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Home > Professional Resources > Related Professional Organizations > Northeast Modern Language Association

Northeast Modern Language Association

The Northeast Modern Language Association enjoyed its largest and most diverse conference in years, with 208 panels at the 38th convention in Baltimore. This was the largest and most diverse convention that NEMLA has presented in years. With the active involvement of Johns Hopkins Univ. as local sponsor, the convention also featured area scholars at all levels as well as varied cultural events.

NEMLA is deeply committed to promoting teaching and scholarship in the modern languages. This year saw a particular increase in panels in Italian, Spanish, German, and French. The board made permanent new board positions in comparative literatures and popular culture in support of the growing interest in interdisciplinary work and in other foreign languages.

Highlights of the 38th convention in Baltimore included:

  • The welcoming reception and reading featured novelist Madison Smartt Bell and poet Elizabeth Spires.
  • Amanda Anderson (Johns Hopkins Univ.) delivered a timely keynote address, "Revisiting the Autonomy of the Literary."
  • The Women's Caucus presented novelist Elizabeth Nuñez, who discussed "The Women in Shakespeare's The Tempest: The Perspective of a Woman Novelist."
  • The Spanish Cultural Ministry sponsored Andres Ibañez and a roundtable discussion of his work.
  • Sante Matteo presented the plenary address "Looking for Marco Polo on the Silk Road: Finding Adriano Celentano."
  • The Swiss Consul presented Swiss authors Martin Dean and Daniel Zahno.

NEMLA also worked this year to improve service to our members. We were able to decrease our fees by 8% and to reduce our media charges from $40 to $10. My predecessor Josephine McQuail established research fellowships with the Newberry Library, in addition to our summer fellowships and American Antiquarian Society fellowship. NEMLA increased the number of travel grants awarded to graduate students and also created the Graduate Student Assistantship program to provide support and administrative opportunities. Our new Webmasters Vincent Guihan and Andrew Schopp streamlined and improved our Web site to improve communication.

Our 39th Convention in Buffalo is off to a strong start with 239 sessions now accepting abstracts at www.nemla.org. Past president Carine Mardorossian has taken the lead in lining up leading area scholars for the convention. Following up on the success of the Thursday evening welcoming reading and reception in Baltimore, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Carl Dennis will share his work with NEMLA members. The Friday night keynote will feature prominent artistactivist-scholar Alexis DeVeaux.

To help participants experience everything that the city of Buffalo has to offer, Annette Magid has been tirelessly at work for over a year setting up a range of afternoon and evening events that include the performing arts, library tours, and a trip to Niagara Falls. The convention hotel, the Hyatt Regency Buffalo, is located in the heart of the financial and theater districts. The Hyatt Regency Buffalo was also the host of NEMLA's 2000 convention, which members cite as a particularly collegial conference.

NEMLA's vibrancy is due to its active and enthusiastic board. Providing leadership for 2007-08 are: Executive Board: Matt Lessig, State Univ. of New York, Cortland, President; Rita Bode, Trent Univ., First Vice President; Barbara Mabee, Oakland Univ., Second Vice President; Carine Mardorossian, Univ. at Buffalo, State Univ. of New York, Past President; Modern Languages and Literatures Directors: Robert E. Lougy, Pennsylvania State Univ., Univ. Park, American/British Literatures Director; Jason Haslam, Dalhousie Univ., American/British Literature Director; Natalie Edwards, Wagner Coll., French Language and Literature Director; Monica Leoni, Univ. of Waterloo, Spanish Language and Literature Director; Helga Druxes, Williams Coll., German Language and Literature Director; Simona Wright, Coll. of New Jersey, Italian Language and Literature Director; Nilgun Anadolu-Okur, Temple Univ., Comparative Literatures Director; Jennifer Harris, Mount Allison Univ., Popular Culture and Media Director. Caucus Representatives: Lisa Perdigao, Florida Inst. of Tech., Women's Caucus Director; Elizabeth Anderson, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, Independent Scholarship Director; Donald Gagnon, Western Connecticut State Univ., Gay/Lesbian/Bi-/Trans Caucus Director; Grace Wetzel, Univ. of South Carolina, Graduate Caucus Director.

I feel very fortunate to have joined the Northeast Modern Language Association as executive director at this point in its history and thank SUNY Nassau Community College for their support. NEMLA has been my scholarly home for ten years--I hope that you will take advantage of this dynamic and supportive academic community.

ELIZABETH ABELE
Executive Director

 
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© 2008 Modern Language Association. Last updated 12/04/2007.