Louisa May Alcott Society

The Louisa May Alcott Society’s Beverly Lyon Clark Article Prize recognizes scholarly excellence in Alcott studies, and it honors the memory of Professor Beverly Lyon Clark, whose scholarship has had an enormous impact on Alcott Studies. A committee composed of three members of the Louisa May Alcott Society appointed by the Society President chooses the winning article each year. This year’s winner was presented with a certificate and a small cash award at the 2023 American Literature Association Conference in Boston.  The committee would like to express its appreciation of all the work that was submitted for consideration. They felt that every essay offered worthwhile insights. It was difficult to narrow down our selection to just a single prize winner. While the description of the Beverly Lyon Clark Prize mentions only a winning article, they have chosen this year three essays for recognition.  The winner of the inaugural Beverly Lyon Clark Article Prize is Sandra H. Petrulionis for

It is with great pleasure that we announce the winners of the 2023 Sarah Elbert Travel Grants: Lauren Hehmeyer (Independent Scholar) to present “Women in Search of the Sublime: Louisa May Alcott and May Alcott Nieriker” at the Thoreau Gathering in July 2023. Jill Fuller (Independent Scholar) to present “‘A Better Plan of Child-Rearing’: An Exploration of Health and Wellness in Louisa May Alcott’s Eight Cousins ” at the Thoreau Gathering in July 2023. These grants, supported financially by the Society and its members and donors, are meant to encourage Alcott scholarship and to honor the career and memory of Sarah Elbert, a literary historian whose important research charted exciting new paths for Alcott scholarship. With enthusiasm, the Society congratulates the winners of this amazing cohort of grant recipients, and we look forward to their exciting contributions to Alcott scholarship.