‘The 1819 Social’ in 2025: Building Community in (and beyond) Romantic Studies
Chris Rovee, Louisiana State University
The 1819 Social – the K-SAA’s mentoring program – reimagines academic mentorship for the mid-2020s. Moving beyond the traditional vertical model of mentorship, the program creates a supportive network where graduate students, recent PhDs, postdocs, instructors, VAPs, early-stage assistant professors, and others can forge meaningful connections while navigating an increasingly unstable academic environment.
The 1819 Social also preserves the most effective aspects of intergenerational mentorship. To this end, in August we relaunched the K-SAA’s Mentorship Project, created in 2005 by Jeanne Moskal, which for nearly two decades put early career scholars in generative dialogue with senior colleagues for personalized guidance on everything from publication strategies to career navigation. For this academic year, we have thirteen pairings (and counting!). Each mentee brings unique goals and fascinating research to these relationships, making for a rich exchange of ideas across generations.
Intragenerational connections and professional camaraderie remain at the center of the 1819 Social’s work. To this end, we hosted a dinner for early-career attendees at the recent International Conference on Romanticism in Colorado Springs. This evening of conversation and connection allowed fifteen scholars – several of whom were attending their first-ever professional conference – to make friends and develop connections beyond their home institutions. Held in a private room at downtown’s Phantom Canyon Brewing Company, this warm evening represented precisely the kind of community the 1819 Social aims to foster.
Some of the attendees at the ICR Welcome Dinner hosted by the 1819 Social in Colorado Springs. (October 17, 2025)
In addition to 1:1 mentorship and social events at major conference, the 1819 Social continues to coordinate practically oriented conversations on Zoom. Last year, we offered workshops led by distinguished scholars including Benjamin Kahan, Mary Mullen, Johanna Winant, and Rachel Feder, covering essential topics such as applying for grants and fellowships, forming and getting the most out of writing groups, and developing effective compositional strategies. New Zoom workshops are in development, with dates and topics to be announced soon – keep an eye out for these announcements. And if you have ideas for a workshop subject, let us know!
To learn more about the 1819 Social or to join our community, please contact Chris Rovee [chrisrovee@gmail.com].