News

Registration is now open for the 2013 ASLE Biennial Conference, "Changing Nature: Migrations, Energies, Limits," from May 28-June 1, 2013 at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS.  To register online or download the PDF form, click here.  To view the draft program, click here.  To read more about the conference and registration process, see the conference website.

The latest Issue (Winter 2013) of ASLE News is out, including information on our upcoming Biennial Conference, welcome to new officers, information on our new International Membership Grants, member news, and much more.  Click here to read it online.

ASLE is pleased to announce an International Membership Grants Initiative. The Initiative provides 50 ASLE-US membership grants to literature and environment scholars outside the US and Canada. The grants are designed to help a more diverse, international community of scholars gain access to educational and scholarly opportunities in our field, as well as to advance educational and professional opportunities beyond the US and Canada.

The 2013-14 International Membership Grants Initiative will begin accepting applications beginning January 15, 2013.  Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until 50 two-year memberships are granted. The Grants Initiative cycle for 2015-16 will begin in January 2015.

Click here to read more about the grants and how to apply.

ASLE celebrated its 20th birthday as an organzation at the WLA conference, the place where it was born in 1992.  More than 150 people celebrated with us on November 7 at the gathering featuring appetizers, cake, ASLE memorabilia, and a welcome and induction of new honorary members by 2012 president Joni Adamson.  ASLE also helped sponsor the plenary by Annette Koldny, organized a roundtable featuring many founding members of ASLE, and organized two panels at the conference.  A few photos from the events are below:

Joni Adamson bestows an honorary membership on Laurie Ricou at the 20th Birthday Party.

Our yummy chocolate birthday cake!

"Literature & Environment--the Long View: Thoughts from the Founders of ASLE" panel at WLA

The ASLE 2013 Conference Call for Papers (PDF) is now out and the conference web site is up and running to take submissions.  Deadline for submissions is November 15.  The web site also includes more detailed information about the conference theme, goals, and plenary speakers, as well as information on the KU campus, lodging, and transportation options.

The theme of our 10th Biennial Conference is "Changing Nature: Migrations, Energies, Limits," and it will be held May 28-June 1, 2013 at the University of Kansas, in Lawrence KS.

ASLE has just instituted a Lifetime Membership option, for members who would like to make an ongoing commitment to the organization.  Cost is $1,500, payable in 3 yearly installments if desired.  Benefits and information on how to enroll are listed on the website Lifetime Memberships page.

An increasing number of international faculty members, especially from China, are receiving government grants to conduct research abroad for periods ranging from one semester to twelve months. Some of these faculty members are enthusiastic about conducting research or translation work in ecocriticism and are therefore seeking invitations from host universities where they can work with an ASLE member.

For many of these scholars, expenses are covered through some combination of government grant, home university support, and personal funds, requiring no financial support from their host university. They do, however, require an invitation letter, assistance with the obtaining of a J-1 visa, and an official location for their stay in the U.S.

Many larger institutions already have an office that handles the paperwork for the J-1 visa application. This paperwork is necessary for international students as well as visiting faculty wishing to study at our universities. For example, at University of Central Florida it is handled by the International Services Center (http://www.intl.ucf.edu/) and a quick review of that website would provide an idea of what is required. ASLE cannot provide administrative or institutional support of any kind for this endeavor; it serves exclusively as a point of contact information.

ASLE would like to facilitate hosting international scholars by adding a page to our website with information on people who are willing to host a visiting scholar. We would also like to post information on visiting scholar currently being hosted who may be available for speaking engagements at other US institutions. Members of ASLE who would be interested in hosting a visiting scholar should provide the following information so that interested international faculty will have a list of people to contact in order to pursue their goal of conducting research in the United States: name, institution, department, area of scholarly expertise, email address or phone number, and dates they are available to host. For members of ASLE currently hosting a scholar, please send in your name and institution, your scholar's name, home institution and area(s) of research, and where to best contact that scholar regarding a possible speaking engagement at another institution. Please send this information to info@asle.org. We will update the page on an ongoing basis.

A new listserv has just been created as a joint venture to enrich the affiliation between ASLE and the Science Fiction Research Association.  As the ecocritical study of science fiction continues to grow, we hope that this listserv will be a place to share ideas, to announce conferences and CFPs, to discuss courses and texts-in general, to engage in collegial conversation about the intersections between science fiction and environmental thought, and why these intersections matter. Anyone interested in these issues is encouraged to join.  Please follow the instructions below to subscribe to the ASLE-SFRA Listserv:
1). Click on http://list.fgcu.edu/cgi-bin/majordomo?module=browse.
2). Enter your email address in the appropriate box, then click "All" under "Browse Which Lists?" Click "Go."
3). On the next screen, click "AsleSfra" under "List Name."
4). On the next screen, click "Apply."
5). Check your email to confirm subscription.
The list address is: aslesfra@list.fgcu.edu