Jessica Van Gilder

Jessica Van Gilder's research explores the relationship between fantasy and reality, and how that relationship impacts our understanding of the world. Her current research project, "Trust and the Desire to Know in Nineteenth-Century America," examines the intersection between trust, epistemology and fictionality in 19th century America. She argues that trust is a cognitive and cultural issue with political, cultural, and affective dimensions that fictional genres actively exploit and interrogate through their promotion and portrayals of metacognitive activity. Thus, the project analyzes how different acts of trust — trusting our own sensory experiences and judgment, the sources of our knowledge about the world, and especially, one another — are represented, cultivated, and challenged. In other words, she explores how genres of fiction in 19th century America, such as the historical romance and satire, function as dynamic social contracts that amplify or undermine the reader’s trust in larger sociopolitical systems by exploiting their fundamental desire to know. The interdisciplinary framework of this early American studies project integrates insights from affect studies, cognitive psychology, and fictionality studies. 

Beyond early America, Dr. Van Gilder's scholarly and teaching interests include cognitive literary and cultural studies, the American Gothic, and the study of graphic novels and speculative fiction. She also leverages her background as a researcher, storyteller, and educator to advance public humanities projects and engage in collaborative and community-facing work. As part of her commitment to transdisciplinary and publicly engaged work, she is currently serving as co-chair for the C19 Podcast, for which she has also co-produced multiple episodes.