Poe Studies Association Updates

From Amy Branam-Armiento, PSA President

Following two excellent sessions on Poe at the ALA, the PSA met for its annual business meeting. Paul Lewis and Richard Kopley, our 2021 conference organizers, verified that the Fifth International Edgar Allan Poe Conference will be held April 8–11, 2021, in Boston at the Omni Parker House, which means that this conference will take us to the northernmost point of the "Poe cities." The Call for Papers appears on the back cover of this issue, and proposals will be due on July 30, 2020. I am delighted to announce that our guest of honor will be Marilynne Robinson. In order to keep our conference registration costs as low as possible, we are raising funds through sponsorships. If you or your institution would like to contribute, please contact Paul Lewis at paul.lewis@bc.edu or Richard Kopley at rxk3@psu.edu.

Our next scheduled conference Poe session is in January at the 2020 MLA Convention in Seattle. The panel is titled "Poe, Islands, Archipelagoes" (see the abstracts elsewhere in this issue). The PSA Call for Papers for the 2020 American Literature Association meeting will be posted soon. For information regarding all of our conferences, please visit https://www.poestudiesassociation.org/conferences.

In addition, we will be announcing the nominating committee for our 2020 elections soon. Watch for the call for nominations on our Listserv. As we mark the 170th anniversary of Poe's death this October, I want to thank each of you for all that you do to celebrate Poe and his legacy.

From Emron Esplin, PSA Vice President

The Poe Studies Association will sponsor the following panel at the upcoming MLA Annual Convention in Seattle in January 2020: "Poe, Islands, Archipelagoes," organized by Emron Esplin and Brian Russell Roberts of Brigham Young University and chaired by Esplin.

• • "Pacific Sensations: Rebellions, Race, and Travel Writing in Edgar Allan Poe's Sea Tales." Colleen Marie Tripp, California State University at Northridge.

• • "Island Fantasies and Archipelagic Resistance in Poe's South Sea Fictions." Caleb Doan, Louisiana State University.

• • "Plotting Poe's Islands of the Mind." Sonya Isaak, University of Heidelberg.

• • "Edgar Allan Poe's 'Liquid Landscape': An Archipelagic Rereading of The Journal of Julius Rodman." Micah Donohue, Eastern New Mexico University

From Carole Shaffer-Koros, PSA Treasurer

As of July 17, 2019, we have 206 members. The current checking account balance is $29,462.12. This includes the following restricted funds: Gargano award: $4,420.40; Quinn award: $1,741.49; and Dameron award: $1,090.00, totaling $7,251.89. In addition, the Association holds two CDs: $5,030.52 and $1,069.50. Morgan Stanley funds remaining from the Susan Tane Kyoto Travel Fund were folded into the general checking account. Our major expense was $11,351.00 in April to the Omni Parker House. Income included donations for the 2021 Boston Conference from Bartevian Inc., Boston College, Brigham Young University, and Frostburg University. We also received $1,615.70 from Pennsylvania State Press for Poe Review royalties. Available unrestricted funds total $28,310.05. Members are invited to make tax-deductible contributions to PSA award funds or to the upcoming conference by contacting me at ckoros.kean@gmail.com.

From Travis Montgomery, PSA Secretary

Next spring, the PSA will hold officer elections. Relevant announcements and instructions will be sent to the PSA Listserv. For those who do not choose to use the Listserv, please send queries or concerns to me (Dr. Travis Montgomery, Department of Language and Literature, Oklahoma Christian University, PO Box 110000, Oklahoma City, OK 73136), or you may email me at travis. montgomery@oc.edu.