Since the publication of her first book Carnival in Alabama: Marked Bodies and Invented Traditions in Mobile early last year, GRSW’s Dr. Isabel Machado has been busy expanding her specialized research in the fields of Gender and Sexuality Studies, and Festive Studies.
In 2023-24 she’s been the recipient of 2 fellowships that support her documentation of the history of drag pageants in the Alabama Gulf Coast.
The Alabama Folk Life Associations Cauthen Fellowship, which is awarded to individuals to conduct original research on an Alabama folk tradition, defined as a tradition passed down through the generations or shared in community in Alabama. This includes, but is not limited to, music, dance, traditional arts, foodways, language, holidays, cultural practices, and work life.
The Center for History and Culture of Southeast Texas and the Upper Gulf Coast Fellowship, which supports projects that contribute to the broader understanding of the region and situates it within broader national, hemispheric, or global contexts.
Machado continues her work as Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Festive Studies (6th issue coming soon). Published online once a year, the journal provides a forum for those who share an interest in the world’s diversity of festivities, including holiday celebrations, family rituals, carnivals, religious feasts, civic parades, commemorations, music festivals, and more. It encourages submissions of original research and analysis from established and emerging scholars as well as other contributors such as practitioners and curators.
And this month sees her participating in the 3rd Annual Queer History South Network and Conference.
