Amanda Louise Johnson

Amanda Louise Johnson serves as Assistant Professor of English and World Literature at Pitzer College since 2023, specializing in pre-1900 transatlantic literary traditions within the English and World Literature Field Group.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University
• M.A. from University of York (UK)
• B.A. from University of Chicago

Professor Johnson's research interrogates intersections of race, colonialism, and literary form across Early Hemispheric American Literature, 19th-Century US literature, and Atlantic World contexts. She examines Southern Gothic traditions, Caribbean literary production, and Critical Race Theory applications to canonical texts, frequently analyzing how power structures manifest in narrative frameworks from colonial encounters to antebellum America. Her methodological approach blends archival research with critical theory to deconstruct racialized literary canons.

Recent publications reveal consistent scholarly engagement with early American intellectual history, particularly Thomas Jefferson's literary engagements and transatlantic Romanticism. Her work demonstrates interdisciplinary rigor through digital humanities applications (e.g., social network analysis) and reference scholarship, while maintaining critical focus on racial capitalism and colonial discourse in Anglophone literature.

Her achievements include:

• Nomination for 1921 Prize for Best Essay in American Literature (2021)
• Nomination for James Clifford L. Prize for 18th-century literature scholarship (2017)
• Eric Hoffer Award 1st place in reference category (2020)
• Evvy awards finalist for reference work (2020)

No current advisees or grant funding are documented in her public profile. Conference presentations indicate active scholarly participation across major associations including MLA, SEA, and ASECS, though no dedicated research labs or collaborative teams are specified.