Flannery O’Connor Institute for the Humanities Announces winner of Jean M. and William C. Laidlaw Junior Scholar Fellowship

Georgia College & State University’s Flannery O’Connor Institute for the Humanities, which is dedicated to the study of Flannery O’Connor, proudly announces Alex Taylor as the inaugural recipient of the Jean M. and William C. Laidlaw Junior Scholar Fellowship. Taylor, a Ph.D. candidate in Literature and fellow for Criticism at the University of Dallas, brings a wealth of experience and expertise. He previously participated in the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Summer Institute, “Reconsidering Flannery O'Connor,” held at Georgia College in June 2023 and is working on a dissertation titled "Unreal Cities: The Political Vision of Evelyn Waugh and Flannery O'Connor."

Mr. Taylor’s research explores the political dimensions of authors Evelyn Waugh and Flannery O'Connor. According to Jordan Cofer, the institute’s interim executive director, Taylor’s dissertation and his research interests, “offer a promising interdisciplinary approach to the field, which was why his application was so compelling.” 

The Jean M. and William C. Laidlaw Junior Scholar Fellowship, founded by Mike and Wendy Laidlaw, represents a commitment to supporting emerging scholars dedicated to advancing the study of Flannery O'Connor's literary legacy. According to Mr. Laidlaw, “I am delighted to learn that Alex Taylor will be the inaugural recipient of the Jean M. And William C. Laidlaw Junior Scholar Fellowship. My mother and father, for whom this scholarship is named, and themselves avid readers, would warm quickly to this pairing of things literary and matters political. Mom taught American and British literature for many years; dad was a civil engineer/politician. My enthusiastic congratulations, Alex!” This fellowship will allow Taylor to continue his research, working both in the Special Collections of the Ina Dillard Library as well as exploring the archives of Andalusia, the historic home of Flannery O’Connor and the new Interpretative Center as well.

For more information about the Flannery O’Connor Institute for the Humanities at GCSU, please visit: https://www.gcsu.edu/oconnorinstitute.