James Nagel, J. O. Eidson Distinguished Professor of American literature in the English department, has been elected president of the international Stephen Crane Society, which involves academics from the major universities in America and Europe and sponsors programs at national conferences, including the American Literature Association convention.
Nagel has published widely on Stephen Crane, including a book entitled Stephen Crane and Literary Impressionism, and has lectured on Crane and American fiction in fifteen countries. Founder of the journal Studies in American Fiction, and co-founder of the American Literature Association, Nagel received the lifetime achievement award from the ALA in 2005.