explore movements, themes, forms, the history of ideas, relations between authors, and the foundations of literary and cultural criticism and theory. Each issue includes reviews of significant books of literary criticism that fall under the rubric of comparative literature noted above.
History
Comparative Literature Studies was first published in 1963 at The University of Maryland at College Park by the founding editors, Alfred Owen Aldridge and Melvin J. Friedman. The first issue, published in 1963, was a special advance issue; it was "devoted entirely to the Proceedings of the First Triennial Meeting of the American Comparative Literature Association." The regular issues began to be published the next year, in 1964, with four issues each year. In their introductory written remarks on the establishment of the journal and its purpose printed in the first issue, the editors emphasized that the journal would "feature articles on literary history and the history of ideas, with particular emphasis on European literary relations with both North and South America." It gradually broadened this focus to include literature from Asia and Africa as well. Aldridge continued as editor through 1988. The journal's prize competition for best comparative essay by a graduate student is named after him.Volumes 4, no. 3 (1967) to 23, no. 4 (1986) were published at the University of Illinois at Urbana under the auspices of its Program in Comparative Literature. From volume 24, no. 1 (1987), it began to be published by the Penn State University Press
Penn State University Press
The Penn State University Press, also called Penn State Press was established in 1956, and is a non-profit publisher of scholarly books and journals. It is the independent publishing branch of the Pennsylvania State University and is a division of the Penn State University Library system...
. Aldridge continued as editor throughout, but with issue 24.1, Stanley Weintraub joined him as co-editor. In 1989, Aldridge became editor emeritus and Gerhard F. Strasser joined Stanley Weintraub as co-editor. In 1992, beginning with volume 29, no. 3, Stanley Weintraub also became editor emeritus and Robert R. Edwards became editor-in-chief. Since 2001, Thomas O. Beebee is editor-in-chief.
Institutional affiliation
Comparative Literature Studies is currently published by the Penn State University Press and is distributed by the Johns Hopkins University PressJohns Hopkins University Press
The Johns Hopkins University Press is the publishing division of the Johns Hopkins University. It was founded in 1878 and holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously running university press in the United States. The Press publishes books, journals, and electronic databases...
. The journal is published under the auspices of the Department of Comparative Literature in the College of the Liberal Arts at the Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
.
Special issues
Every two years, one of the regular issues concerns East-West literary and cultural relations and is edited in conjunction with members of the College of International Relations at Nihon UniversityNihon University
Nihon University is the largest university in Japan. Akiyoshi Yamada, the minister of justice, founded Nihon Law School in October 1889....
located in Mishima
Mishima, Shizuoka
is a city located in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2009, the city has an estimated population of 112,078 and a population density of 1,800 persons per km². The total area is 62.13 km²...
, Japan.
A. Owen Aldridge Prize
Comparative Literature Studies publishes an annual prize-paper written by a graduate student. The competition is named in honor of A. Owen Aldridge, founder of the journal. The purpose of this competition is to encourage and recognize excellence in scholarship among graduate students and to reward the highest achievement by publication. This project is sponsored in cooperation with the American Comparative Literature AssociationAmerican Comparative Literature Association
The American Comparative Literature Association is the principal learned society in the United States for scholars whose work connects several different literary traditions and cultures or that examines the premises of cross-cultural literary study...
and supported by the Department of Comparative Literature at Penn State. The award carries a monetary prize as well, including an honorarium and help with travel expenses to attend the American Comparative Literature Association meeting.