International Shaw Society News

Mid-Year Newsletter

This issue of SHAW inaugurates a mutually beneficial, co-operative arrangement between the publishers of SHAW and the International Shaw Society. For sponsoring of the journal and contributing to its continuance in its hard-copy form, the ISS gains a vehicle to apprise members and prospective members of ISS news and events at mid-year (June 30 being the date of this report). This Newsletter will be supplemented by an End-of-the Year Newsletter that will be sent to members in January of 2006.

MISSION STATEMENT: The International Shaw Society, a not-for-profit organization, provides a means for those interested in the study of the life, times, and career of Bernard Shaw and his circle to coordinate their activities, exchange information and ideas, and promote an interest in Shaw worldwide. It welcomes anyone with an interest in Shaw to join (see the end of this journal for an application form and the various levels at which membership can be obtained).

GOALS & ACTIONS: To encourage the study of Shaw and the production and publication and dissemination of his works, the ISS arranges biennial conferences and annual symposia around the world at which anyone interested in Shaw can find a gathering of kindred spirits and an occasion to speak on and discuss Shaw and to hear and see his works in performance. Because it particularly wishes to encourage the young, the ISS offers scholarships and travel grants to young people (under 40, until we really do get "back to Methuselah") who wish to contribute to its goals. Nearly every ISS event will offer such opportunities, so please check each announcement for details.

The ISS looks forward to its new relationship with SHAW: The Annual and Penn State Press. Our thanks to its Director, Sandy Thatcher, for making this possible.

Report by R. F. Dietrich,
President of the International Shaw Society
ISS Homepage: http://chuma.cas.usf.edu/~dietrich/iss.htm
Email: dietrich@cas.usf.edu

Summary of ISS Events

1. BIENNIAL CONFERENCES: The ISS was launched at its first conference at the University of South Florida at Sarasota, co-sponsored by USF, March 17–21, 2004. The next conference, June 8–11, 2006, will be at Brown University in Providence, R.I., the home of Sidney Albert's Shaw Collection. See the "Call for Papers" on the following page.
2. ANNUAL SYMPOSIA: The First Annual ISS Shaw Symposium, co-sponsored by and meeting at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, took place on July 23–25, 2004. The Second Annual Symposium, at the same place, occurred on July 29–31, 2005. At the 2005 Symposium, for the first time, the Shaw Festival awarded Ronald Bryden Scholarships to attending young scholars, supplemented by ISS Travel Grants. Our thanks to Denis Johnston, Shaw Festival Outreach Director, and Leonard Conolly, the academic coordinator for the Symposiums. Plans for a Third Annual Symposium in the summer of 2006 will be published in the next Newsletter.
3. MLA MEETINGS: To qualify for affiliate status with the Modern Language Association, which would give the ISS a lot of free advertising if accomplished, the ISS will begin sponsoring sessions at MLA meetings beginning in 2006. There will be a call for papers, although you must be an MLA member to be eligible. See the ISS Homepage or Members Page for a link.

For specific announcements and details about all ISS events, please consult the ISS Members Page, which is linked off of the ISS Homepage at http://chuma.cas.usf.edu/~dietrich/iss.htm and to which members have been given a password.

Summary of Other Shaw Societies

The ISS encourages its members to support and attend the meetings of Shaw Societies that operate locally, as for example:

1. The Shaw Society of England, the original Shaw Society, meets monthly in London the last Friday of the month except in the summer. See http://www.shawsociety.org.uk/. Note especially their invitation to join them next summer at events...