Affiliated Symposia

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Environment, Culture & Place in a Rapidly Changing North

ASLE Off-Year Regional Symposium
June 14-17, 2012
University of Alaska Southeast.

Website:  http://www.uas.alaska.edu/asle/

We invite paper and panel proposals for the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment’s Off-Year Symposium,  “Environment, Culture, and Place in a Rapidly Changing North,” to be held June 14-17 at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau.  Proposals related to the field of literature and environment broadly, or to the symposium theme specifically, should include a 250-word abstract, paper title, your name, and affiliation.  Proposals for pre-organized panels are also welcome.  Submit proposals to Sarah Jaquette Ray (sjray@uas.alaska.edu) and Kevin Maier (kevin.maier@uas.alaska.edu) by November 5, 2011.

Theme:  The North American “North” of Alaska and Canada is an excellent geographical imaginary through which to understand the human-nature concerns of our time.  Ecosystems transgress national boundaries, for instance, and Northern communities experience the symptoms of climate change disproportionately relative to their contribution to its acceleration.  A symposium focusing on “the North” suggests a transnational perspective of this paradox, as well as a range of concerns, from peak oil and climate change to traditional ecological knowledges and tourism.  While the North is often seen as an isolated place with a unique character, safe from the economic and environmental woes of “down south,” this imaginary belies the North’s place within transnational phenomena, such as colonialism, global climate change, and globalization.

The symposium’s keynote speaker will be Julie Cruikshank, Professor Emerita of Anthropology at University of British Columbia, and author of Do Glaciers Listen? Local Knowledge, Colonial Encounters and Social Imagination.  Plenaries include Ellen Frankenstein, who will screen and discuss her film Eating Alaska, Nancy Lord, who just published a new book, Early Warming: Crisis and Response in a Climate-Changed North, and Ernestine Hayes, author of Blonde Indian, who will read from her new work.

Topics:  We welcome proposals for papers, interdisciplinary research, or creative work on issues related to literature and the environment, and also work that explores the North American North, addressing (but not limited to) the following themes: the North in the environmental imagination; global indigenous environmental movements; subsistence/food security/food justice/food cultures; traditional/local ecological knowledges; climate change; transnational North; animals/animality/wildlife; boundaries/borders in the North; migrations.

Graduate and International Travel Awards:  We have secured funding for a handful of $500 Graduate Student Travel Awards and one $500 International Travel Award for participants traveling from outside of the US to attend the symposium, and we are hoping to be able to offer more.  In order to apply for either award, simply indicate your interest in your proposal. 

TRAVEL INFORMATION AND ALASKA AIRLINES DISCOUNTS
We are aware that getting to Juneau is expensive.  This is the case, notably, because there are no roads in or out, so one must arrive via air or water.  Despite the fact that Alaska Airlines is the only major commercial airline serving Juneau, flying remains the cheapest way to get here.  We have negotiated a 5% discount on Alaska Airlines tickets for conference attendees--details will be posted on the conference website as they become available. 

The Alaska Airlines Visa card is also an excellent way to save money.  Successful applicants for this card get 25,000 frequent flyer miles--enough, in some cases, to get you to Juneau outright. The card also comes with a "companion fare," which enables you to travel with a friend and get a second ticket for $99 instead of the full fare. Details are available here: http://www.alaskaair.com/content/deals/mileage-plan/visa-signature-promo.aspx

The ferry system, known as the Alaska Marine Highway, is a relaxing and fun way to get to Juneau as well.  While the 3 day trip from Bellingham, WA is cheaper than a commercial cruise, airfare is generally cheaper than a ferry ticket.  Details are available here: http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/