Theme: “Traditions and Revisions: New Directions in African American Literature and Scholarship”
October 25-27, 2007
St. Louis University (Home of African American Review), St. Louis, MO

Proposals for informal panel discussions, sessions, roundtables, workshops, and traditional paper presentations that reflect the conference theme are welcome on the following topics:

• Preservation of Archives
• Archiving Contemporary Writers
• Constructing an Online Directory of Manuscript Sites
• Defining the Marker “African American” in the 21st Century
• Maintaining Distinctions Between Criticism and Scholarship
• The History and Contributions of African American Journals
• New Approaches to Teaching African American Literature
• The History and Contributions of Black Presses
• Black Skins/Electronic Skins and Changes in African American Writing
• Post-Post-Modern Scholarship and Criticism
• The Role of Scholars in African American Literature
• Translating African American Literature into Other Languages
• The Current State of African American Studies and Criticism
• The Economic and Literary Politics of African American Literature
• An Examination of Major African American Texts of the 20th Century

Conference Director: Loretta G. Woodard, Marygrove College
Please submit 400-500 word proposals via email to lwoodard@marygrove.edu.

Deadline for Proposals: July 30, 2007, for notification by August 15, 2007.
Early submissions are welcome and appreciated.

Conference Fee: $130.00 (pre-registration before September 15, 2007)
$140 (on-site registration or if received after September 15, 2007.) The conference fee covers the costs of the conference, including two lunches and two receptions.

Registration Form: Registration Form

Hotel Rate: The Water Tower Inn, which is located on the campus and 20 minutes from the Lambert St. Louis International Airport (STL), is offering a special rate of $75.00 plus tax per night for a single or double room. Please make your reservations by calling 314.977.7500 and asking for the “ALA/AALCS Symposium 2007” rate (group #897) before September 25.

Additional conference details regarding registration and special events will be posted at the AALCS web site and the ALA web site: www.americanliterature.org.

ALA symposia provide opportunities for scholars to meet in pleasant settings, present papers, and share ideas and resources.