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English
Professor, Writer, and Editor Dr. Kristen...
No stranger to Gallaudet University Press (GUP), English Professor Dr. Kristen Harmon is excited to step into the role as its Interim Director. She draws on her experience at GUP as a peer reviewer, co-editor (with Jennifer Nelson) of two prose anthologies, and editor for the series “Classics in Deaf Studies” and “Deaf Lives.”
Harmon has taught English at Gallaudet since 1999 and was VL2’s Communication Director from 2010 to 2013. As a professor, she has taught courses including literature, composition, creative writing, theory, research, narrative methodologies, and writing for social media. Harmon has also completed a year of coursework in the George Washington University MA in e-publishing. Read more about Harmon, GUP, and her plans for the future in the interview below, and watch her video introducing herself.
Q: What is most appealing to you about heading up GU Press?
In addition to appreciating the value and importance of university presses–especially in providing peer-reviewed information–I have really enjoyed my work with the Press and their staff over the years. I look forward to being a part of a team that continues to highlight and amplify scholarship both from within and outside of Gallaudet’s academic community.
Q: Can you give us an in-house history lesson about GUP?
In 1980, the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees formally established and chartered Gallaudet University Press. In the beginning, the Press focused primarily on children’s books and ASL reference texts and it was one of the first publishers to publish groundbreaking research in fields related to deaf people and deafness, particularly deaf history, deaf studies, interpreting, and signed language linguistics. The catalog now has 360 active titles.
An interesting fact about the two journals that the Press publishes is that one, American Annals of the Deaf, predates Gallaudet University and had an important role in the early discussions of Deaf education and bilingualism. The other one, Sign Language Studies, was founded over 50 years ago by William Stokoe.
Q: What have you most appreciated about working here?
What I love about teaching and working here at Gallaudet is that there’s always an opportunity to do something a little different, or to learn something, or to develop something new. Every week, every semester, is different, and I like the opportunity to try and learn new things. And of course, every semester’s students are my favorite students–until I meet the next semester’s group!
Q: You are a prolific writer–what are your favorite kinds of pieces to write?
My favorite kind of writing is the writing that is done and proofread and sent off to the editor!
There’s not really one kind of writing that I really prefer over the other because different genres, purposes, and audiences demand such different skills and content. Most of my published work is academic (chapters, journal articles, anthologies, etc.) but I have also published quite a few short stories and personal essays, mostly in Deaf publications.
Q: What are your favorite things to read? What are you reading now, and do you have any book recommendations for the GU community to check out?
Right now, I’m getting up to speed on the GUP catalog. Typically, I have a roster of different authors and genres that I alternate reading during my off time. The most powerful recent book that I’ve read is Octavia Butler’s speculative fiction novel, Parable of the Sower, which is set in 2024 going onward until 2027. Eerie.
Q: Do you have any new ideas or plans for GU Press that you’d like to share with the community at this time?
We’re continuing to find and develop ways to provide bilingual access to our peer-reviewed scholarship, so check out some recent publications that augment the text through direct links to video clips, accessible through QR codes:
As part of this work, we’re also thinking about what it might mean to be ASL first with scholarship. All of this thinking will be developed and fine-tuned as part of our strategic plan for acquisitions.
If readers have ideas for book projects, do find us on the 4th floor of Peet Hall or email me. You can also check out information on submitting a proposal on our website.
Q: Is there anything else about GUP that you would like to share with the community?
A fun fact is that the updated logo and visual branding for the Press was designed by a Deaf graphic artist and designer, Ryan Seslow. He took architectural design elements from Ole Jim and incorporated them into the logo. The vision for the logo was to interpret the rich history and legacy of Gallaudet in a modern (and perhaps unexpected) way, with the goal of honoring the past as we continue to innovate in the present and beyond. Read more about Ryan’s design process on the GU Press blog.
GUP is the only academic press with a mission to publish content that advances knowledge and recognition of deaf people, deaf communities, and signed languages, both in America and internationally. With 360 active titles and six books coming out in 2025, GUP is working on offering more ebooks and ASL content, including signed chapter summaries and resources linked with a book.
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