2014-04-29

CFP: Asian Literature at PAMLA 2014

[And now...a bit of shameless PA...!]

CFP: Asian Literature (Standing Session) at PAMLA 2014 (Oct. 31–Nov. 2) in Riverside, CA

Papers are sought for the Asian Literature standing session at the 112th Annual Conference of the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association, to take place from October 31 to November 2 at the Riverside Convention Center in Riverside, CA.

The session is open to papers that address a wide range of issues, including race, gender, sexuality, class, history, language, peace, war, etc.—you name it—in Asian cultural productions. It aims to explore how these issues arise in texts from various regions of Asia while questioning divisions such as Northeast, East, Southeast, and South. Papers from fields such as anthropology, art, history, ethnic studies, film studies, music, and sociology are also welcome. [Yes, the presiding officer likes lists.]

The special theme of this year's conference is "Familiar Spirits". Papers for the Asian Literature session are welcome to (though certainly not required to) explore the ideas of magic, conjuring, spirits, hauntings, Spiritualism, and manifestations, as well as to treat the familiar, familial, and the commonplace in relation to the paranormal, strange, and uncanny. [OK, that list is not the presiding officer's doing.]

For more information and to submit proposals, please visit the proposal submission page of PAMLA 2014 at http://www.pamla.org/2014/proposals. Deadline for submissions is Thursday, May 15, 2014. Questions can be directed to the presiding officer, whose email address is listed on the Session Topics page at http://www.pamla.org/2014/topic-areas.

Happy proposing!

2014-04-18

Quaint Americana

Flying through Dulles may not be your best way to finding Quaint Americana, but if you're willing to withstand a cancelled flight (which does come with a free stay at Hyatt Regency Crystal City), then it's not such a bad stopover. (And there's a Dunkin' Donuts every 30 feet.)

OK, maybe not 30 feet, but close. And as incredible as this trip has been, it also has made me want to go back home—home to where my heart is. I just needed to remind myself that that's where I belong.