The Editor's Fence

il THE EDITOR'S FENCE 1. Eleventh ELT Conference (I967): A Report: Our Conference in Chicago was attended by about thirty-three people. The good attendance at a conference held late in the morning on the last day of the JiLA meetings was one of several pleasant surprises. We were even more pleased to have very lively discussion for the full period allotted us, even though we had not insured ourselves with prepublished papers, position statements, a panel, or commissioned questioners in the audience. We are armed against loss of faith in conferences or seminars, as they apparently will be known, for one more year. We were also pleased to witness the same encouraging spontaneous discussion in our American literature counterpart, the Conference on American Literary Realism (1870-1910), chaired by Clayton Eichelberger , University of Texas at Arlington. 2. Twelfth ELT Seminar. MLA, New York. I968: The Aesthetics of the Problem Play: "Seminar" reflects a change in MLA's designation but denotes no alteration in concept from that typical of our previous eleven conferences. The planned ELT Seminar will focus on the British problem play, 1880-1920. We hope to hear a variety of topics discussed - What was the problem play? What did the term mean to critics and playwrights? How does the work of a specific Irish or English playwright Indicate Interest In - or rebellion against - the problem play? What were significant outside (extranational ) influences on this type of play? Papers will MOT be read at the Seminar. We shall, however, be pleased to consider papers on these and similar subjects for publication In ELT. To appear In the Seminar number of ELT (published in early December), papers should be In our hands not later than August 3I. 1968. 3. Conradlans: We are now In the final stage of completing the full-scale annotated bibliography of writings about Conrad. In order to complete the work before June, we must have the assistance of several more persons willing to help abstract the remaining entries. Since we have a group of entries In such publications as Nouvelles Littéraires, Revue Hebdomadaire, Mercure de France, and so on, we especially need several scholars who read-French with some ease. k. Hardlans: Our massive project on Hardy criticism Is now quite vigorously progressing. Although we have had an excellent response to our call-out for annotators, the large scale of the project necessitates additional contributors. 5. Hardy Festival: On the Inside back cover we prirt the announcement and program of the Hardy Festival to be held in Dorchester, England. Among American scholars variously involved are Robert Schwelk, Harold Orel, and J. 0. Bailey ...