Words from recent clients:

“I was in the process of finishing up a major artist monograph project and asked a few trusted colleagues for names of good editors. Two of them mentioned Emma, so I gave her a shot. Not only did she do deep editing on several essays and a variety of texts throughout the book, she offered suggestions for ways to improve the organization of materials. Of course, she was spot-on and we took her advice—making the book much better. As an editor, she is thoughtful, thorough, and a stickler (in the best possible way) for continuity and consistency. In addition to this, Emma was a joy to work with and always managed to meet my (often truncated) timelines. I highly recommend Emma Calabrese! I consider her to be my new editor for all projects going forward.”

—Mark Sloan, director and founder, Curioso Contemporary Art Consultancy

“The pandemic has brought distractions and delays to all of my creative projects, so when I had been working on a chapter for an edited volume so long I couldn’t make productive revisions, I asked Emma to do a line edit. The publisher gave us a hard deadline and she was able to meet it, with two weeks to spare, giving me plenty of time to review her excellent changes and clarifying questions. Working with Emma was an absolute pleasure and I can’t wait to do so again!”

—Malinda Maynor Lowery, Cahoon Family Professor of American History, Emory University

“I hired Emma to line edit an article I had been working on for several months. I wanted to submit it to a prestigious journal and thought it was close to being ready but knew there were a couple spots it could be improved. Emma made such insightful comments and suggestions that I ended up revising even more than I thought I would. I am so proud of the finished product—it is by far the best thing I have ever written. And it was accepted to American Quarterly, which is the top journal in my field. Based on the success with the article, I then hired Emma to work with me on my book proposal. She was simultaneously honest and sensitive to my vision. Through her guidance the proposal (and by extension, the book) became its ‘best self.’ I now plan to hire her to do developmental editing on my book manuscript, too! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Emma!”

—Rachel Norman, assistant professor, Linfield University

“I first worked with Emma Calabrese when she was managing editor at Southern Cultures. She edited a personal essay about my photography practice that was to be published in conjunction with a portfolio of images in the journal. Her skillful editing meant that she was able to tighten the narrative and ask astute questions without disrupting my voice. In addition, she is a real pleasure to work with—always courteous, prompt, and sensitive to the content. That first experience working with her led me to engage her as an editor on a book project of my work to edit the two art historical essays that were included in the monograph, where she again went above and beyond and helped shape them into wonderfully complete essays.”

—Holly Lynton, photographer

Words from Southern Cultures contributors:

“It was my pleasure to work with Emma in her capacity as editor for Southern Cultures. This was genuinely a time when editorial suggestions enhanced the essay. From the initial invitation through final publication, Emma engaged in clear and helpful communication that diminished the stress of writing, editing, and publishing. I look forward to working with Emma in her capacity as a freelancer in the future.”

—J.T. Roane, PhD, assistant professor of African and African American Studies and lead of the Black Ecologies Initiative at Arizona State University

“Emma is such a careful and generous reader, and her edits on my journal article helped me completely transform the piece. Her feedback was incredibly detailed while also focused on the big picture—a balance that not just anyone can accomplish. She offered ideas for clarifying arguments and for turning my often dense and abstract sentences into clear and poetic prose.”

—Barbara Sostaita, postdoctoral fellow, Harvard University

“It was such a pleasure to work with Emma as an editor throughout the process of publishing my essay in Southern Cultures. The essay engaged with a topic that was deeply personal and meaningful to me, so I was especially delighted by how she treated my writing and material with such care, thoughtfulness, and attention. Our work together helped shape the essay to allow the story to truly shine.”

—Anna Zeide, associate professor of history, Virginia Tech

“Emma was so helpful in clarifying my essay for the broad readership of Southern Cultures. She gave helpful suggestions for bringing my contribution in line with current debates in gender and masculinity studies, without alienating readers who might be new to this literature. And she was a very patient editor as my collaborator and I navigated a hurricane evacuation right in the middle of our deadline. I’m so grateful for her guiding hand!”

—Matt Sakakeeny, associate professor of music, Tulane University

“Honestly, I can say that I have never been edited better than I have been edited by Emma Calabrese. She knows at an advanced level the typical issues of professional English grammar and usage. What is more important is her ability to help an author to develop their ideas. I worked with her on one of my better pieces. She suggested cuts, posed intriguing questions, brought up issues I had never considered, and had me rewrite and rewrite. The end result was more my own work than the original submission, and in a way that truly expressed my own ideas. I would recommend her for any writer looking to put their best work forward.”

—Jeffery Darensbourg, fellow at the Center for Louisiana Studies, University of Louisiana at Lafayette; independent artist; and full-time line cook

“From the first moment I began working with Emma, she demonstrated her professionalism, expertise, and generosity. The process of having work edited is extremely personal and Emma was always attentive to this: she respected the merits of the work, pushed me forward in my thinking, and challenged me to be more precise in word choice and style. From content to prose, Emma paid attention to the smallest of details and the broadest of paradigms. She respected the words and ideas that moved me, as the author, but always encouraged me to think of my writing as something that could and would be experienced by other people.”

—Micah Khater, PhD candidate, Yale University

“It was a pleasure to work with Emma on my article and I’m grateful for her generous and incisive feedback throughout the revision process. She synthesized editorial comments with clarity, while reflecting back to me an understanding of my broader vision for the work. Emma continually offered helpful strategies for revision and ultimately affirmed my writing in a way that always felt honest, kind, and resonant—she made this collaboration a really positive experience, and one that I could feel proud of.”

—Maya Doig-Acuña, PhD candidate, Harvard University

“As both an author and a reviewer for Southern Cultures, I have found working with you over the past several years to be a privilege and a pleasure. The conscientious and compassionate consideration you gave each submission assured that the journal would maintain the highest standards of excellence and relevance. Your editorial skills are unmatched. Your sensitivity to the nuances of language and your sharp eye for socio-political pitfalls not only improved my syntax and grammar, but also helped me clarify my thoughts. All I can say is, thank you.”

—Dale Rosengarten, curator, special collections, Addlestone Library, College of Charleston

“Emma is a professional and knowledgeable editor whose sharp eye, keen sense of flow and style, and careful attention to detail helped me hone and craft my writing. She clearly understands different audiences and allowed me to stay true to my voice while guiding me through my work in ways that widened its scope and helped me to recognize impacts that I did not initially see. Emma’s editorial help not only ensured that my work was at its best—it also made me a better writer. I would highly recommend her to every author that I know.”

—Kimber Thomas, project manager, Modern Endangered Archives Program, UCLA Library

“I am grateful for Emma’s help in synthesizing and revising an expansive interdisciplinary, co-authored piece. Emma is a meticulous editor and I would highly recommend her to writers from both the humanities and social sciences.”

—Justin Hosbey, PhD, assistant professor of anthropology, Emory University

“When Emma first read my essay, I’d been struggling to find its center for many years. She posed developmental questions that showed me the essay’s potential more clearly, and her advice helped chart a new revision path. From those early comments to final copy edits, her attention was kind, respectful, and incisive. Working with her made the essay so much stronger.”

—Abigail Greenbaum, instructional designer and doctoral candidate in creative writing, Georgia State University

“Emma helped steer two of my articles through the peer-review process at Southern Cultures. I couldn’t have asked for a more encouraging and thoughtful editor in both cases. Her care and discernment brought out the best in my work.”

—Joseph M. Thompson, assistant professor, Mississippi State University

“I was ecstatic to receive an invitation to contribute to the Summer 2020 issue of Southern Cultures, and I knew that the essay I ultimately decided to contribute was one that reflected much vulnerability on my part. As an editor, Emma protected this mood and tone while ensuring that I remained incisive and clear on the page. In many ways, this was one of the most challenging essays I have written. It is also an essay that opened up new portals for me as a writer. Emma understood that immediately and was unflinching in her care, support, and rigor— from copy edits to fact-checking. Working with Emma is an experience that I wish every writer to have!”

—Jessica Lynne, writer and critic

“Emma’s deft editorial touch was critical in distilling almost a decade of research. Her probing insights, and the clarity with which they were conveyed, made our collaboration a joy and resulted in an essay that was more relevant and engaging to readers. I could not have asked for a more professional or respectful relationship with an editor.”

—Shawn Pitts, folklife and traditional arts chair, Arts in McNairy

“I worked with Emma on an essay for a special issue of Southern Cultures, on the theme of protest in various southern musical traditions. As a scholar of working-class history and popular culture, I had a lot of ideas swimming through my head for this one—about the eruption of the “outlaw country” movement during the 1970s, about outlaws as familiar political symbols from the southern past, about one particular outlaw I had gotten to know well while working on my first book, about caves and prison cells, about Oscar Wilde and David Allan Coe. Emma helped me turn this motley assortment of mismatched fragments into a respectably coherent piece of writing. More than that: she helped me to draw out the connections that I intuited but could not yet fully articulate; to hear the thematic resonances that did, in fact, run between caves and poets and outlaws and country musicians, and to let my writing sing along with them. What more could one hope for from an editor?”

—Max Fraser, assistant professor of history, University of Miami

“What I appreciate most about Emma’s work as an editor is her ability to balance scholarly and readership demands. Often academic disciplinary writing can be a hindrance to how your work may be received by broader audiences. Working with Emma, I was able to lean into this tension by finding and working through the nexus of disciplinary form and audience appeal to help maximize readability.”

—Antron Mahoney, assistant professor of Africana, gender, and identity studies, Ohio Wesleyan University

“As an editor, Emma offered invaluable edits and feedback which made legible a previously sprawling essay. She treated complex subject matter with an expert eye towards presenting readers with both a tight, cogent argument and an attention to dualities and nuances. I remain grateful for her thoughtful, diligent comments and prompt, kind communication.”

—Annie Simpson, artist

“Working with Emma to revise my article manuscript was such an enjoyable experience. Her keen editorial eye helped to clarify and sharpen the piece while always ensuring that my voice came through. As a first-time author, it was so gratifying to partner with someone who gave such careful attention to my work throughout the process.”

—Madison Cates, visiting instructor of history, Georgia Southern University

 “Emma was a delight to work with. Her infectious enthusiasm and excitement about the work I submitted for publication opened a productive dialogue towards creating a mutually satisfying and successful final piece. Sensitive to an author’s inclination to protect their work, her editing of the manuscript was respectful, insightful, and thorough.”

—Jacqueline Taylor, PhD, independent scholar, writer, and editor, Berlin

“Emma was a pleasure to work with from submission to publication: she provided focused feedback and invaluable editing on my article, which improved its clarity, and was insightful and patient as we worked together through the process of revising the text.”

—Dr. Henry Knight Lozano, director of liberal arts and senior lecturer in history, University of Exeter

“Emma proved herself a careful steward for an article in Southern Cultures that required extensive changes given space constraints in a special issue. Throughout, communication was clear and straightforward, always framed by her consummate professionalism.”

—Mark Long, professor of political science, College of Charleston; and curator-at-large and academic liaison, Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art

“I loved working with Emma at Southern Cultures. She helped me find the line between accessibility and precision in historical narrative. Because of her careful reading and insight, I’ve grown as a writer.”

—Justin Randolph, assistant professor of history, Texas State University

“Emma ensured that the revision and publication process went smoothly—and quickly! She responded swiftly to emails, offered very useful edits on my drafts, and helped create a map that enhanced the essay.”

—Christina Snyder, McCabe Greer Professor of History, Penn State

“I had the good fortune to collaborate with Emma on the editing process for three pieces. As a photographer and professed ‘non-writer,’ I was grateful for Emma’s thoughtful questions and suggestions that led me to dig deeper and find details and emotions to bring each story to life and weave the text and photos together. Her supportive guidance, clear communication, and editing expertise were crucial in helping me feel confident in the final piece.”

—Joanna Welborn, communications arts director, Student Action with Farmworkers

“Emma is a top editor and great collaborator. Meticulous and pointed, she communicates feedback in a clear, kind, and respectful way. Her comments and suggestions helped smooth our expansive essay into a cohesive and fluid piece for Southern Cultures. Emma pinpointed inconsistencies with aplomb and challenged us to clarify academic jargon into clearer and more accessible prose without losing the integrity of our thesis. She’s sharp and thorough. I enthusiastically recommend Emma as an editor!”

—Sarah Fouts, assistant professor of American studies and director of the Public Humanities Program, University of Maryland, Baltimore County