New Horizons in English Studies

14/02/2025

Happy Valentine's Day! Time to hear from one of your authors, Kamila Klavia Bagińska. The title of her article is Disrupted Patriarchy – Powers of Pregnant Women in Halsey’s If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power (2021).

"In my article, I explore how horror movies challenge the cultural idealization of pregnancy as solely a blissful experience. Focusing on Halsey’s independent film If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power (2021), I argue that the theme of horror pregnancy redefines traditional patriarchal narratives by portraying mystical gestation as a source of autonomy and empowerment. Drawing from feminist theories and scholars like Shulamith Firestone and Betty Friedan, I examine how the film critiques the binaries that have long constrained women’s identity and sexuality. Through a close analysis of the movie’s scenes and its soundtrack, I highlight the feminist message, which dismantles stereotypes about pregnant people and reclaims pregnancy as a potential form of power."

Check the full article below; it's in OA: https://journals.umcs.pl/nh/article/view/17191

12/02/2025

Let’s introduce insights from one of your authors. Today it's Kacper Bator talking about his article titled The phenomenon of nostalgia in American popular music. The cases of Drake’s “Honestly, Nevermind”, Beyoncé’s “Renaissance”, and The Weeknd’s “Dawn FM”.

"In my article, I set out to examine how nostalgia plays a crucial role in shaping contemporary music, especially within American popular music. I focused on how artists evoke the past through the use of musical motifs, iconic sounds, and reworkings of older songs to create something fresh yet familiar. Through a close look at the albums Dawn FM, Renaissance, and Honestly, Nevermind, I aimed to uncover how these works reflect this ongoing trend. My intention was to highlight the creative strategies behind this approach and its enduring appeal to global audiences. "

Full article below: https://journals.umcs.pl/nh/article/view/18009

10/02/2025

If you're interested in Black Panther, here's a treat for you! Let's read from our contributor, Zuzanna Kałużna.

"In my article, I aimed to explore the revolutionary significance of Black Panther as a groundbreaking symbol in American pop culture and its reflection of socio-political issues. I focused on Don McGregor’s storyline, “The Panther v. The Klan,” to uncover the deeper messages embedded in these narratives and their commentary on racism, black identity, and historical trauma. By analyzing selected comic book issues and cultural texts through qualitative methods, I sought to demonstrate the timeless relevance of these themes. My research highlights how Black Panther transcends entertainment to serve as a powerful symbol and a voice for marginalized communities."

Full article in OA: https://journals.umcs.pl/nh/article/view/18008

Racism, Black Identity and Historical Trauma - an Analysis of Marvel’s Comic Book Series “The Panther v. The Klan”

07/02/2025

Any fans of American musicals? Let's hear from our author, Hana Lina Dalel Berraf:

"In this article, I attempt to highlight the various ways in which the women in Hamilton: An American Musical are represented. I argue that, despite presenting itself as feminist in its depiction of some of America’s lesser-known founding mothers, the musical does, at times, paint a caricatural picture of some of its female characters; something that is especially true for Maria Reynolds. Despite this dramatized and, at times, simplistic portrayal, this work also highlights the role that Miranda’s Hamilton played in (re)introducing the Schuyler sisters into the American popular culture and historical narrative."

Read the full article below: https://journals.umcs.pl/nh/article/view/17232

05/02/2025

Let's hear from Hanna Błauciak:

"My article explores the issue of bilingualism and the process of migratory mourning on the basis of two Latinx-Canadian texts: and a body to remember with (1997), a short story collection by Carmen Rodríguez, and Fronteras Americanas: American Borders (1993), a play by Guillermo Verdecchia. Latinx-Canadians constitute approx. 2.5% of the Canadian population but despite the small number, they form a vibrant community with vigorous artistic and academic output. In the article, I analyze how the characters cope with immigration from Latin America to Canada and how they reevaluate their relation to the home and host country. Additionally, I pay attention to the authors' use of bilingualism as an expression of hybrid identities and a means to undermine the notion of America as a predominantly English-speaking continent dominated by the imperial US."

The full article can be found here: https://journals.umcs.pl/nh/article/view/17932

Latina/o Canadian Literature: The Issues of Migratory Mourning and Bilingualism in Guillermo Verdecchia’s Fronteras Americanas: American Borders (1993) and Carmen Rodríguez’s and a body to remember with (1997)

03/02/2025

Let's read interesting reflections from Kevin Kvas about his article:

"When I first encountered an ‘economic’ literary criticism, I was so intrigued that I took an economics course, to better understand the literary scholars, I naïvely thought. After a decade of interdisciplinary research, I now know literary ‘economics’ to have little bearing on anything outside of English departments’ echo-chamber, which itself functions as a market for ‘radical’ discourse. This article is a love letter to anyone else who, like me as an undergrad, was once enticed by a trendy academic fancy but is curious enough to probe deeper. Any anti-neoliberalist project today would be better served by economic realism (not the same as capitalist realism), rather than by confirmation-biased hawkers of the hottest armchair-leftist stylism."

The full OA article can be read below:

Scarcity Poetics: Christian Bök’s Eunoia and the Economics of Literary Value

31/01/2025

Yet another engaging article from our contributor, Yasser Khazne linked below. "We live in a time in which we witness at least ten active wars around the world. Millions of people are displaced and forced to leave their countries.

What I wanted to change is that we should not be just numbers mentioned in the news. So, in this article, I pointed out the importance of historical fiction in representing stories of immigrants and refugees.

I demonstrated how a single story or a picture can be much more effective than any piece of news or a paragraph in a history book.

I hope that my article and stories written about the experiences of refugees will help spread more tolerance and understanding among people." https://journals.umcs.pl/nh/article/view/18663

29/01/2025

Today let's hear from our author, Helga Szabó. "In my article, I explore the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and film criticism, focusing on how AI-driven tools are reshaping the way we analyze, evaluate, and engage with films. I discuss both the opportunities and challenges that AI presents, from enhancing critics' productivity to raising concerns about the potential loss of human intuition and emotional depth in film analysis. Central to my argument is the idea of balancing AI's efficiency with the qualities of human expertise. I also introduce the concept of automated criticism as a new form of film analysis, drawing on theories by Lev Manovich, Henry Jenkins, and Marshall McLuhan to contextualize these shifts within broader media and cultural trends."

Full article below: https://journals.umcs.pl/nh/article/view/17213

20/01/2025

Today let's hear from our authors, Zhe Xiong and Quntao Wu: "In our article, we wanted to explore how the picturebook adaptation of "Blowin' in the Wind" artfully integrates modalities such as music, illustrations, translations, and annotations to interpret the song’s idealism, fraternity, and Zen wisdom." Read the full article here: https://journals.umcs.pl/nh/article/view/17917

Visualizing the Invisible: A Multimodal Analysis of How the Blowin’ in the Wind Picturebook Adaptation Interprets Abstract Song Themes

18/01/2025

First up, let's hear from Katarzyna Nitka: "In my article, I explored the press discourse of Victorian Britain to analyse the language used in discussions surrounding the infamous Magdalene asylums, also known as Magdalene laundries. These institutions, though ostensibly founded to provide refuge for “fallen women,” often became sites of systemic abuse and mistreatment. The objective of my article was to uncover societal attitudes toward these organisations, their personnel, and the women in their care, thereby shedding light on the mindset of at least a segment of Victorian society. I aimed to demonstrate how language – shaped by prevailing religious doctrines and social norms – served to reinforce societal taboos and exonerate those in power from accountability for perpetuating economic inequalities that disproportionately affected society’s most vulnerable members."

The full article can be found below: https://journals.umcs.pl/nh/article/view/17936

18/01/2025

We're happy to inform that in the following weeks we'll be introducing each of the wonderful articles on our socials so stay with us!

New Horizons in English Studies established in 2016 publishes research in English-language literatures, linguistics, and cultural studies. It welcomes submissions from undergraduates, graduates, and doctoral students, as well as professionals in the relevant fields. Due to our commitment to the open...

31/12/2024

📢 Exciting News from New Horizons in English Studies!

We are thrilled to announce the introduction of a brand-new section in our journal: MigraMedia! 🎉

The three articles in the Culture & Media section were created as part of the MigraMedia project, co-financed by the European Union 🇪🇺. These articles are the results of incredible student projects supervised by consortium members from Germany and Turkey.

🔗 Learn more about the MigraMedia project here: https://www.uni-hildesheim.de/migramedia/

📚 Explore the latest issue of New Horizons: https://journals.umcs.pl/nh/

We are proud to showcase these collaborative and innovative efforts in our journal. Check out the articles and join the conversation!

New Horizons in English Studies established in 2016 publishes research in English-language literatures, linguistics, and cultural studies. It welcomes submissions from undergraduates, graduates, and doctoral students, as well as professionals in the relevant fields. Due to our commitment to the open...