The James Purdy Society invites proposals for papers to be presented at a session sponsored by the society at the 2016 American Literature Association in San Francisco, California, 26-29 May 2016.

We are planning a session titled "James Purdy in Context." We are interested in papers that situate Purdy's work in literary, cultural, historical, biographical, and other contexts. We are interested in work that investigates sexuality, representations of ethnicity, adaptations, and other topics. Papers might compare Purdy and his milieu to the work of modern and contemporary authors such as Bellow, Philip Roth, Salinger, Gertrude Stein, Hemingway, Vidal, Capote, Dorothy Parker, Flannery O'Connor, and Albee.

Please send a 250-word abstract for a 15-20 minute presentation, along with a brief CV, to Michael Snyder (msnyder@occc.edu) by January 23, 2016. Please include in the body of your message a brief biographical sketch, your preferred e-mail address, and any AV equipment needs.
In 2016, the American Literature Association will return to San Francisco and to the Hyatt Regency on the Embarcadero for our 27th Annual Conference. The labor issues which caused us to move our 2016 conference are now resolved and we can return to this ideally located hotel. For further information, please consult the ALA conference website at www.alaconf.org or contact the conference director, Professor Alfred Bendixen (ab23@princeton.edu) with specific questions.