We at NCIS are delighted to be able to announce the winners of the 2017 Elizabeth Eisenstein Essay Prize. This year's award drew a strong field: as Committee Chair Joan Cunningham says:
"We had some terrific submissions this year! We all enjoyed reading these papers, and found the decision difficult" In fact, there were some exceptional papers, of which two were neck and neck in the scoring so, rather than name one as winner and the other as runner-up, the EC, in consultation with Prof. Eisenstein's daughter Margaret DeLacy, agreed to split the prize money—and kudos—between two winners.
In alphabetical order, these are:
- Toni Vogel Carey. “Adam Smith’s Invisible Hand: A Brief History.” Adam Smith Review 9 (2017) 88-104.
- Patricia Silver. “Remembering Abuela: Memory, Authenticity and Place in Puerto Rican Orlando.” Latino Studies 13(3): 376-401 (September 2015).
The Eisenstein Committee believes it important to acknowledge the other candidates who were also on the short list (in alphabetical order):
- Amanda J. Haste. “A Third Gender? Expression of Gender Identity in Celibate Monasticism through Words and Music.” Constructing Identity in an Age of Globalization, ed. James E. Block and Amanda J. Haste. Paris: Ex Modio, April 2015.
- Mary E. Zimmer. “Seeking To Become All Things: The Neoplatonic Soul And The Next World In Sir Thomas Browne’s The Garden Of Cyrus.” Modern Language Review, Vol. 112, Part 1 (January 2017). 35‐53.