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Other Modernisms/Modernism's Others

WHAT ARE YOU READING?

In accordance with its goal of continuous innovation in conference programming, the MSA will introduce a new kind of discussion group at the Vancouver conference. "What Are You Reading?" is designed to take advantage, in a productive new way, of the presence in one place of modernist scholars from many locations, institutions, and fields.

Each ninety-minute "What Are You Reading?" forum will consist of 8 to 10 participants and a moderator. Led by the moderator, each participant will report for a few minutes on a recent scholarly or critical book in modernist studies, sketching the work's content and explaining why she or he found it exciting to share with other scholars. After all have presented, the moderator will lead an open discussion in which clarifications can be sought, connections drawn, and suggestions for yet further reading offered.

A major goal of "What Are You Reading?" is to foster interdisciplinarity by exposing participants to work in modernist fields other than their own. Each forum will therefore be designed to maximize diversity of specialty, ideally bringing scholars of visual art together with literary critics, musicologists together with historians, students of European culture together with experts on the Pacific rim, and so on.

"What Are You Reading?" is meant to facilitate the sharing of exciting new scholarship. It is not intended primarily as a venue for discussion of primary texts or works, for self-promotion, or for the enacting of intellectual conflicts. Participants will therefore be asked not to present on primary texts or works (though new editions and catalogues are welcome), their own publications, or scholarship they did not substantially admire.

To participate, all you will need to do is check the appropriate box on your MSA registration form and name a book you might be interested in presenting once registration is available. Please note that you will have to register by 1 September to be included in "What Are You Reading?" You will be notified of the time and location of your forum in late September. There is no need to submit any proposal or paper in connection with this event, nor do you need to contact your moderator in advance. Simply check the box, receive notice of your time and location, and show up ready to share a book!

As MSA Vancouver marks a trial run for this event, places are limited, and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. If the event is as successful as hoped, more meetings will be added in future years.