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Amie Wright

Ph.D. Candidate

• B.A. Anthropology/English (University of Calgary), B.A. Honours History (Concordia), MLIS (Western Ontario), M.A. History (Concordia)
• Email Amie Wright

Current Program (including year of entry)

Ph.D. History, Concentration in Public History (2021)

Supervisor(s)

Dr. James Opp and Dr. John C. Walsh

Academic Interests

comic books and graphic novels, censorship, visual and popular culture, public history, epistemology, graphic history, archives and critical librarianship, metadata, digital humanities, the history of youth reading, K-16 education, library history, intellectual freedom, teaching of history

Select Publications and Current Projects

Projects:
2025-Present, Executive Director,

2022-Present, Research Assistant, �Ӱ�ԭ�� Centre for Public Hsitory

2024-Present, Board Member, (Ottawa)

2022-2023, Inaugral Chair, – American Library Association (ALA) (GNCRT)

2021-2023, Research Assistant Coordinator, Gendered Design in STEAM

2021-2022 Co-Chair Underhill Graduate Student Colloquium “(Re)thinking History”

2019-2020, Inaugral President, American Library Association (ALA) (GNCRT)

Publications:
Wright, Amie with Christine Gundermann (co-editors),International Public History (2024, vol 7, issue 02: )

Wright, Amie with Christine Gundermann, “Graphic History as Public History,” in International Public History (2024, vol 7, issue 02: )

Wright, Amie, “Teaching History Through Comic Books: Opportunities for Public & Visual History,” in International Public History (2024, vol 7, issue 02: Special Issue on Graphic History)

Wright, Amie with Lindsay Gibb. , The Teaching Librarian, vol. 30, no. 3 (2023): 24-25.

Wright, Amie with Lindsay Gibb. “Reframing the Narrative: Comic Books and a Still-Lingering Pedagogical Bias.” . Booklist. July 1, 2023: 8-10.

Wright, Amie with Matthew Noe and Moni Barrette. “Answering the Call: ALA GNCRT Responds to Surging Challenges to Comics.” In Shannon M. Oltmann (ed.) The Fight against Book Bans: Perspectives from the Field. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing (2023).

Wright, Amie. “Alberta’s Forgotten Censor: The Advisory Board on Objectionable Publications (1954-1976) and the Continued Campaign Against Comics Post 1954,” Canadian Literature, no. 249 (2022).

Wright, Amie. “” Booklist. February 1, 2022.

Wright, Amie with Lucia Cedeira Serantes and Emily Drew. “International Comic Books and Graphic Novels.” In John Ballestro (ed.) The Library’s Guide to Graphic Novels. Chicago: ALA editions (2020): 113-143.

Wright, Amie. “.” American Libraries. July 28, 2017.

Wright, Amie. “” New York Public Library: Resources for Teachers. January 8, 2014.

Wright, Amie. “.” New York Public Library: Resources for Teachers. August 19, 2013.

Wright, Amie. “La Bebida Nacional: Pulque and Mexicanidad, 1920-1946.” Canadian Journal of History/Annales canadiennes d’histoire. Vol. 44, no.1 (2009): 1-24.

Wright, Amie. “.” Faculty of Information Quarterly, Vol. 1, no. 1 (2009): 1-12.

Wright, Amie. “Graphic Novels and the Memory of Trauma and Violence” in Historiae. SHAC Students of History Association of Concordia. Vol 6 (Spring 2008).

Select Conference Contributions

“A (Brief) History of Comics Censorship,” Invited Keynote Presentation: Freedom to Read Week, Ottawa Public Library / Library & Archives Canada (February 27, 2025)

“Not ‘Light and Frothy’: The Forgotten Radical Feminist History of Canadian Librarianship,” Ontario Library Association Superconference (January 2025)

“State of the Field for Busy Teachers: Graphic History,” 2025 American Historical Association Conference (January 2025)

“A new visual language for Public History: Teaching with Comic Books.” Presentation at the 7th Public History Summer School at University of Wrocław, Poland (June 2024)

“The Invention of Normal: Analyzing moral panics of the past to illuminate the present,” Keynote Presentation: History in the Making Conference, Concordia University (April  2024)

“Ask A (Comics) Librarian: A History of Comics in Archives & Libraries,” New York Comic Con (October 2024)

“The particular problem of comics: Examining past censorship and comics’ current present,” 2023 Canadian Society for the Study of Comics (CSSC) Conference (May 2023)

“Addressing Comics Challenges.” American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference & Exhibition (June 2022).

“Graphic History: Teaching with Comic Books and Graphic Novels.” 5th Public History Summer School at University of University of Wrocław (Poland) 2022.

“Teaching History with Comics: The Pros, the Cons, and the Canon.” Challenges of Teaching and Learning History: Issues of Pedagogy and Content. 4th Biennial Teaching History Conference (May 2021)

“Creating Graphic Histories: Workshop and Collaboratorium.” 134th Annual American Historical Association (AHA) Annual Meeting (January 2020)

“The New ‘Blue Age’ of Comics – In Conversation with Marvel VP Sana Amanat.” New York Comic Con (October 2019)

“Comics State of the Union: The Blue Age of Comics, the Rise of Kamala Khan, and Comics Librarianship.” Keynote Presentation: San Diego Comic-Con Comic Conference for Educators and Librarians (July 2019).

“The Panel that ‘Punched’ Hitler: Public History and Politicized Panels from Captain America to Ms. Marvel.” 2nd Annual Comics Studies Society (CSS) Conference (July 2019)

“Visual Engagement: How graphic novels are growing parts of developing literacy and pleasure reading for today’s children.” Keynote Presentation: Educational Books & Media Association (EBMA) Annual Meeting (January 2019).

“Understanding Canadian Comics.” Keynote Presentation: Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) Libraries & Education Day (May 2018).

“Comics for Civic Engagement and Social Studies.” NYC Department of Education Professional Development Conference (November 2017).

Teaching Experience

Instructor:
History Through Comic Books HIST 3909B, Fall 2023 – �Ӱ�ԭ��, Department of History
History Through Comic Books HIST 3909B, Fall 2024 – �Ӱ�ԭ��, Department of History
Information Behaviour & Resources INFS 619, Fall 2024 – McGill, Graduate School of Information Studies
Information Behaviour & Resources INFS 619, Fall 2023 – McGill, Graduate School of Information Studies
Information Retrieval INFS 616, Fall 2020 – McGill, Graduate School of Information Studies
Legal Information for Libraries INFS 672, Fall 2019 – McGill, Graduate School of Information Studies
Information Retrieval INFS 616, Fall 2019 – McGill, Graduate School of Information Studies

Teaching Assistant:
History of the United States from 1865 HIST 2402A (H. Goldman), Summer 2024 – �Ӱ�ԭ�� University, Department of History 
Comics in History HIST 3741 (S. Eady), Fall 2024 – Trent University
Europe in War; Cold War HIST 1004A (S. Eady), Summer 2024 – �Ӱ�ԭ�� University, Department of History 
Rethinking Modern Canadian History HIST 1302B (J. St. Germain), Winter 2022 – �Ӱ�ԭ�� University, Department of History 
Explorations in Historical Theory HIST 3820A (E. Fraser), Fall 2021 – �Ӱ�ԭ�� University, Department of History 
History of Canada: Post-Confederation HIST 205 (L. Pattison), Winter 2021 – Concordia University, Department of History 

Description of Research

Amie’s current SSHRC-funded doctoral research explores the under-studied legacy of comic book censorship in postwar Canada and its impact on vocational practice in schools and libraries around ideas of ‘good reading’ and child health. This work also seeks to illuminate the present through the past – looking critically at how the current surge in book bans and challenges builds on past censorship campaigns bolstered by community and educational organizations. Finally, Amie’s research also explores the classroom as a public history space and looks at the potential for graphic history – teaching with and through comic books and graphic novels – to offer new opportunities for historical engagement and research.

is heavily influenced by the 10+ years in the US and Canada in educational and community outreach with K-12 teachers and school librarians.