Allyson Stack

Dr. Allyson Stack is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing & English Literature at the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (University of Edinburgh). Her work focuses on 19th-20th century North American fiction, particularly Edith Wharton and Willa Cather, alongside psychoanalytic theory (Jean Laplanche) and feminist theory. She teaches postgraduate courses like Acts of Storytelling: Narrator, Text, Audience and Exploring the Novel, and undergraduate courses such as American Innocence and Reading Theory.

• Education:
  • PhD in English Literature, University of Edinburgh (2006)
  • MFA, Arizona State University (1997)
  • BA, Yale University (1991)

Her research combines Edith Wharton studies, psychoanalytic theory, and phenomenology of enchantment, with recent publications analyzing Wharton's travel writing, mental health narratives, and intersections of literature with environmental and cultural theory. She supervises PhD students in American literature but no longer in creative writing.

Key trends in her publications include:

• Psychoanalytic and feminist interpretations of Wharton's work
• Exploration of wonder, enchantment, and sensory experiences
• Interdisciplinary engagement with environmental and cultural theory
• Blending creative writing with literary criticism

Scientific Awards:

• AWP National Director’s Prize for Alligator Juniper
• Pushcart Prize nomination (2012) for story 'The Front'

Advising & Grants: She is a core collaborator in the Royal Society of Edinburgh-funded Arts & Humanities Research Workshop (2017–present) and has served as External Examiner at the University of Aberdeen (2019–2023). Her doctoral research at Edinburgh examined Wharton's work through psychoanalytic and feminist lenses.

Labs & Teams: She co-organized the Life-Writing Colloquium (2020) and contributed to interdisciplinary projects like Until Only the Mountain Remains, which explored creative writing and visual arts intersections.