Isabel Kalous

Dr. Isabel Kalous is a Senior Lecturer in American Studies at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). Her research intersects African American literature, travel writing, and ecological humanities, with a focus on reproductive justice, climate fiction, and cultural mobility.

• Education: Dr. phil. (2020) and M.A. (2013) in English/American Studies
• Current Roles: Study Advisor for American Studies, Webmaster for the Chair of American Studies

Research Interests include:

• Non-motherhood and ecological antinatalism in American literature
• Environmental sentimentality in climate fiction
• African American travel narratives from the antebellum period to modern times
• Interdisciplinary work in the research training group “The Sentimental in Literature, Culture, and Politics”
• Project “Semantiken des Verzichts” (2023-24) funded by the Bavarian Academy of Sciences

Academic Contributions reflect trends in postcolonial travel writing, surveillance culture, and slavery narratives. Her work bridges literary analysis with social justice themes.

Scientific Awards:

• Dartmouth Stipend (2024) for American Studies Summer Institute
• BAA Fellowship (2023)
• Dr.-Herbert-Stolzenberg Teaching Award (2018)
• Yale Post-Graduate Research Fellowship (2015)
• Multiple travel grants for conference participation

Teaching Activities include courses on American Civilization, Eco-Apocalypse Literature, Climate Change Fiction, and Slavery/Resistance in African American Literature across FAU, University of Passau, and JLU Giessen.