Even in an age of burgeoning nationhood, English men and women were profoundly influenced by—and even drew their primary identity from—the parish, the town, and the county. This session welcomes proposals that focus on the textual construction and maintenance of local identity and/or community. Topics might include, but are not limited to, the impact of a geographical locale on a particular writer's works, the depiction of the local as an alternative to or retreat from national events and initiatives, or the invocation of local places, traditions, and ways of thinking to respond to the larger political, religious, and cultural changes of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. By May 1, 2010, please send abstracts of around 300 words to John Adrian, University of Virginia's College at Wise, at jma6x@uvawise.edu.