Call for Papers
Roundtable Discussion: The Work of the Literary Generalist
Northeast Modern Language Association
Buffalo, New York -- April 7-8, 2000
Proposals due September 15, 1999
The aim of this roundtable discussion (approved for NEMLA 2000) is to
explore the position of the literary generalist in an era and a profession
marked by relatively narrow specialization. We are all trained as specialists,
but many (perhaps most) of us find ourselves teaching across a broad range of
fields. Effective teaching requires a commitment to developing some expertise
in those other fields, while professional success (measured either in
promotions or personal satisfaction) typically requires ongoing contributions
to an area of specialization. The generalist must balance these countervailing
demands while teaching anywhere from six to ten courses per year.
For this roundtable discussion, I invite very brief presentations (5-10
minutes) focusing on the place of the generalist in today's academic
environment. A few of the many questions you might consider as starting
points include:
In what ways does the "field" of the generalist constitute a
distinctive body of knowledge (as opposed to a smattering of
knowledge from other, more conventionally defined fields)?
What kinds of intellectual cross-fertilization are possible or
desirable between generalists and specialists? (You might want to
think in terms of different environments: the academic conference,
the academic department, the scholarly or professional journal,
etc.) And what might we do to encourage that cross-fertilization?
How might the generalist contribute to and/or draw on current
controversies and changes in the definitions of established
disciplinary boundaries (e.g. the move toward interdisciplinarity,
challenges to the literary cannon, diversity and multi-culturalism,
post-colonial studies, or the kind of historical redistricting
exemplified by "the long eighteenth century")?
More practically, what resources and support do generalists most
need from their institutions in order to carry out their divided
mandate? One form of support might include curricular revisions
to help bring our teaching and scholarly work more closely into
line with each other.
The aim of a roundtable discussion is not to present original and
conclusive arguments but rather to stimulate a discussion among the
participants and audience. With that aim in mind, I welcome proposals that
raise provocative questions, reformulate the situation in original and
suggestive ways, and provoke further discussion of a problem very close to the
lives of many of us in this profession.
Please send proposals of not more than 5 pages (i.e. 10 minutes) and CVs to:
Donald Ulin
University of Pittsburgh at Bradford
300 Campus Drive
Bradford, PA 16701
You may also FAX proposals to 814-362-5094 or e-mail them to me at
ulin@pitt.edu. (Please note: I am requesting CVs only in order to help
me put together a balanced session.)
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