The Hemingway Society welcomes proposals for papers to be delivered at the 36th American Literature Association conference to be held May 21-24, 2025 in Boston.
In June 1937 Hemingway delivered a speech to the American Writers’ Congress in which he stated that “A writer’s problem does not change. He himself changes, but his problem remains the same. It is always how to write truly, and, having found what is true, to project it in such a way that it becomes a part of the experience of the person who reads it.” In this same speech he also stated that “fascism is a lie told by bullies. A writer who will not lie cannot live or work under fascism.” We invite papers that—directly or indirectly—consider Hemingway’s claims about truth, writing truly, and/or writing under fascism (that is, under threat of far-right, authoritarian powers). We also welcome papers on Hemingway and specific historical moments, such as the Spanish Civil War or World War II; banned books; Hemingway in/and leftist media; Hemingway and other authors; journalism; pedagogy; or any other number of topics and approaches.
Depending on the number of submissions we receive, and the topics proposed, we anticipate holding one panel (papers of 15-20 minutes) and one roundtable (remarks of no more than 8 minutes per participant with a lively moderated discussion among panelists). Scholars whose papers were accepted for the program of our 2024 international conference, but who were unable to attend, are welcome to re-submit their previous proposals. We welcome diverse and innovative perspectives, and invite proposals from underrepresented groups, graduate students, creatives, and scholars new to the field.
Please send a proposal of no more than 500 words and a short professional bio to Dr. Verna Kale at vlk123@psu.edu by January 10, 2025, for full consideration. If you wish to be considered only for a roundtable or only for a traditional panel, please state your preference (otherwise you could be considered for either). Please also note if your presentation requires a projector. Your submission will be confirmed via email.