BUCKHANNON, West Virginia  –  A West Virginia Wesleyan College English professor has penned a new book looking at postwar American literature.

Dr. Ashley Lawson, associate professor of English, focuses her research on 20^th-century American literature and women’s creativity.

In the newly published title, “On Edge: Gender and Genre in the Work of Shirley Jackson, Patricia Highsmith and Leigh Bracket,” Lawson argues that biases against genre fiction have unfairly disadvantaged the legacies of these authors who deftly navigated a male-dominated postwar publishing world without comprising their values.

A Faculty Lecture Series and book signing by Lawson will be held at Argo Books on Main Street on Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 6-7:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. The book is also available through ohiostatepress.org.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2025 Best Colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan ninth in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.