Call for Papers: ALA 2010. The Harriet Beecher Stowe Society invites papers on the following topics for the American Literature Association (ALA) conference in San Francisco, CA, May 27-30, 2010.

1. “Harriet Beecher Stowe and Visual Culture.” Papers can address illustrations of Stowe’s work in the 19th century and later, evocation of visual experience in her writing, or other aspects of visual culture.

2. “Harriet Beecher Stowe and the Legacy of the Beecher Family.” Papers can address connections between Stowe and particular Beecher family members, how Stowe handles the legacy of her heritage in her writings, or cultural responses in the 19th century to the Beechers (collectively or as individuals).

To submit a proposal to either panel, please send abstracts and contact information to Lisa West by January 15, 2010.

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Call for Papers: ALA 2010. The Catharine Maria Sedgwick Society invites papers on the following topics for the annual American Literature Association (ALA) Conference in San Francisco, Thursday, May 27-Sunday, May 30, 2010.

1. “Catharine Maria Sedgwick and Religion.” While Catharine Maria Sedgwick is often linked with Unitarianism, her writings on benevolence and didacticism also overlap with different forms of Protestantism. In what ways can we expand our understanding of her use of religion in her writing? How would reconsidering the role of religion in her writing help us position her within different writing communities – such as post-bellum women writers, transcendentalists, or antebellum evangelists?

2. “The Sketch Reconsidered: Sedgwick, Irving and their Contemporaries.” This panel seeks to reconsider the cultural and literary work of the “sketch,” either as a genre or as a subgenre. The focus is on writing between 1815 and 1840.

To submit a proposal to either panel, please send abstracts and contact information to Lisa West by January 15, 2010.