Living the Comedia: Essays Celebrating Amy Williamsen, Volume 2 Esther Fernández, J. Yuri Porras Amy Williamsen (1959-2019) was a beloved teacher, scholar, colleague and mentor to those fortunate enough to have known and worked with her during her magnificent career at Occidental College (1985-1989), the University of Arizona (1989-2011), and the University of North Carolina Greensboro (2011-2019). Her impressive publication record includes the monograph Co(s)mic Chaos: Exploring Los trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda (Juan de la Cuesta, 1994), five co-edited volumes (The University Press of the South published one of them, Engendering the Early Modern Stage) and dozens of articles. Her exemplary record of teaching and service is more difficult to quantify, but her leadership and mentorship left an indelible mark on every institution and organization for which she worked, and on every student and scholar she taught and led. During her career, Amy's advocacy for underrepresented voices and her commitment to the causes of equality, diversity and inclusion constituted a unifying thread that linked her diverse intellectual, professional and social interests. From examining the social and cultural margins of Early Modern Spain in her scholarship to working with organizations to promote social justice in her community, Amy worked tirelessly to lift up the voices of all, and to show that by doing so we can better understand and appreciate our shared humanity. The essays collected in these volumes reflect both the substance and impact of her professional legacy. Essays are linked by their thematic resonance with Amy's own eclectic scholarship: Living the Comedia reflects her passion for Spanish Golden Age literature as a series of complex, lived cultural experiences, while Peculiar Lives in Early Modern Spain celebrates her fascination with how studying social margins can enhance our understanding of society as a whole. By presenting the scholarship of prominent established and emerging voices in the field of Early Modern Spanish studies, both volumes demonstrate the deep appreciation of a community of scholars that continue to draw inspiration from her. |
