The topic for this year’s conference, in Berkeley, CA, is “Romanticism and its Discontents.” See the full call for papers here: https://nassrberkeley2016.wordpress.com/call-for-papers/. Proposals for individual papers are due on February 8, 2016. Deadline for proposing an open-call session is November 2, 2015. Deadline for proposing a complete panel or roundtable is also February 8, 2016.
Dickens in Eden, 2.0
NASSR-time is upon us, and I am very excited to see many of our Romanticist writers and readers in Winnipeg! Readers can expect an update on the conference — and particularly the sessions for graduate students — next week. But first, I’d like to give my report on The Dickens Universe 2015, which I attended for the first time at UC Santa Cruz at the beginning of this month. This annual week-long event is part academic conference, part professionalism workshop, part Victorian reenactment, and part summer camp: it brings together faculty and graduate students from the US and abroad, but also “Road Scholars” of all ages whose admiration for Boz brings them back each year to discuss a new novel. And, while Dickens isn’t strictly part of the Romanticist repertoire, the conference has much to offer for the aspiring nineteenth-century aficionado/a. Continue reading “Dickens in Eden, 2.0”
Summer Camp for Library Types: A Week at Rare Book School
“Go be smart. Don’t forget to wash your hands.” These two pieces of wisdom, spoken by RBS Director Michael Suarez, marked the end of daily mid-morning or mid-afternoon breaks during my week at Rare Book School at the University of Virginia. This thirty-year-old program encompasses the love and care of books from a myriad of different angles: collecting, cataloging, reading/transcribing/interpreting, identifying and describing, even binding and printing. The list goes on, all courses focused on developing the skills of librarians, collectors, editors, booksellers, conservators, and scholars through the historical study of books and how we make them accessible. One course, five days, 6+ hours per day of non-stop book-talk. No water, unwashed hands, or writing utensils other than pencils allowed in any of the classrooms: a classroom treated like an archive, or an archive treated like a classroom. In other words, heaven for book lovers like me. Continue reading “Summer Camp for Library Types: A Week at Rare Book School”
Reminder: NASSR 2015 Essay Prize
Dear all,
This year’s NASSR Conference organizers would like me to remind you of the graduate student prize for papers presented at the conference. The details are copied below, from the Conference website:
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NASSR 2015 Graduate Student Prizes
Co-sponsored by NASSR and European Romantic Review
Each year NASSR conference organizers offer prizes for graduate student papers presented at their conference. To be eligible, you must be a graduate student in good standing at the time of the conference. Please submit an electronic copy of your completed conference paper with a 100 word abstract to the conference organizers at nassr15@umanitoba.ca by July 15, 2015. The paper chosen as Best Graduate Student Paper will be published in the conference issue of European Romantic Review. Results of the contest will be announced at the conference banquet.
Jacob, Caucus Co-Chair
Graduate Student Housing for NASSR 2015
Hello NASSR Grads,
We have recently been advised by the organizers for this year’s NASSR conference in Winnipeg that the University of Winnipeg Hostel (a twenty minute walk from the conference venue) has a limited number of rooms available at grad-friendly rates.
If interested, see: http://uwhostel.com/.
Looking forward to seeing everyone in Manitoba!
Jacob, Caucus Co-Chair
Google Hangout with a Prof!: Rob Mitchell (Duke), Next Friday (Mar. 6)
As promised, we are excited to announce the first iteration of a NASSRGrads initiative to make space for new modes of intellectual engagement between graduate students and established romanticists. The event will take place next Friday, March 6th, from 4-5pm (EST), via a Google Hangout video chat. Rob Mitchell–professor of English, director of graduate studies, director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Science and Cultural Theory, and affiliated faculty in Women’s Studies at Duke University–will be in conversation with caucus graduate students regarding his interdisciplinary work, which has spanned the areas of romanticism, economics, biology, and bioart. There is space for 7 graduate students. To register your interest, and gain access to the Hangout, please email:
JacobLeveton2017 at u.northwestern [dot edu] by Monday, Mar. 1.
News: NASSR deadline extended!
Please note that the NASSR 2015 deadline for conference abstracts has been extended to February 7th, 2015. Information about the conference can be found here, and special session details are available here.
If you’re interested in participating in the NASSR Graduate Student Caucus Roundtable on Public Romanticism (in addition to any other speaking responsibilities at the conference), please see our CFP here. For details on the many fascinating special session panels organized by graduate students, consult this blog’s previous post.
We look forward to seeing you all in August!
A Year of Growth
The passing of a calendar year prompts reflection among many folks, including the NASSR Graduate Student Caucus co-chairs. Looking back, 2014 was a big year for the Caucus.
The NGSC Board doubled in size. After putting out a call for board members, Jake, Laura, and I were overwhelmed at the response. Graduate students at all levels (first year M.A. students to doctoral candidates), enrolled in universities across the country, volunteered their efforts and energy to expand the Caucus. For the first time, the co-chairs and board members met using Google Hangouts. More than twenty-five people participated in the meetings. Many of the ideas and changes that fill the rest of this post are the result of these meetings and the giving, thoughtful folks who make up our Board.
Continue reading “A Year of Growth”
NASSR 2015: Graduate-Sponsored Panels
The NASSR Graduate Student Caucus is delighted to announce that there will be many open-call special sessions sponsored by graduate students at NASSR 2015 (and this is not an exhaustive list: for more open calls for panels, please see the conference homepage).
Continue reading “NASSR 2015: Graduate-Sponsored Panels”
Mid-Autumn Editorial Report
Here at the NASSR Graduate Student Caucus Blog, our writers have been knocking it out of the park. They have been working hard since the start of the academic term to bring you sophisticated and thought-provoking articles, and I want to sum up some of what our exceptional writers have achieved in just six weeks, and the new directions in which we’re excited to take this publication. Continue reading “Mid-Autumn Editorial Report”