eleven
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« on: February 26, 2008, 03:38:49 PM » |
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Does one have to hold a tenure-track position to deliver a paper at the MLA (comp lit field)? Can one be an adjunct or VAP?
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fiona
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« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2008, 04:09:23 PM » |
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You can have any status or none at all. Just have to get the paper accepted.
The Fiona
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The Fiona or perhaps La Fiona
Professor of Thread Killing, Fiork University
The Right Reverend Fiona, PhD, Bishop of the Fora
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englitprof
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« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2008, 07:48:52 PM » |
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You can have any status or none at all. Just have to get the paper accepted.
The Fiona
And be a member. |
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"Saving just one dog won't change the world, but surely the world will change for that one dog." --unknown
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untenured
On far too many committees
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Posts: 5,625
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« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2008, 07:52:05 PM » |
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How selective is the acceptance process?
Untenured
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You are among the Pure and Truthful, however small their Number.
My goodness, that was an exceptionally good analysis of the forum. |
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snowbound
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« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2008, 08:32:45 PM » |
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Selective. Lots of people want to present. But if you have a topic that sounds interesting and fits very well into the panel, then you have a good shot at it.
Some of the most interesting papers at MLA are by grad students.
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englitprof
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« Reply #5 on: February 26, 2008, 08:33:59 PM » |
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How selective is the acceptance process?
Untenured
It really depends on the popularity of the individual panel to which one submits, from what I can tell. Sometimes people will come up with such specific panel topics, I'm amazed they get much of a selection to choose from at all. Sometimes an organizer will already have all the papers lined up when the CFP goes out in the MLA newsletter. Some people think MLA has cache because it's the "big" conference in literature/languages. It's certainly big, and if you're doing uber-trendy work it can be a good venue, but I prefer the equally huge annual conference in my interdisciplinary field. |
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"Saving just one dog won't change the world, but surely the world will change for that one dog." --unknown
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fiona
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« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2008, 11:36:34 PM » |
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I agree with englitprof that other conferences are more interesting. MLA is a job market and an impress-other-people market, and it's huge, midwinter, and very depressing.
The American Comparative Literature Assn. meeting is smaller and more focused, as are a lot of other smaller conferences, including regional MLAs, the Popular Culture Association and its regional spinoffs, the Oral History Association, and others.
The Fiona
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The Fiona or perhaps La Fiona
Professor of Thread Killing, Fiork University
The Right Reverend Fiona, PhD, Bishop of the Fora
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pink_
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« Reply #7 on: February 27, 2008, 07:39:29 AM » |
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The difficulty of getting a paper accepted really depends on the panel.
I have chaired a couple of them for different groups (I've never done a special sessions), and one year, due to a very general CFP, I had almost 30 abstracts. The other year, thanks to a more specific topic, there were less to choose from.
In both cases, there were some terrible abstracts: very vague, very short, little discernible connection to the proposed topic, and then there were the good ones: specific, focused, professional. So one point is that abstracts are their own genre, if you haven't written one before, have someone take a look and make sure that you are in the ballpark. The other point is that while you certainly don't want to write a bad abstract, after those have been sifted out, it comes down to how the papers fit together. I'm looking for three papers that seem to be part of the same conversation.
But in neither case, did I have papers pre-selected. I know that it happens, I'm just saying that there are lots of CFPs out there that are actual CFPs. Give it a shot.
I like MLA because I get to stay in a nice hotel in a big city. That was less of an attraction before I moved to small-town tt-ville, but if you get a paper accepted, you can often get funding either from your program or the MLA itself to attend. It won't be free, but it's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, as my mother likes to say.
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Horses don't have seatbelts. Listen to Pink, she's smart.
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untenured
On far too many committees
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« Reply #8 on: February 27, 2008, 10:02:17 AM » |
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I hear so many people talk and fret about MLA. Heck, there's even a fiction novel about murder at the MLA. I hear about all the research factions, the job searchers, the crazy papers, and the acidic comments from panelists. What better than to stimulate a morbid curiousity? Makes me wanna go just to see the zoo of interesting people.
Untenured
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You are among the Pure and Truthful, however small their Number.
My goodness, that was an exceptionally good analysis of the forum. |
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fiona
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« Reply #9 on: February 27, 2008, 03:05:54 PM » |
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I hear so many people talk and fret about MLA. Heck, there's even a fiction novel about murder at the MLA. I hear about all the research factions, the job searchers, the crazy papers, and the acidic comments from panelists. What better than to stimulate a morbid curiousity? Makes me wanna go just to see the zoo of interesting people.
Untenured
Ahem. All novels are fiction. (Where is Pedant?) There are lots of novels about MLA. See Elaine Showalter's book Faculty Towers.The Fiona |
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The Fiona or perhaps La Fiona
Professor of Thread Killing, Fiork University
The Right Reverend Fiona, PhD, Bishop of the Fora
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calivap
New member
Posts: 40
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« Reply #10 on: March 09, 2008, 12:08:32 AM » |
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One good thing: MLA will be in a warmer climate this year -- in San Francisco.
And beginning in 2011 (or is it earlier?), it will be held in January and not at the end of December. Although not sure which one is better.
I'm looking forward to going to the MLA as a non-job seeker in the future. And I could potentially see the MLA as an excuse to meet up with old colleagues?
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« Last Edit: March 09, 2008, 12:09:46 AM by calivap »
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aandsdean
I feel affirmed that I'm truly a 6,000+ post
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Positively impactful on stakeholder synergies
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« Reply #11 on: March 12, 2008, 08:03:59 PM » |
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One good thing: MLA will be in a warmer climate this year -- in San Francisco.
Surely you jest. Remember the Mark Twain quote, which is something like "The coldest winter I've ever experienced was summer in San Francisco"? |
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Wearing a black armband for Lucy
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calivap
New member
Posts: 40
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« Reply #12 on: March 12, 2008, 10:13:27 PM » |
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Ha!
Okay, so considering the MLA was in Philadelphia and Chicago these the past two years (because as one great MLA spoof site put it in reference to the Chicago location -- "Siberia was booked"), San Francisco is considerably warmer. Just talking comparisons here. Now, if they could only have it again in San Diego....
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« Last Edit: March 12, 2008, 10:17:08 PM by calivap »
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yellowtractor
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« Reply #13 on: March 12, 2008, 10:42:16 PM » |
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You should not "speak" at MLA. Nobody should. There is enough noise in the acadosphere already.
You should mime. Or dance.
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i think is good for every one only the think is that we will always scares about that. |
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gaeta
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« Reply #14 on: March 12, 2008, 10:51:52 PM » |
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My interpretive dance about Badiou's concept of "the event" is going to bring down the house. I just have to figure out how to put it into abstract form before March 15th.
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Vox clamantis in deserto.
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