2013 Convention Information and Services

Registration and Housing

All persons wishing to attend meetings or use convention services must register for the convention.

Membership in the MLA

Individuals who join the association while registering for the convention are entitled to register at members’ rates. MLA membership runs from 15 January through 14 January of the subsequent year. For the convenience of those who would like to join the MLA, as well as for continuing members who would like to pay their 2013 dues, a membership desk will be located in the registration center.

Fees

Early registration fees from 4 September through 3 October are as follows: regular members, $150; regular members outside the United States and Canada, $55; graduate student members, $50; emeriti members, $55; non-tenure-track and unemployed members, $55.

Registration fees from 4 October through 7 December are as follows: regular members, $180; regular members outside the United States and Canada, $55; graduate student members, $50; non-tenure-track and unemployed members, $55; emeriti members, $55; nonmembers, $240; graduate student nonmembers, $70.

Registration fees after 7 December are as follows: regular members, $210; regular members outside the United States and Canada, $65; graduate student members, $60; emeriti members, $65; non-tenure-track and unemployed members, $65; nonmembers, $270; graduate student nonmembers, $80. Registrations will be accepted after 7 December, but programs (for nonmembers) and badges may not be sent.

On-Site Registration

Members attending the convention who have not registered may register during the convention at the registration area located in the Hynes Convention Center (Prefunction Hall D, level 2). The registration area will be open on 3 January from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., on 4 and 5 January from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and on 6 January from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

Registration Refunds

Requests for refunds of registration fees must be made in writing, accompanied by unused convention badges, sent to the director of convention programs at the MLA office, and postmarked no later than 4 January 2013. Refunds requested after 4 January 2013 will not be granted. A $10 service fee will be deducted from all refunds.

Hotels

Hotel rooms at the special MLA rates are available only to persons who are registered for the convention. Each convention registrant can reserve one hotel room. Housing forms will not be processed if they include the names of persons in the profession who have not paid their registration fees for the convention. (Spouses, friends, and family members who wish to share a room with a registrant and who are also engaged in the study of language and literature must register and pay their registration fees for the convention.) Convention registrants who arrive in Boston without hotel arrangements may go to the registration and information desk at the Hynes Convention Center (Prefunction Hall D, level 2). A representative of CMR, the MLA housing service, will be there to help such attendees find housing and to assist attendees with any hotel issues they may have.

Transportation to and in Boston

For information, click here.

Program Online

A searchable program for the convention is available (www.mla.org/program). A streamlined version for mobile devices will be available during the convention.

Policies

Audio- and Videotaping at Sessions

Neither audiotaping nor videotaping of sessions is normally permitted. Occasional exceptions may be made for members of the media taping short segments designed to convey the convention atmosphere. Such arrangements must be made through the press office and require the consent of all speakers at a session. When taping is approved, a representative of the media staff will accompany the reporter and crew. The session organizer will announce to the audience that audio- or videotaping will take place during a part of the session. Only background taping is allowed, not the taping of an entire session. Requests to film the convention as part of a creative or documentary project must have been submitted to the Executive Council by 17 October.

Badges

Badges are required for admission to convention sessions, the exhibit hall, and the Job Information Center. Badge holders are available at the MLA registration and information center in the Hynes Convention Center, at the satellite registration and badge replacement center in the Sheraton Boston, and at the satellite badge replacement desk in the Westin Copley Place. Lost badges can be replaced for $8 at the MLA registration center.

Fragrance

The Committee on Disability Issues in the Profession reminds attendees that refraining from using scented products will help ensure the comfort of everyone at the convention.

Guest Passes

A convention speaker may obtain a pass for a family member or friend who has no professional interest in language or literature to hear a paper given by that speaker. These passes must be requested at the MLA information center by the speaker on the day of the session. The speaker must provide his or her name, session details (session number, room, date, and time), and the guest’s name. Passes may not be requested by guests of speakers, MLA members who have not registered for the convention, or by speakers for guests for any reason other than to see that person speak in a particular session.

All MLA members and members of the profession that the MLA serves are required to register in order to participate in or attend sessions. Please note that if you need a pass for an evening session you must obtain it before the information center closes.

MLA convention registrants may obtain free passes to the exhibit hall for guests they accompany in the hall. Persons who are not registered for the convention and who are not accompanied by registrants may purchase a one-day pass to the exhibit hall for $10. These passes are available at the Exhibit Registration booth, Hynes Convention Center (Hall D, level 2).

Identification

You may need to have a government-issued photo ID when you check in to your hotel. Security personnel may ask to see a hotel room key or may ask that you be accompanied by a hotel guest with a room key.

Modern Language Association's Policies Against Discrimination and Harassment

The MLA prohibits discrimination in employment, including discrimination in the form of harassment, against any person on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, military status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Sexual harassment (such as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature) is a specific type of discriminatory harassment and is prohibited. The MLA has policies in place to ensure that any violations involving MLA employees will be handled in an appropriate manner. If you believe you have been subjected to unlawful discrimination by an MLA employee, please contact Terrence Callaghan, Nelly Furman, or Judy Goulding.

The MLA reminds participants in the convention that federal law prohibits discrimination in employment, including discrimination in the form of harassment, against any person. Please ensure that all individuals in your organization who are participating in the MLA’s convention as your representatives are made aware of and understand that they must comply with applicable law.

Reading in Absentia

To encourage discussion and dialogue among panelists and attendees at convention sessions, reading in absentia (whether by Skype, videoconferencing, audio delivery, or presentation by surrogates) is not normally permitted. Presenters who are unable to attend the convention because of unforeseen emergencies are reminded that they may include a link to their papers in the online Program.

Smoking

Smoking is prohibited in most buildings in Boston.

On-Site Resources

Business Centers

Sheraton Boston, Penfield’s Office, 2nd floor (Thurs.–Fri., 7:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.; Sat., 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Sun., 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.)

Hynes Convention Center, FedEx Office, level 1 (Thurs.–Sat., 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Sun., 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.)

Child Care

MLA members who use child care services provided by one of the convention hotels or another service are eligible for reimbursement. The MLA has funds available to reimburse up to $300 each to members who use child care during convention hours. If more requests are received than can be reimbursed with available funds, preference will be given to graduate students and members in lower-income categories. Members should submit a request for reimbursement, along with supporting documentation such as a receipt from a child care service, no later than 21 January 2013 to Maribeth Kraus, Director of Convention Programs, Modern Language Association, 26 Broadway, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10004-1789.

Convention Guide and Convention Daily

The Convention Guide, containing city and hotel maps and providing general information pertinent throughout the convention, will be available as a PDF on the MLA Web site in December and at the convention. The Convention Daily prints special notices, changes in schedule, and brief reports on convention activities and appears Thursday, Friday, and Saturday during the convention. Copies are available free at the MLA information center; the 3 January issue will appear on the MLA Web site before the convention.

Disabilities, Facilities and Services for Persons with

The MLA is committed to making arrangements that allow all members of the association to participate in the convention.

Meeting Rooms. Meeting rooms at the convention are accessible by elevator, and the doors are wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs. There will be a desk in the convention registration and information center at the Hynes Convention Center (Prefunction Hall D, level 2) staffed with personnel who can provide assistance to convention attendees with disabilities. There will also be desks in the lobbies of the Sheraton Boston and the Westin Copley Place.

Hotel Rooms. To reserve hotel rooms that are specifically equipped for persons with permanent or temporary disabilities, participants must have checked the appropriate boxes on the convention registration form and the housing reservation form or written or called Karin Bagnall in the MLA convention office by 12 November.

Shuttle Bus. A complimentary transportation service will be available throughout convention meeting hours to transport attendees with disabilities. Arrangements may be made at the desks for persons with disabilities in the Hynes Convention Center (South Lobby, level 4), the Sheraton Boston (Lobby level), and the Westin Copley Place (Lobby level). Further details and phone numbers will be posted at the convention center and headquarters hotel.

Sessions. Speakers are asked to bring five copies of their papers, even in draft form, for the use of members who wish to follow the written text. Speakers who use handouts should prepare some copies in a large-print format (14- to 16-point type size). Speakers should indicate whether they want their papers and handouts returned. Sign language interpreters and real-time captioning are available on request. The deadline to arrange for an interpreter is 12 November, though the convention office will make every effort to accommodate late requests. To arrange for either of these services, write or call Karin Bagnall in the MLA convention office.

Scooter Rentals. Scooters, for navigating the convention more easily, can be rented from Scootaround (888 441-7575 or www.scootaround.com/rentals/m/mla).

Karin Bagnall coordinates arrangements for persons with disabilities; she can be reached at the MLA convention office at kbagnall@mla.org.

Display and Video of 2012 MLA-Prize-Winning Books

A display of the books that are 2012 MLA prize winners and a video featuring material from the winners will be located near the exhibit hall (Prefunction Hall D, level 2, Hynes Convention Center). Many of the prizewinning publishers are exhibiting and will have copies of these books for sale at their booths. The winners will receive their awards at the MLA Awards Ceremony, which will take place Saturday, 5 January, at 6:45 p.m. in the Sheraton Boston (Constitution Ballroom) and will be immediately followed by a reception.

Flickr

We encourage attendees to tag their convention photos with mla13 on Flickr.

Friends of Bill W.

In the Sheraton Boston, Forest Hills (5th floor) is set aside for the Friends of Bill W. throughout convention hours.

Headquarters Offices

Headquarters offices will be located in the Hynes Convention Center (200, level 2) and the Sheraton Boston (Conference, 3rd floor). Members of the MLA convention staff will be available in these offices whenever sessions are in progress to handle problems that might arise with meeting rooms or meeting facilities. Program organizers are asked to refer questions on such matters to one of the headquarters offices, not to the hotel management. More general questions will be answered by staff members at the MLA information center.

Local Information and Restaurant Reservations

A Boston Visitor Information Center desk is located on the Plaza level of the Hynes Convention Center. Staff members are available to answer travel questions, provide directions and public transportation information, assist with itineraries, and make recommendations on dining, nightlife, sightseeing, and cultural options, as well as make complimentary dining reservations. The desk also provides maps and travel guides. The desk will be open during business hours.

Lounges

Areas furnished with comfortable chairs and tables where members may congregate for discussion or relaxation will be provided in the Hynes Convention Center (Boyleston Hallway, level 2). A graduate student lounge will be located in the Sheraton Boston (Exeter, 3rd floor).

Mail and Messages

Although the hotels will make every effort to deliver mail and messages received during the convention, the MLA can assume no responsibility for failure in delivery. Determine the recipient’s hotel by referring to the “Who’s Here” listing (see “Who’s Here” section) posted near the members’ lounge in the convention center, then leave messages with the desk clerk at the appropriate hotel. Bulletin boards where convention attendees may post messages for their colleagues will also be provided in the lounge.

MLA Information Center

General questions about the convention and the association will be answered at the MLA information center in the Hynes Convention Center (Prefunction Hall D, level 2). Copies of the Program and the Job Information List will be sold at the center; the Convention Guide and the Convention Daily will be available free at the registration and information area in the Hynes Convention Center, at the satellite registration and badge replacement center in the Sheraton Boston, and through the MLA Web site. The information center will be open on 3 January from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., on 4 and 5 January from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and on 6 January from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

Press Office

Sheraton Boston, Beacon B, 3rd floor

Print Copies of the Program

Copies of the Program can be purchased for $12 at the MLA information center. Free copies are available only to those who received in their registration packets a card entitling them to a complimentary program or to foreign registrants who did not receive their programs.

Shuttle Bus Service

A free shuttle service will operate between the Hynes Convention Center and designated locations. Further details will be available at the convention and on the MLA Web site. There will be a shuttle service available throughout the convention meeting hours to transport attendees with disabilities.

Speaker Ready Rooms

Space in the Sheraton Boston (Kent, 3rd floor) and the Hynes Convention Center (310, level 3) has been reserved to allow speakers to run through their audiovisual presentations before their sessions. Those who have computer presentations are strongly encouraged to pretest their presentations in one of the speaker ready rooms during convention hours. Please contact Karin Bagnall (kbagnall@mla.org) with audiovisual questions. Requests for audiovisual equipment were due 1 April; we are unable to accommodate late requests.

Twitter

We encourage attendees to tweet sessions using the convention hashtag (#mla13) and session hashtags (e.g., #S380).

“Who’s Here” Directory

The “Who’s Here” directory will be posted in the members’ lounge in the Hynes Convention Center (Boyleston Hallway, level 2) and near the Job Information Center in the Westin Copley Place (4th floor). The directory will include the names and convention addresses of persons who make hotel reservations through the housing bureau or send their local addresses to the MLA office before 10 December. Only the names of hotels listed on the convention housing form or local addresses are listed. Members are advised to check their own “Who’s Here” listings for accuracy and to make any necessary revisions. The information used to compile the list comes from the housing service, not from the MLA.

WiFi Access

The MLA is providing free wireless Internet access in the meeting rooms and public areas of the Sheraton Boston and in the Hynes Convention Center.

Job Information Center

For Prearranged Interviews

Consult the interviewer’s sign-in file in the Westin Copley Place (American Ballroom, 4th floor) if you do not know whether your interview is scheduled for a hotel room or the interview area or if you need to find out the hotel room number for your interview. Allow yourself ample time to obtain this information. If your interview is scheduled for the interview area, proceed directly to the Westin Copley Place (American Ballroom, 4th floor), and ask a staff member for the table number.

If the interviewer has not signed in, consult the “Who’s Here” directory in the members’ lounge in the Hynes Convention Center or near the Job Information Center in the Westin Copley Place (4th floor). Once you know where the interviewer is staying, you can call the hotel information desk and be connected with the interviewer’s hotel room. (For reasons of safety, hotel staff members will not give guests’ room numbers to callers.) If the interviewer is not in, use the hotel’s message facilities. A message left in a hotel mailbox will be flashed on the guest’s room telephone. If the person is not listed in the “Who’s Here” directory, check the Program Participants section of the convention program to see whether that interviewer is speaking at or chairing a session and can be reached at a specific time and place or ask a Job Information Center staff member for help.

The MLA Job Information Service will operate a center at the Westin Copley Place (American Ballroom, 4th floor). Positions that become available after the printing of the December Job Information List will be posted, and a counseling service for job candidates will be available in the interview area on 4 and 5 January. An interviewers’ sign-in file will be maintained. Space will be available for interviews, but candidates and interviewers are urged to arrange interviews in advance. Job candidates are reminded that almost no unscheduled interviews take place at the convention. Therefore, members are advised not to attend the convention for the sole purpose of seeking employment if they do not have scheduled interviews.

Location and Hours

The Job Information Center (American Ballroom, 4th floor, Westin Copley Place) will be open on 3 January from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., on 4 and 5 January from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and on 6 January from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

Exhibits

Be sure to schedule time to visit the exhibit hall (Hynes Convention Center, Hall D, level 2). The hall is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on 4 and 5 January and from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on 6 January. Take advantage of special promotions and visit the new Exhibit Hall Theater. View the Exhibit Hall Theater schedule for presentations and product demonstrations by your favorite exhibitors, and incorporate these events into your convention calendar. Connect with over one hundred firms that represent a variety of materials and services of interest to teachers and students of language and literature. Admission to the exhibit area is restricted to persons wearing badges or carrying appropriate passes. To view a list of the 2013 exhibitors, please refer to the Convention Guide or visit www.mla.org/list_of_2013_exhibit.

Exhibit Hall Theater

In the new Exhibit Hall Theater (MLA Exhibit Hall, Hynes Convention Center, Hall D, level 2), exhibiting companies will conduct scheduled presentations, readings, and product demonstrations during exhibit hall hours. View the Exhibit Hall Theater schedule for details.

Exhibitors

To view a list of the 2013 exhibitors, go to www.mla.org/list_of_2013_exhibit.

MLA Exhibit Booth Happenings (Booth 406)

Saturday, 5 January
10:30 a.m.–12:00 noon. The editor of the MLA International Bibliography will be in the booth to talk to authors about listing their publications in the bibliography, offer demonstrations and expert search advice, and answer questions.

3:30–4:30 p.m. Reception celebrating the 128th annual convention and all titles released by the MLA in 2012

Sunday, 6 January
10:30 a.m.–12:00 noon. The editor of the MLA International Bibliography will be in the booth to talk to authors about listing their publications in the bibliography, offer demonstrations and expert search advice, and answer questions.

Event Highlights

MLA Awards Ceremony

The awards ceremony will take place at 6:45 p.m. on 5 January in the Sheraton Boston (Constitution Ballroom, 2nd floor). First Vice President Marianne Hirsch will present awards to the recipients of the William Riley Parker Prize, James Russell Lowell Prize, MLA Prize for a First Book, Mina P. Shaughnessy Prize, MLA Prize for Independent Scholars, Howard R. Marraro Prize, Katherine Singer Kovacs Prize, Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize for Comparative Literary Studies, Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize for French and Francophone Studies, Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize for Germanic Languages and Literatures, Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize for a Translation of a Literary Work, Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Publication Award for a Manuscript in Italian Literary Studies, MLA Prize for a Distinguished Bibliography, William Sanders Scarborough Prize, and Fenia and Yaakov Leviant Memorial Prize in Yiddish Studies. Executive Director Rosemary G. Feal will present the MLA International Bibliography Fellowship Awards and announce the recipients of the seal of approval from the Committee on Scholarly Editions. Marianne Hirsch will announce the recipient of the ADFL Award for Distinguished Service to the Profession. The session is open to the public and will be followed by a reception.

Presidential Address

The Presidential Address will take place at 6:45 p.m. on 4 January in the Sheraton Boston (Constitution Ballroom, 2nd floor). Executive Director Rosemary G. Feal will report on the association’s 2012 activities and President Michael Bérubé will deliver the Presidential Address. The session is open to the public and will be followed by a reception.

Presidential Forum

The Presidential Forum will take place at 5:15 p.m. on 3 January in the Sheraton Boston (Constitution Ballroom, 2nd floor).

Informational Sessions and Workshops

Council of Editors of Learned Journals

Officers and experienced editors who are members of the Council of Editors of Learned Journals (CELJ) will be available for consultation and advice for other editors and scholars who have questions about what to expect in journal submission, peer review, and publishing processes. Beginning scholars (graduate students and entry-level professors) are particularly welcome.

Editors from CELJ will be available to provide informal information and private consultations on 4 and 5 January from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Jamaica Pond, Sheraton. Please visit www.celj.org/node/1829 for more information.

Electronic Literature Exhibit: “Avenues of Access”

This exhibit, curated by Dene Grigar and Kathi Inman Berens, brings together thirty-two “born digital” works of electronic literature by current MLA members as well as artists whose poetry and fiction are viewed as seminal to the field. The exhibit will include multimodal narrative and poetry, e-essays, literary games, and mobile-geolocative work. Please visit http://dtc-wsuv.org/elit/mla2013 for more information on this exhibit.

Hynes Convention Center, 312, level 3

Thursday, 3 January, 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m.; Friday, 4 January, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, 5 January, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Government Careers

On 5 January from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in 210 of the Hynes Convention Center, representatives from federal-government agencies will offer a workshop highlighting government careers that utilize foreign language and cultural expertise. Afterward, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., representatives will be available at the Hynes Convention Center (210) to answer questions about government careers that use skills in languages and cultural expertise.

MLA Commons

The MLA will launch its new scholarly communication platform, MLA Commons, at the convention. MLA Commons is designed to facilitate active member-to-member communication, to support the work of divisions and discussion groups, and much more. A live presentation on the new platform will be held in the Exhibit Hall Theater at 10:30 a.m. on 4 January, and volunteers will be available to demonstrate the platform's function and to assist with account activation in the registration area.

NEH Information

On 4 January from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in 210 of the Hynes Convention Center, representatives from the NEH will offer a workshop that highlights recent awards and outlines current funding opportunities.

Northeastern University, centerNet, and NITLE

Northeastern University, centerNet, and the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education (NITLE), will sponsor a preconvention workshop, “Get Started in the Digital Humanities with Help from DHCommons," at Northeastern University. Ronald Bernier (Wentworth Inst. of Tech.), Ryan Cordell (Northeastern Univ.), Rebecca Frost Davis (NITLE), Quinn Dombrowski (Univ. of California, Berkeley), Paul Schacht (State Univ. of New York, Geneseo), and Lisa Spiro (NITLE) will organize and preside over the event. The four-hour workshop welcomes language and literature scholars who wish to learn about, pursue, or join digital humanities projects but do not have the institutional infrastructure to support them. Representatives of major digital humanities projects and initiatives will share their expertise on project design, outline available resources and opportunities, and lead small-group training sessions on DH technologies and skills. Scholars must have applied in advance for the workshop at http://dhcommons.org/mla2013. Enrollment was limited to fifty participants.

Governance

Delegate Assembly

Established in 1971 as an elected body representing the membership at large, the Delegate Assembly, composed of over 270 delegates, debates issues of concern to the membership and advises the Executive Council on the association’s policies, direction, goals, and structure.

Formal deliberations of the assembly, at which any MLA member can speak, are scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on 5 January in the Sheraton Boston (Grand Ballroom, 2nd floor).

An open hearing of the Delegate Assembly, at which MLA members may present their views, will be held at 10:15 a.m. on 4 January in the Sheraton Boston (Fairfax B, 3rd floor). Members who wish to submit formal resolutions to the Delegate Assembly should attend the open hearing on resolutions held on 6 January at 12:00 noon in the Sheraton Boston (Fairfax B, 3rd floor).

Procedures for submitting resolutions, which are general statements of membership sentiment, are described in article 11.C.3 of the MLA constitution; copies of this section of the constitution will be available at the MLA information center.

Emergencies

Illness and Medical Emergencies

Procedures may vary from one location to another. Sheraton Boston. Dial 1000 from any house phone. Hynes. Dial 617 954-2111. Westin. Dial 7300 from any house phone.

What to Do in Case of a Weather or Other Emergency

If weather or an emergency in Boston should delay or otherwise affect the scheduling of convention sessions, full information on such changes will be posted on the MLA Web site. If a local or personal emergency should cause you to have to delay or cancel your attendance at the convention, you should contact your hotel as early as possible. Registrants who booked their travel through MacNair Travel should call 877 410-8195; others should call their carrier directly. Requests for registration refunds must be postmarked by 4 January. Visit www.mla.org/conv_registration for more information. If you are scheduled to speak or participate in a session, please notify the session organizer. You may also want to annotate your session listing in the online Program.

Future Conventions

Calls for Papers

Calls for papers may be submitted online at www.mla.org/cfp_main or reviewed online at www.mla.org/conv_papers for the 2014 MLA convention in Chicago (9–12 January 2014).

Locations

The 129th MLA Annual Convention will take place in Chicago from 9 to 12 January 2014.

The 133rd MLA Annual Convention will take place in New York City from 4 to 7 January 2018.

Locations for conventions beyond 2014 will be determined at a later date. Please visit www.mla.org/future_conventions for updates.

Organizing Sessions

Forms and instructions for organizing sessions for the 2014 convention in Chicago will be available on the MLA Web site in February 2013.