The 123rd annual conference of the Pacific Ancient & Modern Languages Association (PAMLA) will be held in Seattle at the Hyatt Regency Seattle, from Thursday, November 12, to Sunday, November 15, 2026. 

How does the average person impact social, political, and cultural power structures? This is a concern many have today, where the feeling of helplessness can be overwhelming. One area that invites many is life writing. As such, this panel aims to examine how people can utilize their personal stories for activism. One area that has seen a great deal of content is maternity stories. Whether this is the Co-operative Guild of England or blog/social media posts of today, the experiences of maternity have been shared broadly. However, these are not the only stories. Tales of addiction, poverty, war, racism, and traumatic events have all been shared in order to speak to power and advance the desires of the average person.

The panel invites analysis of any life writing that attempts to disrupt or discuss concerns common to those not in power. Additionally, more abstract discussions of life writing as activism are welcome.

To submit an abstract for this session, please go to: 

https://pamla.ballastacademic.com 
 

Once you have created an account, you will be able to use the online system to submit an abstract.  The deadline for proposals is Sunday, May 24.  If you have any questions, please contact Sarah MacDonald (smacdon8@kent.edu)