Frances Smith Foster

Frances Smith Foster is a leading scholar of African American literature and culture, particularly known for her groundbreaking work on early Black writers and Black women's literary history. She served as professor emerita at Emory University and held the Charles Howard Candler Professor of English and Women's Studies position. Her influential research challenged conventional narratives about African American literature, demonstrating that Black literary traditions began well before the slave narratives of the mid-nineteenth century. Foster's work examining early African American newspapers, domestic literature, and religious writing helped establish new frameworks for understanding Black literary production. Foster authored and edited numerous significant works including "Written By Herself: Literary Production by African American Women, 1746-1892" and "Love and Marriage in Early African America." Her scholarship on Frances E.W. Harper helped restore this important nineteenth-century writer to prominence in the American literary canon. She served as professor and department chair at multiple institutions including San Diego State University and was elected president of the American Literature Section of the Modern Language Association. Her work earned multiple awards including the College Language Association's Creative Scholarship Award and the Scholarly Achievement Award from the American Association of University Professors.

Readers value Foster's thorough research and academic contributions that uncovered overlooked Black literary history. Multiple academic reviews highlight her ability to present complex historical and literary analysis in clear, accessible language. What readers liked: - Deep archival research that reveals new perspectives on early African American writing - Clear explanation of historical context - Thorough documentation and citations One reader noted: "Foster's work on Frances Harper opened my eyes to a rich literary tradition I never knew existed." What readers disliked: - Academic writing style can be dense for general readers - Some chapters focus heavily on historiography rather than analysis - Limited availability of her earlier works Reviews/Ratings: Goodreads: "Written By Herself" - 4.1/5 (42 ratings) "Love and Marriage in Early African America" - 4.3/5 (28 ratings) Google Scholar citations indicate her works are frequently referenced in academic settings, particularly "Written By Herself" with over 500 citations. Few public reviews exist as her work primarily reaches academic audiences.

Written By Herself: Literary Production by African American Women, 1746-1892 (1993) Examines the development and characteristics of literature by African American women in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Witnessing Slavery: The Development of Ante-bellum Slave Narratives (1979) Analyzes the evolution and significance of American slave narratives as a literary genre.

Love and Marriage in Early African America (2008) Collects and presents historical documents about African American intimate relationships during slavery and reconstruction.

'Til Death or Distance Do Us Part: Marriage and the Making of African America (2010) Documents how enslaved and free African Americans maintained family bonds and marriage practices despite legal and social obstacles.

Changed Hands: Industry, Evolution, and the Reconfiguration of the Victorian Body (2016) Explores how industrialization and social changes affected perceptions of the human body in Victorian literature and culture.

A Brighter Coming Day: A Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Reader (1990) Compiles and contextualizes the works of 19th-century African American writer Frances Ellen Watkins Harper.

Carla Peterson focuses on 19th century African American women's literature and intellectual history. Her work "Doers of the Word" examines Black women's activism through their writing and speeches.

Joycelyn Moody researches African American women's autobiographies and spiritual narratives from the 19th century. Her analysis includes both well-known and obscure texts that illuminate Black women's literary traditions.

Henry Louis Gates Jr. documents and analyzes African American literature from the 18th century through contemporary times. His work "The Signifying Monkey" explores African American literary criticism and theory.

Hazel Carby examines Black feminist thought and literature through historical and cultural contexts. Her book "Reconstructing Womanhood" investigates how African American women writers challenged dominant narratives about race and gender.

Elizabeth McHenry studies African American literary societies and reading practices in the 19th century. Her research reveals how Black Americans created intellectual communities through literary engagement.