Announcements

The International Society of Steinbeck Scholars Announces an International Conference: Steinbeck and the Twenty-First Century: Identity, Influence, and Impact

May 1 – 3, 2019, at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Library, San José State University

Sponsored by the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies and Steinbeck Review

John Steinbeck (1902–1968) was a giant of twentieth-century culture, a writer whose work in fiction, nonfiction, drama, and film made him a household name in America and around the world. Eighteen years into the twenty-first century, Steinbeck's influence appears to be as strong as ever. His novels continue to sell briskly; his plays are performed in repertory and revived on Broadway; and Hollywood buzzes regularly with speculation about remakes of The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden.

With this conference, the International Society of Steinbeck Scholars seeks to explore how and why Steinbeck remains relevant fifty years after his death. We invite proposals from a wide variety of disciplines, including literary and cultural studies, comparative literature, film and theater, secondary and post-secondary teaching, political science, sociology, ecology, and marine biology. Topics might include comparative studies of Steinbeck and millennial authors, issues surrounding translation of Steinbeck's work, or analyses of Steinbeck's writings through the lens of key millennial sociopolitical movements such as #MeToo and Black Lives Matter. We are also interested in the ways teachers are using Steinbeck's work to engage students on social issues, contemporary artistic expression, and popular culture.

Those wishing to submit proposals may do so online from August 2018 through March 2019 at http://sjsu.edu/steinbeck.

Travel funding is available for students whose proposals are accepted.

Participants are encouraged to submit conference papers for publication consideration in Steinbeck Review.

Conference Director

• • Nicholas P. Taylor, M. H. Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies, San José State University

Conference Steering Committee

• • Cecilia Donohue, Madonna University (Retired)

• • Barbara A. Heavilin, Professor Emeritus, Taylor University

• • Kathleen Hicks, Grand Canyon University

Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies Announces 2018–2019 Steinbeck Fellows

The Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies at San José State University has named six Steinbeck Fellows for the 2018–2019 academic year: Katie M. Flynn, Laura Goode, Meng Jin, Kirin Khan, Jill Logan, and Christine Vines.

The Steinbeck Fellowship program offers emerging writers of any age and background a $15,000 fellowship to finish a significant writing project. Named in honor of author John Steinbeck, the program is guided by his lifetime of work in literature, the media, and environmental activism. The Steinbeck Fellows program was endowed through the generosity of SJSU Professor Emerita Martha Heasley Cox.

The next deadline for applications is January 2, 2019. For eligibility and application instructions, visit http://www.sjsu.edu/steinbeck/fellows/.

Steinbeck Research Fund Honors John 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 longtime friend, said, "He was first and foremost a passionate and dedicated scholar, teacher, and mentor." Hayashi commented

Fig. 1.

John Ditsky

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 professional, 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 at http://libx.bsu.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/stein-beck). 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 at https://jstraw@bsu.edu...