Two Presentation Formats
In response to feedback from previous conferences, this year we are offering two ways for attendees to present the results of their scholarly and creative activity: traditional 20-minute presentations and new 8-minute "paper jams." All concurrent sessions will run for 90 minutes. Traditional sessions will feature three 20-minute presentations, with 30 minutes for introductions, discussion and, in some cases, a respondent. "Paper jams" will feature seven 8-minute presentations (including self-introductions), with 30 minutes for discussion and no respondent. Due to time constraints, "paper jam" sessions cannot accommodate PowerPoint presentations. We are not seeking poster presentations this year but instead encourage presenters with posters to adapt their work for submission to a "paper jam" session.
When you submit your proposal, you will need to select which of these two formats you prefer. In general, you should select a "paper jam" if your work is more experimental or exploratory. If you select the traditional 20-minute presentation, you will also be asked to indicate whether you would be willing to present an abbreviated version of your presentation as part of a "paper jam," given the limited number of openings that will exist for traditional presentations. Although this change in format will result in fewer 20-minute presentations being accepted, we believe that it will continue to allow the kind of inclusive, welcoming community for which ASLE has become known.
Proposals for 20-minute presentations should be 600 words long; proposals for "paper jams" should be 300 words long. Proposals for scholarly presentations should state the claims being made and the significance of the argument; proposals for creative writing presentations should indicate the subject being addressed and the approach being used; proposals for hybrid and nontraditional presentations should discuss the unique features of the presentation. Co-authored presentations are welcome, but only one co-author should submit the proposal. Accepted abstracts will be posted on the conference web site.
Pre-formed Panels and Roundtables
As in the past, we strongly encourage proposals for pre-formed panels and roundtables, because these proposals provide a thematic unity that the program committee cannot always achieve when grouping individual presentations on its own.
Pre-formed panels may take the form of traditional sessions or "paper jams." Traditional panels are limited to three presentations and "paper jam" panels must feature at least six (but no more than seven) presentations. Organizers whose proposals do not meet these guidelines will be asked to modify their panels or propose a roundtable instead. We encourage organizers to use electronic discussion lists (such as those associated with ASLE, ALECC, and ASEH) to identify colleagues with similar interests.
Roundtables are discussion sessions that address a single issue or question. Unlike "paper jams," roundtables do not involve formal presentations. A common format is for participants to submit one-page position papers to a moderator, who then creates discussion questions, and for the papers to be distributed but not read at the roundtable. Most roundtables feature from four to twelve participants.
Proposals for pre-formed panels and roundtables should include a 300-word abstract describing their purpose and the names and contact information of the participants. In some cases, pre-formed panels and roundtables may be altered by the program committee for scheduling purposes. We will do our best to minimize these alterations, but we will consult with the organizers if possible and notify all affected participants about any changes we make.
Workshops
We also welcome proposals for in-conference workshops, which are usually run by one or two people and involve active learning and audience participation. Workshops will run for 90 minutes during concurrent sesssions, although a very limited number may run for 3 hours during back-to-back concurrent sessions. Given the difficulty of scheduling 3-hour workshops, and the burden they put on participants, proposals for these longer workshops must clearly state why an extended session is necessary. Proposals for workshops should include a 600-word abstract describing the purpose and method of the workshop and the names and contact information of the director(s).
Participation Requirements
Participation is limited to one presentation per person (including roundtable participation but not including serving as a chair or respondent). Because participation in a seminar constitutes conference participation (since titles of position papers will be listed in the conference program), we encourage (but will not require) seminar participants to consider attending the seminar in lieu of presenting at the conference itself (rather than doing both). All presenters must be members of the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment (ASLE) and/or the Association for Literature, the Environment and Culture in Canada (ALECC) at the time of registration.
Graduate Student Awards
ASLE will honor the best work of graduate students by making two awards for presentations given at the conference: the best scholarly paper in ecocriticism and the best work of environmental creative writing. In addition, ASLE will provide a limited number of small grants to assist financially needy graduate students with expenses related to conference attendance. For details on both of these awards, see the section on ASLE Awards.
How to Submit
Submissions are now closed.
Deadline
All proposals must be submitted by November 15, 2008.
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