Aisha Matthews
Independent Scholar, Freelance Editor, Educator
Profile
Aisha Matthews
Independent Scholar, Freelance Editor, Educator
After graduating from Yale in 2013 with a Bachelor’s degree in English, I went on to complete my Master’s degree (2017) in the same field at Southern New Hampshire University. I have also completed some Ph.D. study in English at Southern Methodist University. During my time in the program, I was published in academic publications, and have received enthusiastic feedback on my teaching and writing skills.
As the Managing Editor for the MOSF Journal of Science Fiction, I have worked most extensively on peer-reviewed scholarship, book reviews, and other non-fiction pieces (including technical writing for communications), and specialize in editorial assessment, developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading. I am currently working on the process of starting a new creative endeavor, and I am seeking opportunities to branch out into fiction editing, ghostwriting, and design. I study and work with science & speculative fiction, fantasy, young adult literature, African-American literature, and literary criticism, but would also be happy to work on articles, columns, and manuscripts in other areas.
As a freelancer, I offer services in editing, writing, research, consulting, and tutoring. Please see my “Services” page for more information, and remember to request an estimate for your project on the “Contact” page. I look forward to hearing from you!
Education, Employment & Skills
Education, Employment & Skills
Education
Southern Methodist University
Some Ph.D. Study
08/2017 - 12/2019
Study Emphases: 20th&21st-Century American Literature, African American Literature, Women’s & Gender Studies, Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction, YA SF, Afrofuturism
Southern New Hampshire University
M.A. English, 2017
06/2015 - 02/2017
Thesis: “Telepaths, Social Constructs, and Panoptical Power in Octavia Butler’s Patternist Series”
Study Emphases: African-American Literature, Feminism, Deconstruction Theory, Literary Postmodernism, Lacanian Psychoanalysis, Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction
Yale University
B.A. English, 2013
08/2009 - 05/2013
Senior Thesis: “Taking Back the Darkness: The Young Adult Science Fiction of Scott Westerfeld in the Larger Narrative of Dystopian Literature”
Study Emphases: 19th-Century British Literature, Science Fiction/ Fantasy/ Dystopia, Young Adult Literature
Employment
Millward Brown
Executive Assistant
Norwalk, CT & Remote
03/2016 - 09/2018
- Provided administrative and project-related support to Chief Research Officer at Market Research Firm fulfilling duties including scheduling of domestic and international travel, expenses, and creating SalesForce reports. This position began as a traditional in-office role, but transformed into a virtual one, giving me experience with self-management and long-distance accountability.
Bad Kids Collective
Public Relations Manager
New York, NY
05/2014 - 10/2016
- Start-Up EDM clothing and lifestyle brand providing resources, events, and products catered towards the EDM community.
- Oversaw communications branch of business.
- Contributed to brand awareness through event and product promotion (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), vending and on-ground sales & marketing opportunities, and professional industry networking.
- Assisted in event planning and activation through brainstorming, networking, assisting with pre and post event logistics, run of show, & crisis management.
- Providing PR support such as email correspondence, writing and editing press releases, conference calls, pitching, and developing media relationships.
The Bait Shoppe
Marketing Consultant (Contractor)
New York, NY
11/2015 - 12/2015
- Worked on various projects in industries including hospitality, fashion, and CPG on accounts such as Sheraton, Calvin Klein, and Glad.
- Main responsibilities included content ideation, production of decks, executive presentations, and event design.
Bridgewater Associates
Strategist Coordinator
Westport, CT
06/2015 - 02/2017
- Provided administrative support and leverage to a high-level financial analyst, scheduling/calendaring, creating organizational tools, tracking project development, handling various requests, handling meeting logistics and coordinating various levels of staff.
Porter Novelli
PR Intern & Account Coordinator
New York, NY
06/2013 - 12/2013
- Hired as PR Intern and promoted to Account Coordinator
- Worked for clients including HP, Timberland, British Airways, Nature Made, Sony PS4, Exxon Mobil, McDonalds and Consolidated Data Services (CDS).
- Travel booking for VP-level staff and industry talent including flight, hotel, and car service.
- Email correspondence with C-level executives, media, and clients.
- Coordination with multiple US offices via phone, conference calls, and email to execute joint projects.
- Project Management duties – Creating project timelines, monitoring budgets, and following up on deliverables.
- Event Planning duties – Conducting site visits, ordering catering, building gift bags, logistics, managing vendor relationships, pre and post event set-up and breakdown, pre and post event correspondence including and sending invitations and thank-you’s.
- Media Relations duties – Building media lists, pitching, competitor research, and new business acquisition
Industry Expertise
Freelance Services
Technical Proficiencies
Service
Service
Service
MOSF Journal of Science Fiction
Managing Editor
Assistant Managing Editor
Editor
Peer Reviewer
07/2016 - Present
01/2019 - Present
06/2017 - 12/2018
11/2016 - 06/2017
06/2019 - 11/2016
Escape Velocity
Director of Literary Programming
Literary Programming Coordinator
02/2017 - Present
11/2017 - Present
02/2017 - 11/2017
JOSF Responsibilities
Escape Velocity Responsibilities
Research
Research
Publications
Articles
“Gender, Ontology, and The Power of the Patriarchy: A Postmodern Feminist Analysis of Octavia Butler’s Wild Seed and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.” Women’s Studies: An Inter-Disciplinary Journal, vol. 47, no. 6, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1080/00497878.2018.1492403.
“Telepaths, Social Constructs, and Panoptical Power in Octavia Butler’s Patternist Series.” Order No. 10259208 Southern New Hampshire University, 2017. Ann Arbor: ProQuest.”
“Looking Back is Moving Forward: The Legacy of Negro Spirituals in the Civil Rights Movement.” International Journal of English Language, Literature and Humanities, vol. 4, no. 10, 2016.
“Raping the Jezebel: Hypocrisy, Stereotyping and Sexual Identity in Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.” International Journal of English Language, Literature and Humanities, vol. 4, no. 5, 2016.
Book Chapters
“Intentional Fallacies of Acquisition and Competition: The Biopolitics of Sexuality and Space in Octavia Butler’s Xenogenesis,” Octavia Butler’s Afrofuturistic Visions: Reframing Identity, Culture, and History. Lexington Books. (Forthcoming).
“Conspiracies of the Flesh: Disciplinary Power and Female Embodiment in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.” Critical Insights. (Jim Plath ed.). Salem/Greyhouse Press, 2020.
Conference Presentations
May 2019
“The Supernatural in SF Literature (Nalo Hopkinson, NK Jemisin, Nnedi Okorafor)” (Panel Organizer and Moderator). Escape Velocity, Washington D.C., 2019.
“Space Opera: Culture of the Sci/Fi Tragedy-Comedy Epics” (Panel Organizer and Moderator). Escape Velocity, Washington D.C., 2019.
“Early African American Science Fiction (Pauline Hopkins, George Schuyler)” (Panel Organizer and Moderator). Escape Velocity, Washington D.C., 2019.
“Neurodiversity: Cognition, Alterity, and Ability in Science Fiction Literature” (Panel Organizer and Moderator). Escape Velocity, Washington D.C., 2019.
March 2019
“Octavia Butler’s Afrofuturistic Visions: Reframing Identity, Culture, and History” (Seminar Speaker). Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA), Washington, D.C., 2019.
May 2018
“Afrofuturism Returns: Black Superhuman and Otherhuman Identities” (Panel Organizer and Speaker). Escape Velocity, Washington D.C., 2018.
“Disability in Science Fiction” (Panel Organizer and Speaker). Escape Velocity, Washington D.C., 2018.
“Female Embodiment in the Post-Apocalyptic Survival Narrative” (Panel Organizer and Speaker). Escape Velocity, Washington D.C., 2018.
“Sci-Fi Languages, Dialects and Slang” (Panel Organizer and Speaker). Escape Velocity, Washington D.C., 2018.
Feb. 2018
“Magical Creatures and How to Exploit Them: A Post-Colonial Reading of Harry Potter as a Representation of American Colonial History” (Paper Presentation). Southwest Popular/American Culture Association (SWPACA), Albuquerque, 2018.
Sept. 2017
“Afrofuturism: Butler and Beyond” (Panel Organizer and Moderator). Escape Velocity, Washington D.C., 2017.
“Science Fiction Criticism: Suvin and Beyond” (Panel Organizer and Moderator). Escape Velocity, Washington D.C., 2017.
“Young Adult Science Fiction Literature for Girls” (Speaker). Escape Velocity, Washington D.C., 2017.
Interviews
May 2019
“The Museum of Science Fiction Returns.” Behind the Mind Radio. Host Karen Baker. We Act Radio. 17 May 2019. Radio.
May 2018
“Sci-Fi Literature.” Creating Sci-Fi and Fantasy – An Inside Look. Host Chris Alvarez. Christobal Alvarez. 25 May 2018. Podcast.
Digital Projects
“Young Adult Science Fiction Literature for Girls” (Speaker). Escape Velocity, Washington D.C., 2017.