Remembering Joel Myerson
It is with deep sadness and fond memories that we mourn the passing of Joel Myerson, who died on November 19, 2021. Joel was a giant in the field of American literary studies, and he played an indispensable role in the founding of the Louisa May Alcott Society, serving as the Society’s first President from its founding in 2005 to 2008. He authored or edited more than 60 books, including several volumes that have been essential to scholarship on Alcott, Emerson, Transcendentalism, Concord, and so much more. Just as his scholarship reshaped nineteenth-century literary studies, his mentorship and his always gracious support and personal kindness nurtured and advanced the careers of so many in the field. We offer our condolences to all of Joel’s family and friends, and we offer these personal tributes as our way of remembering him and his place in our lives. Remembering Joel Myerson When I first met Joel in 1977 at the annual gathering of the Modern Language Association in Chicago, he was