Panel Title: New Perspectives on the Federal Writers’ Project in the American West

Dates: August 26–29, 2026

Location: Eugene, Oregon

Deadline for Submissions: Friday, March 27, 2026

Contact Email: Noreen.Rivera@utrgv.edu

Panel Description

This panel seeks to expand upon foundational and recent scholarship regarding the Federal Writers’ Project (FWP), the efforts of its cultural workers, and its literary productions, with a specific emphasis on the American West. Contributions are welcome that examine FWP subjects across a broad geographic scope, including:

• Pacific Northwest: Washington and Oregon
• Rocky Mountain/Intermountain Region: Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and Colorado
• Pacific/Southwest: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma
• Great/Western Plains: The Dakotas, Nebraska, and Kansas
• Frontier Territory: Alaska

Scope and Methodology

Panelists are encouraged to approach FWP in the American West subject matter through various critical lenses, including but not limited to:

• Literary and biographical analysis
• Cultural and historical methodologies
• Environmental studies
• Archival studies (digital and material)

Studies may of focus on a variety of FWP cultural productions set in the American West such as State Guides, contributions to American Stuff, foodways (America Eats), Slave Narratives, folklore, histories, correspondence, various literary genres, translations, and oral histories. While the FWP was primarily text-focused, proposals on FWP associated photography are significant and also of interest.

Submission Guidelines

Please email a 200–250 word abstract and a brief professional bio (under 100 words) to Diana Noreen Rivera at Noreen.Rivera@utrgv.edu.

• Submission Deadline: Sunday, March 22, 2026
• Notification of Acceptance: March 28, 2026
• Requirement: All presenters must be active members of the Western Literature Association (WLA) at the time of the conference