From WLA President Linda K. Karell:
Hello Lovely WLA Members,
On your marks. . .
Get set. . . .
The season for proposing your papers, panels, and roundtables for WLA 2016 is officially upon us. Unless I have terribly mangled this (which is possible, but less likely than I had originally supposed) ConfTool awaits your submissions. And of course, so do I!
Go here to submit proposals: https://www.conftool.pro/wla-conference-2016/index.php?page=login
Please keep in mind a few things:
1. Conftool is not as ornery as it seems, but it is insistent about details, and it is the only way to submit your proposal. If you’ve used it before, you should be able to log in with your earlier information. If you’re new to the site, it will guide you through the process of creating an account. Once you have finished your submission, you will receive a charming robotic response from ConfTool indicating your submission success.
2. You need only submit an abstract of your paper. For panels and roundtables, please remember that each member of the panel or roundtable must create an individual account and submission.
3.The deadline for all submissions is June 1, 2016. That’s two weeks earlier than usual, because the conference takes place September 21-24, which also is earlier than usual. (We don’t want you snowed in and unable to escape from Big Sky. Although it occurs to me that you might very well want that. . . .)
3. Please use the topics list to help indicate key ideas in your paper. Doing so will help us organize cohesive sessions and will create endless good will on our part.
4. Graduate students who wish to have their papers considered for the Taylor Award, creative writers wishing to be considered for the Manfred Award, and those of you vying for the inestimably valuable Willa Pilla, please note there are individual topics to check in order to alert us of your request.
5. Final copies of papers for the Taylor and Manfred Awards are due (to me) no later than August 15 so they can be sent to the appropriate Award Committee for consideration.
6. Registration information will be sent out (via email and on the website) later, after acceptances have been made–probably by June 15 or thereabout.
7. Remember that all presenters MUST be a member of the Western Literature Association. You’ll have a chance to join or renew your membership with your registration.
The conference itself is shaping up nicely. Do come.
Wishing you a wonderful spring as I look forward to welcoming you to Big Sky in the fall.
Go. . . .
Linda
P.S. To check out the conference doings, view the CFP, or see my happy mug, go here: http://www.westernlit.org/wla-conference-2016/
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