The Ralph Waldo Emerson Society will sponsor two panels at the 32nd Annual Conference of the American Literature Association, to be held July 7-11, 2021, Westin Copley Place, 10 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02116.
“Emerson and Health”*
The Emerson Society invites proposals on the topic of ‘Emerson and Health.” Papers may consider topics such as body and mind, “health of the eye,” food, exercise, mortality, and grieving. The Society also welcomes proposals that view the term health globally, in social, political, environmental, or cosmic terms.
“Emerson Studies Now: A Roundtable Discussion”
Over thirty years after the formation of the Society, this roundtable will be discussing the current state of Emerson studies and possible orientations for future research, teaching, and outreach to the broader public. Participants will be invited to express their views in particular concerning the proper relation between the historical Emerson and current cultural and political issues. Have these taken too large a place in the field? Manifestoes, provocations, strong opinions, animadversions, untimely meditations or contrarian views on these and other themes relevant to the topic are most welcome. The Society seeks a frank and open discussion with the widest possible range of viewpoints.
*Graduate Student Conference Paper Award*
Provides $750 of travel support to present a paper on an Emerson Society panel at the American Literature Association Annual Conference (May 2021) or the Thoreau Society Annual Gathering (July 2021). Submit a carefully crafted 1-2-page single-spaced conference paper proposal by February 7, 2021. Proposals should address the 2021 cfp posted at emersonsociety.org.
More details about the ALA may be found here: http://americanliteratureassociation.org/ala-conferences/ala-annual-conference/
E-mail 300 word abstracts to Joseph Urbas (joseph.urbas@u-bordeaux-montaigne.fr) by Feb. 7, 2021. Membership of the Ralph Waldo Emerson Society is required of presenters.