American Studies Association-Canadian Association for American Studies Joint
Annual Meeting , Montreal, Quebec, October 28-31, 1999
1.) Call for Proposals: Crossing Borders/Crossing Centuries, Joint Annual
Meeting of the ASA-CAAS, Montreal, Quebec, 28-31 October, 1999. Joy Kasson,
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, David Leverenz, University of
Florida, and Bruce Tucker, University of Windsor, Co-Chairs.
The 1999 ASA-CAAS Program Committee invites colleagues in American Studies
and all related disciplines to submit proposals for individual papers,
presentations, performances, films, roundtables, workshops, conversations,
or entire sessions on any topic dealing with American cultures, including
topics in disciplines that have been under-represented in American Studies
research and teaching. The ASA Annual Meeting is open to anyone having an
interdisciplinary interest in the study of American cultures.
Meeting Theme
The theme of the meeting is "Crossing Borders/Crossing Centuries." In
choosing this theme, the Program Committee celebrates the fact that the
American Studies Association is crossing United States national borders to
hold its annual meeting in Montreal and meets for the fourth time in
conjunction with the Canadian Association for American Studies. We also
celebrate the tradition that has always distinguished American Studies
scholarship: its willingness to cross disciplinary borders and to venture
outside conventional definitions of scholarly practice. We note that the end
of a century invites retrospective thinking as we cross a temporal border.
Finally, we suggest in this title our desire to encourage comparatist
thinking of every sort: cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural, cross-national,
cross-temporal. We challenge participants to reflect on the significance of
American Studies scholarly traditions and to project the directions our
work, collectively and individually, will take in the next century.
Since border crossing also implies responsibility to those whose borders we
have crossed, we hope that this meeting will advance the discussion of the
past few years about the public dimension of our scholarship, from
engagement in local and national issues to cooperation with colleagues
teaching in secondary schools. We invite reflections on the academy that
address the increasingly tenuous situation of faculty who teach either as
untenured or as adjunct faculty and that design strategies to insure more
secure and equitable employment. And we hope that the meeting will afford an
opportunity to cross generational borders within the academy, bringing
senior scholars into dialogue with younger colleagues working in newer
fields.
We seek a broad variety of proposals, and will attempt in our selection to
include sessions of very different sorts. We encourage sessions that bring
humanities and social science disciplines together, sessions that feature
the arts, including literature, visual art, architecture, material culture,
music, drama, film, and popular arts; sessions that bring forward neglected
perspectives either in subject or in methodology; sessions dealing with
religion, sexualities, politics, environments; and sessions that explore
expressive traditions from a variety of cultural and ethnic standpoints. We
also encourage sessions that explore how the dynamics of global capitalism
both foster and inhibit border crossings of various kinds, whether of
countries, regions, classes, ethnicities, or genders. We especially invite
sessions that will pay tribute to our physical crossing into Canada through
comparative perspectives that go beyond the standard nation state
comparisons to rethink conventional wisdom about historical and contemporary
relations between the United States and its neighbors, north and south.
Finally, we hope to encourage the diverse membership of ASA and CAAS to
enter into discussion with each other, and hope that all conference
participants will plan to attend sessions and meet scholars in fields they
have not previously explored. Let this be the meeting in which every
participant crosses some boundaries into new intellectual territory.
Submission Requirements
Proposals may be submitted for entire sessions, presentations, performances,
films, roundtables, workshops, conversations, or individual papers on any
topic dealing with American Studies. Proposed presentations should represent
work in progress, rather than published work.
Proposals for workshops, roundtables, and conversations should suggest the
issues to be discussed and indicate the proposed format as well as provide
all relevant information requested below. Please note that each person is
allowed to make only one submission. The Program Committee reserves the
right to eliminate from consideration altogether those who submit more than
one proposal.
Restrictions and Guidelines
* In order that as many members as possible will have the opportunity to be
actively involved in the Annual Meeting, participants will be strictly
limited to one formal appearance in one session on the program. A person may
not present a paper in one session and serve as a chair or commentator in
another session. Nor may a person serve as chair and/or commentator on more
than one session at the same annual meeting.
* Sessions submitted without a chair will not be considered.
* If a panel has a commentator, he or she should not be the dissertation
advisor of any member of the panel.
* Sessions should usually reflect a regional range of institutions and a mix
of panelists' current and doctoral institutions.
* Session organizers should seek out a mix of junior and senior panelists,
as well as a mix of institutions represented by faculty and graduate student
panelists.
Standing Committee, Caucus, and Program Committee Proposal Guidelines
* Standing Committees and Program Committee members are authorized and
encouraged to submit session proposals.
* All Standing Committee, Caucus, and Program Committee member proposals
must be clearly marked as such on the cover sheet next to the session title.
* All Standing Committee, Caucus, and Program Committee member proposals
must adhere to the same conditions, deadlines and restrictions as other
session proposals, and are subject to review by the Program Committee.
PROPOSAL CHECKLISTS
Proposals for SESSIONS must include:
(1)___ a proposal cover sheet that includes audio-visual needs and session
organizer/principal contact information (see Figure 1);
(2)___ the session title and a one-page description of the issues and
questions the sessions will address;
(3)___ the paper or presentation title, name of presenter, and one-page
abstract for each paper or
presentation in the session;
(4)___ names of chair and commentator(s) who have agreed to serve on the
proposed session;
(5)___ contact sheet listing home phone, office phone, mailing and e-mail
addresses;
(6)___ ONE-PAGE vita (maximum) for each participant, including chair and
commentator(s);
(7)___ ONE ORIGINAL and SEVEN COPIES of all above materials, collated and
stapled into eight
identical packets;
(8)___ e-mail cover sheet only to: [log in to unmask]
Proposals for INDIVIDUAL PAPERS must include:
(1)___ the paper or presentation title, name of presenter, and one-page
abstract of paper or presentation,
including audio-visual needs;
(2)___ contact data sheet listing home phone, office phone, mailing and
e-mail addresses;
(3)___ ONE-PAGE vita (maximum);
(4)___ ONE ORIGINAL and SEVEN COPIES of all above materials, COLLATED and
STAPLED into eight (8) IDENTICAL packets. It is not the responsibility of
the ASA staff to collate and staple proposals.
Proposals must be postmarked by January 23, 1999. Late proposals will not be
considered, and incomplete proposals will be looked upon less favorably than
complete proposals. Send above materials, including cover sheet, to: 1999
ASA-CAAS Program Committee
c/o American Studies Association
1120 19th Street, NW, Suite 301
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 467-4783
Do not submit proposals directly to members of the Program Committee. No fax
or e-mail submissions can be accepted. To confirm receipt of a proposal,
include a elf-addressed, stamped postcard with the submission.
*Figure 1. Sample Proposal Cover Sheet
Please provide the relevant data in the format below. Send a hard copy of
your cover sheet along with your proposal. IMPORTANT: E-mail a copy of the
cover sheet to: [log in to unmask]
SESSION TITLE: Cold War Orientalisms
CHAIR: Melani McAlister, Dept. of American Studies, George Washington U.
PAPERS: Bill Mullen, American Studies Program, Youngstown State U.
The Color Curtain: Afro-Orientalism and the Cold War Refuge of
Black Radicals
Christina Klein, Dept. of Literature, MIT
America's Asia: Hawaii as Cold War Paradise
Brian Edwards, American Studies Program, Yale U.
Hippie Orientalism: The Interpretation of Countercultures
COMMENT: Melani McAlister
Please list standard audio-visual equipment that may be provided at ASA's
expense. You may select from slide projector, overhead projector, VCR, CD
player, audio cassette player, 16-mm projector. The ASA will not pay for
costly non-standard equipment, or for any equipment requested after April
30, 1999.
Program Decisions
The Program Committee will organize sessions from individual paper proposals
and, on occasion, will combine individual papers with proposed full
sessions. Exclusively for those sessions formed from individual submissions,
the Committee may draw chairs and commentators from the pool of individuals
who have submitted proposals for the Annual Meeting. If your paper or panel
is not accepted, you may well be called upon to play an alternative role at
the meeting. To facilitate the Program Committee's work, please indicate on
your proposal whether you are willing to act as chair or commentator on
another session. The Committee also invites self-nominations from ASA
members to serve as chairs and commentators exclusively on sessions
constructed from individual submissions (see Call for Chairs/Commentators).
Approximately six weeks after the 23 January 1999 deadline for submission of
proposals, the Program Committee will meet to review the proposals and
select the sessions to be held at the upcoming Annual Meeting. The Committee
will approve proposals on the basis of their quality in relation to the
others submitted. The Committee will attempt to include sessions on a wide
variety of subjects and approaches and to distribute its selections among
traditional and non-traditional subjects, as well as among scholarly,
pedagogical, and professional subjects. It will consciously support the
inclusion of panels focused on topics of concern to different minority
groups. The Committee will strive to balance its selections between topics
of continuing interest and new topics to which little or no attention has
been paid. The Committee will look for sessions in which scholars in
different fields engage one another on common topics. Likewise, it will look
to span different time periods and subject matters in individual sessions.
There will be room for specialized sessions on particular subjects.
To avoid the appearance of favoritism, care will be taken not to overload
the sessions with faculty and graduate students from institutions
represented by members of the Program Committee. This does not disallow
members of the Committee from presenting papers. The Program Committee will
make every effort to assure diverse representation through the inclusion of
minorities, women, graduate students, and international colleagues. The
Committee also will seek to reflect in the final program the regional and
disciplinary diversity of the Association's membership.
Notification and Participation
Notification of Program Decisions
* Once the Committee has met, all persons who have submitted proposals,
e.g., the individual paper proposer or the session organizer, will be
notified in writing of the Committee's decisions. Session organizers are
responsible for notifying the members of the proposed panel of the Program
Committee's decision. If you do not receive an official letter or e-mail by
April 30th, please contact the Office of the Executive Director, 1120 19th
St. NW, Suite 301, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 467-4783.
* The session chair will coordinate contact among the session participants
to ensure maximum integration of presentations. Participants should send the
session chair a brief biographical statement and vita to be used in
introductions.
* If your panel has a commentator, you must send copies of your completed
paper to him or her by October 1, 1999.
* The Program Committee will determine the length of each session. Most
panels now run 105 minutes in length; some run 90 minutes; a few run 120
minutes. The length of time for presentations and comments should be divided
proportionately among the panelists. There should be at least 15 minutes for
audience response. Individual presentations should be planned accordingly.
The chair has final word regarding the allocation of time within a session,
so contact him/her directly if you have questions.
Participation Requirements and Guidelines
* All participants on the convention program must be listed on the ASA or
CAAS membership rolls by April 30, 1999. If a program participant does not
join the ASA or CAAS by April 30, 1999, he or she must be replaced.
* All members of overseas affiliated societies may participate in the
convention as full members, i.e., may pay member registration fees.
* On occasion, non-academic participants or specially invited distinguished
academic speakers (who are not practicing Americanists) may, with written
permission of the Program Committee Chairs, be exempted from the membership
requirement. Applications for exemption must be submitted in writing to the
Executive Director of ASA by April 30, 1999.
* All participants on the convention program must pre-register for the
convention by June 30, 1999. If a program participant does not pre-register
for the convention by June 30, 1999, he or she will not be listed in the
printed program book and should be replaced immediately.
* Non-members must register at the Non-member rate.
* The Program Committee advises each participant of his/her professional and
ethical obligation to appear, and also to locate suitable replacements in
the event of an unavoidable withdrawal.
Fees and Funding
* Participant Registration Fee (postmarked on or before June 30, 1999):
ASA Member/International Affiliate $60.00
ASA Member/International Affiliate-
Income under $15,000 $40.00
ASA Student-Member $20.00
Non-Member $80.00
Non-Member-Income under $15,000/year $60.00
Non-Member-Student $30.00
* All participants are responsible for obtaining the funding they need to
attend the Annual Meeting. Neither the ASA nor the Program Committee can
underwrite travel funds, honoraria, per diem, or other subsidies for any
participant, including international scholars, non-academic participants,
and specially invited speakers; breakfasts, luncheons, dinners, cocktail
parties, receptions, and the like for participants and others; professional
or individual video tape recording of sessions or events.
2. CALL FOR CHAIRS AND COMMENTATORS, JOINT ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASA-CAAS,
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, 28-31 OCTOBER, 1999
The 1999 ASA-CAAS Program Committee is inviting self-nominations from ASA
and CAAS members who are willing to serve as chairs and commentators for a
number of sessions that the Committee will be constructing from individual
paper proposals. Specifically, we are looking for colleagues who plan to
attend the 1999 annual meeting, but who are not part of a proposed panel or
session. Nor should a self-nominee have submitted an individual proposal. If
you are willing to serve as a session chair or commentator, please submit a
brief statement outlining your fields of research, areas of expertise, and
topics of special interest, plus a short vitae (maximum 2 pages in length),
including your home and office telephone numbers and preferred mailing and
e-mail addresses. Specify the role(s) you are willing to play. Please send
six copies of all materials, by Friday, January 23, 1999, to: 1999 ASA-CAAS
Program Committee, c/o American Studies Association, 1120 19th Street, NW,
Suite 301, Washington, DC 20036.
3. SECOND CALL FOR TOPICS, JOINT ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASA-CAAS, MONTREAL,
QUEBEC, 28-31 OCTOBER, 1999
The December 1998 issue of the American Studies Association Newsletter will
publish abstracts for sessions that ASA and CAAS members may wish to propose
to the 1999 Program Committee. These proposed abstracts are an excellent way
for established scholars working in new fields and graduate students seeking
panel members to locate and network with interested colleagues. Proposed
topics should include a tentative session title, 200-word description, and
proposer's (session organizer's) contact information. Please note that the
Newsletter will edit those proposals exceeding the 200-word limit. The
deadline for receipt of abstracts for publication in the December Newsletter
is November 1, 1998.
The December Newsletter will be delivered to ASA members during the last two
weeks of December and the first week of January. Many members also will
receive the Newsletter at their offices during the holidays. If you list a
deadline before members are likely to receive their issue, many members will
not be able to respond to your posting. We recommend January 10th as an
appropriate deadline for submission of abstracts to you. You will have two
weeks to organize your panel and contact all persons who have submitted to
you. Actual proposals to the 1999 Program Committee must be postmarked no
later than January 23, 1999.
Individuals should send their abstracts or papers directly to the session
organizer. He or she will then be responsible for accepting papers, finding
a chair and commentator, and submitting the session for consideration to the
1999 Program Committee. In the recent past, the odds of acceptance of a
pre-packaged session have been much higher (60%) than for acceptance of
individual papers (33%)-- which not only need to pass the test of excellence
but also must fit with other individual papers to form a panel with internal
coherence. Pre-proposal networking circumvents this problem.
The session abstracts are printed in the Newsletter as a service to ASA
members who are developing panel proposals for the annual meeting. But this
does not imply endorsement or consideration of the proposals by the 1999
ASA-CAAS Program Committee. If you do plan to publish a session abstract,
please be aware of your responsibility to inform each person who may submit
an abstract or paper directly to you, in a timely and collegial manner,
whether or not you intend to include his or her abstract in your proposal.
The theme of the 1999 ASA-CAAS meeting will be "Crossing Borders/Crossing
Centuries." The ASA's and the CAAS' commitments to interdisciplinary
scholarship ensure that all panels meeting the Association's high standards
of research and discussion will be included.
All participants must register for the Annual Meeting and be members of the
ASA, the CAAS, or of an affiliated, international American Studies
Association.
American Studies Association
1120 19th Street, NW, Suite #301
Washington, DC 20036
TEL (202) 467-4783
FAX (202) 467-4786
EMAIL <[log in to unmask]>
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