The editors at aspeers recognize the quality and importance of work being done at the graduate level in European American studies institutions. Advanced students all over Europe produce outstanding and innovative American studies scholarship. However, many excellent student theses, essays, and papers are not receiving the attention they deserve.
Therefore, aspeers seeks to give emerging scholars a voice: A platform to showcase their work beyond the graduate classroom and a forum for discussion and exchange. We believe that such wider circulation of graduate scholarship has great potential to further energize the field of American studies. At the same time, aspeers offers emerging scholars the unique opportunity to publish and get recognition for their research at an early point in their careers.
In its initial issue, aspeers sought to produce a snapshot of graduate American Studies in Europe. Contributors to the academic section of the first issue thus had no topical limitations. We welcomed work focusing on any aspect of the study of 'America,' with America being defined as North America. Contributors to the issue's art section, however, were asked to reflect on the theme "Transatlantic Encounters." Here the editors of aspeers invited creative interpretations and direct response to this topic.
As of its second issue, aspeers has featured a topical focus for academic submissions as well in order to spotlight individual issues within American studies. For more information on the upcoming issue, please reference our call for papers or visit our website at www.aspeers.com.
The Project
aspeers is a project within the American Studies Leipzig MA Program in Leipzig, Germany. The members of the reviewing editorial staff are MA students in the program. aspeers is currently the only peer-reviewed publication channel for graduate students in European American studies programs. As of January 2009, the aspeers e.V. handles all business aspects of the project.
The first issue of aspeers has been available online and in print since spring 2008.
The second issue, organized around the topic of "Migration and Mobility" was published in early 2009.
The third issue, published in the spring of 2010, centered on "Crime in America."
The fourth issue addressed the topic "Nature and Technology, Revisited" and was published in April 2011.
The fifth issue focused on "American Food Cultures" and was published in spring 2012.
The sixth issue, published in April 2013, revolved around "American Memories."
The seventh issue (2014) was centered on "American Anxieties."
The eight issue (2015) focused on "American Health"
The ninth issue (2016) featured a topical section on "American Youth."
The tenth issue, released in 2017, celebrated ten years of aspeers with an issue focusing on monstrosity, the frontier, and the apocalypse.
The eleventh issue (2018) began a new decade of aspeers with a focus on "Alternative Americas."
The twelfth issue (2019) featured a topical section on "American Anger."
The thirteenth issue (2020) switched the focus to "Pride and Shame in America."
The fourteenth issue (2021) looked at "Narratives of American Colonization and Imperialism."
The fifteenth issue (2022) focused on the topic of "American Bodies."