We the Associate Editors are launching our blog ALT-AC this month. We haven’t set the exact launch date but have written a brief introduction:

ALT-AC is a dynamic, responsive platform within the Journal of American Studies dedicated to engaging with the evolving landscape of American culture, politics, and society in real time. Moving beyond the traditional boundaries of academic publishing, ALT-AC offers a space where scholars, writers, and practitioners can reflect on urgent issues as they unfold, bridging the gap between scholarly analysis and contemporary public discourse.

The blog foregrounds a wide range of topics central to American Studies, including literature, popular culture, history and politics, while also amplifying conversations around community outreach, social justice, and grassroots activism. It is equally committed to exploring the complexities of American history and its ongoing reverberations, particularly in relation to trauma, memory, and processes of rehabilitation and repair.

By fostering timely, accessible, and critically engaged contributions, ALT-AC seeks to cultivate an inclusive intellectual community that responds to the immediacy of the present moment without losing sight of historical context. In doing so, it reimagines American Studies as an active, interventionist field—one that not only interprets the world but participates in shaping it.

ALT-AC’s featured contributions will typically be between 800 to 1000 words long. Source citation is required and a suggested reading list designed with non-specialists in mind is recommended.

Nicole Gipson and Ahmed Honeini