Eighth Annual Post45 Graduate Symposium

University of Washington 

March 31 - April 1, 2023 

Submission deadline: November 30, 2022

Keynote Speaker: Douglas S. Ishii 

Additional Faculty Participation by Eva Cherniavsky, Monika Kaup, Melanie Walsh 

Post45 seeks graduate-level works-in-progress related to post-1945 literature and culture. We welcome submissions that expand our conception of post-1945 literature’s histories, boundaries, and future trajectories, or place it in a comparative, transnational, or hemispheric frame. We also welcome contributions that generate traction on the urgency of intersections of race, gender, sexuality to post-45 studies, especially any engagements and conceptualizations with space/place (e.g. nation; built environment; natural environment; social, cultural, digital space; etc.) 

Works-in-progress may range from conference papers to articles or dissertation chapter drafts. All works-in-progress will be pre-circulated two weeks in advance of the conference date. This will allow participants to consider papers carefully and to generate thoughtful critical feedback—a benefit often absent in traditional conference formats. Each individual paper will also receive feedback from a faculty respondent and 30 minutes of discussion amongst all symposium participants. 

In addition to paper workshops, the symposium will feature a keynote address by Douglas S. Ishii. We are currently planning to hold the conference in person but are preparing an online contingency plan. We will make a final decision with regards to an in-person or virtual format in January and notify all participants accordingly. In the case of an in-person conference, all sessions would be conducted over the course of a single weekend (March 31 - April 1). In the case of an online conference, all sessions would be spread out and conducted over the course of two consecutive weekends (Friday March 31st and Saturday April 1st, and Friday April 7th and Saturday April 8th). We will let all participants know about the format (whether online or in-person) by January 2023. 

Post45 is a collective of scholars working on American literature and culture since 1945. The group was founded in 2006 and has met annually since to discuss diverse new work in the field. The Post45 Graduate Symposium meets annually to discuss works in progress. Now in its eighth year, it has convened in the past at Northwestern, UC Irvine, Rutgers and Princeton University, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, Yale University, UC Berkeley and Stanford University, and UNC Chapel Hill.

Submissions: Those interested should submit 250- to 300-word abstracts through the following google form by November 30, 2022: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1200fyrKhBybTXvOpF4_XjYku-XFvOt68QxIW2ju...

Note: the form will collect your name, academic affiliation, a brief academic biography, paper title, and an arbitrary four-digit code of your choosing (e.g., 6459). To facilitate the anonymized submission process, it will also require you to upload your abstract, titled only with the same four-digit code. This abstract should not include your name or your institution’s name.