Despite Russell Berman’s claims in a previous posting to this group, David Lloyd’s article summarizing the open discussion at the MLA 2015 Delegate Assembly meeting in Vancouver fairly reflects the mood in the room, where for 90 minutes many Delegates and numerous members of the MLA spoke from the floor strongly in support of the academic boycott…[Read more]

The recent Delegate Assembly meeting in Vancouver included a robust discussion on a set of issues, prompted by the clash of two different proposed resolutions–one supporting academic boycotts, one opposing them. The Delegate Assembly Organizing Committee has wisely created space for discussion of these matters (an agreement that included a w…[Read more]

Dear Members of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century literature group:

Call for Critical Essay Submissions: Working Women

For a book to be published by a major publisher, I am inviting essays on working women in late-nineteenth to mid-twentieth century American literature. The volume will focus on the American working woman and how…[Read more]

Here’s David Palumbo-Liu’s report in the Huffington Post on the discussion of boycott in the DA on Saturday.

Preliminary votes show that the DA recognizes (by a significant margin) that this is a urgent topic that the MLA needs to be addressing; that academic boycotts promote, rather than harm, academic freedom; and that those who speak…[Read more]

There will be a #BlackLivesMatter solidarity action at MLA on FRI at 1:30PM. Please assemble at 1:30 in Ballroom D, on the first floor (not ground floor) of the convention center.

We plan to have speakers and an open mic there, and then march outside.

Participants without MLA badges can access Ballroom D through the south entrance. We will have…[Read more]

Special Session 77: “Sustainability and Population in American Literary History” at this year’s MLA might be of interest to folks studying ecocritical topics, demography in literature, race, reproduction, or other American literary topics. The panel is on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in 116 VCC West. More information about the panelists and papers can b…[Read more]

Invitation to BDS Working Group: first meeting at MLA 2015, Jan 9 2:30-5:00

If you would like to work actively over the next two years towards gathering support for the MLA resolution to endorse the Palestinian call for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions, please contact David Lloyd (david.lloyd@ucr.edu) or Rebecca Comay…[Read more]

The Asian American Literature Division has organized two panels for MLA 2015 in Vancouver. We hope you will be able to attend.
324. Asian American Literary Studies and the Vietnam War
Friday, 9 January, 1:45–3:00 p.m., 120, VCC West

Program arranged by the Division on Asian American Literature

Presiding: Crystal Parikh, New York Univ.

1. “…[Read more]

Contrary to claims made on the MLA Commons site Scholarship, Censorship, Exclusion, that “Those who would impose a sectarian political platform on the MLA will harm it and weaken its ability to act on behalf of the profession”, the MLA already has a long-standing and honorable record of speaking out on political issues and passing resolutions a…[Read more]

Here’s hoping this will start a good discussion of this important issue.  I’d like to urge you all to read the PDF “ Resolution ACBI Evidence”  which was prepared to accompany the proposed boycott resolution (see under “Files” on the left side of this page).   It provides documentation about the situation of the Palestinian universitie…[Read more]