South Atlantic Modern Language Association’s 95th Conference:

Pre-1900 American Literature Panel: “Writing with Security and Insecurity in Early America.” 

How might the ideas of security and insecurity, broadly conceived, apply to pre-1900 American writers? From the colonial era to the early Republic, through the rise of abolition and the Civil War, and through the Reconstruction era, Americans from diverse backgrounds experienced security and insecurity in a wide variety of ways that both challenged and changed American society and literature. How were these challenges faced through literature? How were cultural changes made through people’s writings? How did authors depict the precariousness of being (in)secure? What lessons can we learn from pre-1900 Americans about security and insecurity that speak to contemporary society?

This panel invites proposals for 3-4 presentations of not more than 20 minutes each to address the above questions, or other ideas related to the South Atlantic Modern Language Association’s 95th Conference theme of “(In) Security: The Future of Language and Literary Studies.” Presenters are required to become members of SAMLA and to register for the conference which is scheduled to be held in-person in Atlanta, GA, from November 9-11, 2023.

Please submit an abstract of not more than 250 words, along with a CV, and any audio/visual requirements to Benjamin Crawford (Benjamin.crawford@gmail.com) by July 16, 2023, for consideration.