The Editor's Fence

THE EDITOR'S FENCE 1. EFT Conference: Aestheticism and Decadence: Washington. J). C., 1962: Pending MLA authorization of the Conference, we shall continue to re-examine the period between 1880 and 1920 by attempting to identify the characteristics of English aestheticism and decadence and by discussing the relationships between the two movements as they are illustrated by writers of the last two or three decades of the 19th century» We shall publish a selected reading list of scholarly books and articles on the subject of discussion and propose specific points of controversy on which the Conference might focus its attention. Papers on the various aspects of the subject will be considered for publication in EFT prior to the meeting; their authors will be invited to the meeting to defend or support their positions in the course of discussion. No papers will be read or summarized in detail. Attendance will be limited to the approximately 35 persons permitted by MLA. First applicants, first served. Please address your application for membership in the Conference to H. E. Gerber or E. S. Lauterbach, Department of English, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. 2. Midwest Modern Language Associât ion: The subject of the meeting at University of Nebraska, 26-28 April 1962, was "Myth and Symbol in Contemporary Criticism and Scholarship." Much credit is due to University of Nebraska Press, which has agreed to publish (Winter 1962-63) a selection of papers read at the various sections. Unfortunately, no program listing papers was in my hands at the time of writing these notes. 3. Conference on the Study of Twentieth-Century Literature: The second of the series of Conferences planned by The School of Advanced Graduate Studies, The College of Science and Arts and the Department of English at Michigan State University was held 3-5 May 1962. On the program: George P. Eliot (A Writer's View); John J. Espey (A Scholar's View); A. C. Edwards, Anthony Caput i, and David Greene (Recent Drama); Germaine Bree, Leonard Casper, James Gindin, Russell B. Nye (Recent Fiction); Frederick Eckman, W. D. Snodgrass, and Robert Sward (Recent Poetry); Denise Levertov read poetry. h. Indiana College English Association: The annual meeting this year took place at Vincennes University, 27-28 April 1962. Subjects of the papers given on Friday ranged widely, from Harold Spicer on "William Blake's Use of Biblical Typology" to Chester Eisinger's on "The Two Worlds of Jean Stafford." Nearest to being of specific interest for EFT reader's was Henry Reifsnyder on "BARCHESTER TOWERS as a Comic Novel." Saturday's meetings were concerned with "Some Pressing Problems of the English Departments of Indiana Colleges and Universities." 5. Mark Sp ilka Lectures at Wabash Col lege: Spilka gave two lectures at Wabash College, Crawfordsvi1Ie, Indiana, on 12 April: "D. H. Lawrence and His Critics" and "Dickens and Kafka: BLEAK HOUSE and THE TRIAL." On 13 April Wabash College sponsored a Seminar on the subject: The Affective Fallacy: A Plea for Responsive Readers." 6. Symposium on Victorian Affairs: On 21-25 March 1962, Indiana University, with the assistance of an ACLS grant, sponsored a symposium on a wide range of topics concerned with the Victorian period. According to VICTORIAN STUDIES, V: 3 (March 1962), 280, "The aim of the synposium is to test the editors' notion that signiticant fresh approaches to the period are being developed by some of the 'younger' scholars." ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. Peop1e: James G. Hepburn has an ACLS Grant-in-Aid which will take him to England this summer to continue his researches on Arnold Bennett. Charles McCann, who is compiling our D. H. Lawrence bibliography, will move from Canisius College to Central Washington State College at Ellensburg, Washington, effective 1 June 1962. Robert P. Weeks, who has been of help to us on several occasions on H. G. Wells, will be on leave (1962-63) from the University of Michigan as a Fullbright Fellow in Austria, Edward Lauterbach, the Associate Editor of EFT, has a Purdue Research Foundation Grant for this summer to enable him to investigate the literary piracies of John Camden Hotten. 2· Our Girl Monday through Friday. Jacqueline Eisen, our graduate assistant for the past one...