Announcing the LMMI’s Next Visiting Scholar: Melanie Fishbane

The LMMI is proud to announce that our next Visiting Scholar will be Melanie J. Fishbane. Fishbane is a PhD candidate at Western University and holds an M.F.A. from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and an M.A. from Concordia University. She teaches literature at George Brown College. She writes on gender, romance, and Jewish girlhood in children’s and young adult literature, specifically on Sydney Taylor, Laura Ingalls Wilder, L.M. Montgomery, Anne Frank, and Louisa May Alcott. Her most recent articles are, “‘More Like Americans’: Sydney Taylor’s Queering of Historical Fiction Girls’ Series” in Beyond Nancy Drew: U.S. Girls’ Series Fiction in the Twentieth Century and an essay co-written with Dr. Caroline Jones, “Discovering Grace: Research Challenges in Finding the Lost Ingalls Sister.” Her work is published in L.M. Montgomery’s Rainbow Valleys: The Ontario Years 1911–1942 and Reconsidering Laura Ingalls Wilder: Little House and Beyond, the Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies and L.M. Montgomery and Reading. Her YA novel, Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery, was shortlisted for the Vine Awards for the best in Canadian Jewish Literature. Melanie lives in Toronto with her partner. You can follow Melanie on Instagram and https://melaniefishbane.com.

…and now, a note from Melanie herself:

I am beyond thrilled to be the next LMMI Visiting Scholar for 2027-2028 and to expand my contributions with the L.M. Montgomery community. 2028 will mark the 120th anniversary of Anne of Green Gables and the 35 th anniversary of the founding of the LMMI. What better way to celebrate these milestones than with the conference theme: L.M. Montgomery and Love.

As you all know, much of Montgomery scholarship and readership originates with our love for the author and her characters. Montgomery writes about many different forms of love, such as friendship, chosen and familial love, love of animals and the environment, love of art and literature and much more. Montgomery and her characters are also in love with many different forms of romance. In 2028, let’s explore how our love for Montgomery may:

• influence film, stage, and fanfiction adaptations,
• influence perceptions of national identities, political ideology, and social conventions not only in Canada, but around the world,
• show the influence of Montgomery on other, intertextual, literary works,
• influence the way we see the Romantic tradition in Montgomery’s life and work.

L.M. Montgomery and Love will bring together communities from around the world to discuss all the ways we admire the author and her work. I look forward to seeing you all there.