Poe Studies Association Updates

From Paul Lewis, PSA President

Important PSA tasks are handled by appointed committees that deserve recognition and gratitude. The process of nominating books, articles, bibliographies, and edited collections for 2016 award consideration was handled by Jana Argersinger (Chair), Paul C. Jones, and Russell Sbriglia. The process of creating a preliminary slate of candidates for the upcoming 2018 election of PSA officers was managed by John Gruesser and William E. Engel. For important information about the election process, see Travis Montgomery's note below.

As excitement builds for the upcoming Poe and Hawthorne conference in Kyoto, Japan, I want to thank both Sandy Hughes, president of the Nathaniel Hawthorne Society and the organizer of the conference, and the members of the academic committee, Philip Phillips (Chair) and Richard Kopley, for the time and effort they have put into this demanding project.

At the PSA business meeting last May, we discussed strategies for making our listserv more interactive and engaging. Toward this end, please note that all members can post questions or comments on Poe-focused matters. To avoid generating long sets of group e-mails, posting members should indicate whether they want replies sent only to themselves or to the entire listserv.

From Amy Branam Armiento, PSA Vice President

The Poe Studies Association's MLA panel is scheduled for Saturday, January 6, 1:45–3:00 p.m. Once we receive more details regarding the location, we will send an update through the Poe listserv.

Presentations

1. 1. "Illustrating 'The Gold-Bug,'" John Cullen Gruesser (Kean University)

2. 2. "The Colonial Geographies of Sympathetic Ink in Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Gold-Bug,'" Daniel Couch (American Academy of Arts and Sciences)

3. 3. "The Duplicitous Design of Four Supposed Tales of Terror," Susan Amper (Bronx Community College, CUNY)

4. 4. "Abortion, Punctuation, and the Murders That Aren't Murders in the Rue Morgue," Dana Medoro (University of Manitoba)

From Carole Shaffer-Koros, PSA Treasurer

As of August 1, 2017, the Association has 211 members. Panel presenters and authors of published articles in EAPR should be sure their dues are current.

The present balance of our checking account is $23,785.97. This includes the following restricted funds: Gargano award: $4,620.40; Quinn award: $2,241.49; Dameron award: $1,250.00. Additionally, the Association has two CDs: $5,025.22 and $1,066.63. A separate fund for the Susan Tane Travel Fund is invested in cash at Merrill Lynch and totals $30,201.58. Therefore, the current cumulative value of our treasury is $60,079.40. A separate account for the Kyoto conference totals $6,945.00.

Tax-exempt contributions may be made to any award or conference funds by contacting me at ckoros.kean@gmail.com.

From Travis Montgomery, PSA Secretary

Next spring, we will hold elections for PSA President, Vice President, and Board Members-at-Large. The nominating committee has selected the following slate of candidates:

President: Amy Branam Armiento

Vice President: Emron Esplin

Board Member-at-Large: Cristina Perez

Board Member-at-Large: Adam Lewis

Additional nominations will be considered. To submit a nomination, send the name of the nominee and the recommended office (President, Vice President, or Member-at-Large) to Travis Montgomery (mailing address: Dr. Travis Montgomery, Department of Language and Literature, Oklahoma Christian University, 2501 E. Memorial Rd., Edmond, OK 73013; e-mail address: travis. montgomery@oc.edu) no later than February 1, 2018. The election will follow, and the result will be announced on April 1, 2018.

From Emron Esplin, Member-At-Large

At the upcoming conference of the American Literature Association in San Francisco, May 24–27, 2018, the Poe Studies Association will hold a panel titled "Teaching Poe and the World." The panel hopes to engage professors who teach Poe in various global contexts, whether as a contemporary of the global authors also taught in the course, as a receptor of influence, as a precursor, or as a part of a broader literary conversation. A full call for papers appears on the PSA website and was distributed on the PSA listserv. It is also available on the University of Pennsylvania's CFP website. Please...