How did you become interested in studying early American literature?
I was led to early American literature through maybe a more untraditional set of questions around affect and the means through which racialized bodies, particularly Black people, have articulated their experiences in the world. I’ve often felt that it wasn’t enough to think linearly about the trajectory of the field or genres within that, especially for authors whose lives and words were always precariously situated. I am fascinated by how early African American scholars (free and enslaved) became prolific theorists through textual performance and narratology. It also highlights a reading practice that offers contemporary scholars a different way of reading (or re-reading) the archives.
Who is your favorite early American writer, or what is your favorite early American text, and why?
Hmm…I think I would have to say Olaudah Equiano’s Interesting Narrative. Although this is a canonical text that scholars commonly turn to as a coordinate in early African American literature for its commercial success, I think that my particular interest in the emotional fixtures of early African American writing has illuminated another set of interests regarding this text. This text has unearthed a different way of thinking about the distinguishing features of autobiography as a literary genre shaped by a particular racialized understanding of relationship and authenticity. Interestingly, especially now, the conversation around relationships and authenticity is so entangled in our social, emotional, and political lives. If we take the time to explore the ways our affective lives shape our perception of early American literature, we can explore even more profound and complex layers in the work of writers like Olaudah Equiano or Phillis Wheatley.
What are you currently working on?
I’ve been working on a newer project based in South Carolina on Black deathways and the funerary industry titled Yonder: Decorative Arts and Material Economies in Black South Carolinian Deathways, 1850-1950. Similar to the work I’ve been doing with Equiano’s narrative, I’m very interested in how an archive is developed in the practices surrounding death through crafting materials, writing obituaries, and more! I began working on this project in June of 2023 (right after the SEA Conference!) while participating in a research institute with the National Endowment of the Humanities, which was co-sponsored by Clemson University and Furman University. I was allowed to explore various archives and go on amazing excursions to survey cemeteries and burial grounds. I’m excited to continue developing the manuscript.
What is something you are reading right now (EAL related or otherwise) that inspires you, either personally or professionally?
I’m currently reading Passed On: African American Mourning Stories by Karla Holloway. I recently began reading Karla Holloway’s book first for my South Carolina project. It has become such a foundational text for me. Holloway really crafts a beautiful historical narrative throughout this text where she interweaves her own experience, moving through the grief process in her own life.
Is there a scholar in the field who inspires you, and why?
There are so many people. The first two that come to mind are Dr. John Saillant at Western Michigan University and Dr. Rhondda Thomas at Clemson University. I work with and have been inspired by both of these scholars. Dr. Saillant’s work on race and desire in the eighteenth century and his mentorship in the field have been invaluable. I really love his work on John Thompson’s narrative in his article titled, “A sailor’s kin: Faith, sexuality, and antislavery, 1840-1856.” I met Dr. Rhondda Thomas last summer during the NEH research institute titled “Reconstructing the Black Archive: South Carolina as Case Study.” It was such a wonderful experience. Dr. Thomas’s work in Call My Name, Clemson is incredible and has influenced the kind of literary, historical, and public humanities project I wish to do in the future.
Aaron Brown is Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies at California State University, San Bernardino.