MLA Session “Navigating the MLA for East Asianists”
This year at the MLA annual meeting in NYC, I will lead Session #275 on Friday, January 5, 2018 at 10:15 am – 11:30 am in Concourse G, Hilton Hotel, entitled “Navigating the MLA for East Asianists.” I welcome literary/cinema/cultural studies scholars in East Asia to attend, and others as well. The MLA is a complicated, multifaceted academic association, and it could be described as “byzantine” and “arcane.” But as the largest humanities academic association in the world, it is important. The good news is that in recent years the MLA has undergone a massive structural transformation and now there are FORUMs dedicated to the following: “Chinese Literature before the 14th Century”; “Ming and Qing Literature”; “Chinese Literature and Culture from 1900”; “East Asian Literatures” (mainly comparative); “Japanese Literature before 1900”; “Japanese Literature and Culture after 1900”; “Korean Literature”; and most recently “Southeast Asian Literatures and Cultures.” I have noticed with the influx of participants and increased interest from scholars in East Asian Studies that many people have questions about the MLA. Thus, we decided to organize this session to provide an introductory outline. The session will be split in half with the first half essentially me describing the various components of the MLA and the second half open discussion and questions. Here are some of the facets that will be covered:
- How is the MLA structured from top to bottom?
- What are the Forums and why are they important?
- How do I get a paper accepted at the MLA?
- What are the various kinds of sessions?
- How do I get on a Committee?
- What is the Delegate Assembly?
- What are ADE and ADFL and why do they matter?
- What is MLA Publications and why does it matter?
- What are the various other committees (elected and appointed)?
- What is our future in the MLA?
Christopher Lupke <lupke@ualberta.ca>