Announcements

The International Society of Steinbeck Scholars Announces an international conference

John Steinbeck as an International Writer
May 4–6, 2016

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Library, San José State University
Sponsored by the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies

In their 2009 essay “Prospects for the Study of John Steinbeck,” Robert DeMott and Brian Railsback suggest that “a consideration of Steinbeck as a transnational/ international writer would be a significant direction for future critics to take.” In response, the International Society of Steinbeck Scholars (formerly the John Steinbeck Society of America) invites contributions from a wide variety of theoretical applications on topics such as Steinbeck’s connections to world literature and world thought—for example, Classical Greek and Roman, Eastern, and twentieth-century Russian. How has Steinbeck adapted not only themes, but also aesthetic choices and narrative strategies? Other topics are welcome as well: deep ecology, power and subjugation, the concept of democracy and America, ethics and philosophy, gender studies. Those wishing to present proposals for presentation can submit them online from August 2015 to March 2016 at http://www.sjsu.edu/steinbeck. Presenters will be asked to sign a release form so that papers may be considered for publication in Steinbeck Review. If you are unable to attend the conference in person, virtual registrations are also available which allow you to submit a paper for refereeing and possible publication in this fully refereed academic journal.

Conference Directors
Nicholas P. Taylor, Director, Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies
Tom Barden, Professor Emeritus, University of Toledo
Barbara A. Heavilin, Editor in Chief, Steinbeck Review

Conference Steering Committee
Mary Brown, Indiana Wesleyan University
Danica Čerče, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Paul Douglass, San Jose State University
Chuck Etheridge, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
Mimi Gladstein, University of Texas, El Paso
Luchen Li, University of New Hampshire

Steinbeck Research Fund Honors John Ditsky

Fig. 1.

John m. ditsky

Thanks to a generous donation from Mrs. C. Suzette Ditsky, emerging Steinbeck Scholars will be able to utilize the outstanding resources in the Ball State University Libraries. The Steinbeck Research Fund has been established in honor of Mrs. Ditsky’s late husband, John, who passed away on 15 May 2006. Dr. Tetsumaro Hayashi, a long-time friend, said, “He was first and foremost a passionate and dedicated scholar, teacher, and mentor.” Hayashi commented that the Research Fund was “established to honor Ditsky’s long-established legacy of extending a helping hand to emerging Steinbeck scholars.”

Guidelines

Recipients will spend a minimum of five days doing intensive research using the Steinbeck collections or other materials from the Ball State University Libraries. The results of this research must be submitted for publication in a profession, scholarly, Steinbeck-related journal, and/or presented at a Steinbeck conference, convention, or lecture at a university.

Applications

Applicants should submit two copies of a one or two-page, double-spaced, Steinbeck-related research proposal, a curriculum vitae, and a completed application form (available soon at http://www.bsu.edu/libraries/archives/. Send applications to John B. Straw, Archives and Special Collections Research Center, Bracken Library Room 210, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306.

For More Information: Contact Mr. Straw: jstraw@bsu.edu

Contributions to the Fund: Send to Ball State University Foundation (include Fund No. 5112 on the check through Mr. Straw.

Louis Owens Esay Prize: Call for Submissions

Professor Louis Owens

Fig. 2.

Professor Louis Owens

Deadline: Postmark of 31 January 2014

Results Announced: By 1 April 2014.

Length: Between 12 and 35 pages.

Include: Contact information and cover letter from advisor or professor. Professors are encouraged to nominate student work.

Style: Modern Language Association.

Submit to:
                    Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies
                    San José State University
                    San José, CA 95192-0202

If you are interested in contributing to the Louis Owens Essay Prize fund, please contact the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies by writing to the above address or email to: mhccfss@gmail.com

Steinbeck Fellows 2014–2015 Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies San José State University...