News and Nolices, new series, number 2, FalllWintcr 1990 Contents Fronn the executive directors Currcct projccts and forthcoming cvcnts FXelp wanted: the regional MLAs Elcctions From the Elcctronic College of Thcory Coming cvcnts IUP corlfcrcnce on theory in the classroom Fronn thc mailbox Good tcxt with Dr. Truth From the Executive Directors The Society for Critical Exchange, Inc. Founded 1975; incorporated 1976 Guilford House Case Western Reserve University Wclcome to thc hundred or so new mcmbcrs who havc Cleveland, OII 44106 joincd sincc thc summcr, whcn thc prcvious newslcttcr 216-368-3342 appeared. At last count wc have just short of 400 ~nenlbcrs, Fax: 216-368-2216 (call ahead before sending) considcrably more than thc SCE has ever had beforc. Such Internet: xxl240po.cwru.edu Bitnet: xxl24%po.cwru.eduOcunyvm growth is pleasing, but it also increases the difficulty of keeping us a11 reasonably in touch with one another and with thc Society's activities. Board of Directors Jonathan Arac, English, University of Pittsburgh I-low to meet such a challcngc? Why, throw a party, (term ending December 31, 1990) sf coursc. What morc of an excusc could wc want? Dnvid Downing, English, Indiana University of Pennuylvnnia (term ending December 31, 1992) So we'll be holding a rcal party at thc MLA convcntion in Dcccmbcr, rcplacing thc usual latc-nftcrnoon, Bnrbnra Harlow, Engliah, University of Texas at Austin hotcl-salon, you-buy-the-ovcrpriccd-drinks SCE Cash Bar. (term ending December 31, 1990) Dctails appcar on the invitation elscwhcre in tlae ncwslcttcr, Mary Layoun, Comparative Literature, University of Wisconsin at Madison but you might note that thc party begins shortly aftcr an (term ending December 31, 1992) SCE pancl is sclrcdulcd for the first cvcning of tl~c convcntion and that it takcs placc away from thc main position vacant convcntion loop, at a hotcl ncarcr to the restaurant and (term ending December 31, 1992) shopping district. David Shumway, English, Carnegie Mellon University (term ending December 31, 1990) Recent and pending SCE activities arc dcscribcd in the following pagcs, but let us say here that, as always, we want Preaident to hear your suggestions for new projects. Several of your initintivcs arc now gathering rnomcntum, but thcrc is always Richard Ohmann, English, Wesleyan University room for new ideas and additional intcrcsts. (term ending December 31, 1991) Finally, in rcsponse to literally oncs of rcqucsts wc arc Executive Directors olcrascd to announce a new fcnturc of the ncwslcttcr: Gooc! k'cxt, an advice column for thc ontologically disnblcd. 7.0 Gary Lee Stonum, English, Case Western Reserve University ovcrcomc your evcry crisis in criticism, evcry gap in your Martha Woodmansee, English, Case Western Reserve University gossip, and every a bscncc of puissance in your jouissancc, just (unspecified term, by appointment of the Board of Directors) ask Doctor Truth. Assistant to the Directors Gary Lcc Stonttm Martha Woodmnnscc Lisa Maruca, English, Case Western Reserve University News and Notices, FalllWinter 1990 Bccnuse of this seminar fornlnt, participation will be firuitcd Current Projects and Forthcoming Events to a rnaximuin of 30 ycrsons. In tcrcstcd pcrsorlis should contact James J. Sosnoski (424 Mcrrimn n Rd. Akron, 011 44403; telephone 2 16-867-5187) Irllproving scholarly corlferences or David Downing (English I>cpartment, 110 Lconnrd Ilall, Indiana Univ., Indiana, PA 15705) by April I, 1991. An SCE working group is now bcing assc~nblcdto consicfcr how various sorts of acadcmic confcrcnccs might The I'edagogy of Cultural Sttttlies bcttcr be managed and how tlicy miglit more readily fostcr collaboration and cxcfiangc. Tlic ixitcntion is to publish a Several activities are being planned under tllc general kandbook on organizing and running scliolarly confcrcnccs. umbrclla of [lie pedagogy of cultural studies. In atfcfition to In tcrcstcd pcrsons arc urgcd to con tact David Danlrosch, a panel at rhc spring 1991 rnceting of tllc Intcrnntional Dcpartmcnt of English and Comparative Literature, Coluinbia CO~IIII~11 ica I ioli Associa tion and a yroposcd panel n t tllc 199 1 Univ., Ncw York, N.Y. 10027. h4oclcr-n L:l rigt~agc Association mccting, sessions arc bcitlg organized anti papers requcstcd for the 1991 meetings of tl~c Rocky h4ountain MLA and the Midwest MLA. Tlreary and Tlleory-IVork 111 an Electxorric Age Sincc tf~crcqucst for vofuntccrs in tllc last ncwslcttcr artti otllcr plnccs, Annc 13alsnmo (Englisll, Illinois Scntc), ICclly Coylc (Cornt~tunications, Tulanc) and Gitn Rnjnn (English, The first session devoted to this topic was ficld at thc Ncw Orlcans) have stcppcd forward to lcad tflc cfforts or) 1998 MMLA and includcd prlpcrs by N. Kntl~crincI-iaylcs, this topic. 'The rcsponsc to tllcir work and tllc ovcrnll Lcroy Searlc, and Hclcn Schwartz. A corrcspondcncc group intcrcst in tl~ctopic 11nvc bccn considcrablc, so it scc~ilslilccly is now bcing gathered to plan furtf~crwork on the tf~corcticnl that thc topic will bccome an official, ongoing SCIl projcct. i~nplications of computers, vidco, and othcr tciccommunications mcdia and on thc impact of these media Call for DQDC~S: Midwcst Modcrn Lnnguagc on scholarly practiccs. Intcrestcd pcrsons should contact Gary Association mccting (Novcn~bcr 14-16, 1991, in Cllicago) Lec Stonum at the SCE office in Clcvcland, C~ilturalStuciics has bccon~ca rnccting ground for scl~oi:lrs f rorn d iversc disciplines to cxcllangc idcas abou t projccts of cultural analysis anci criticisn~. Tllis tra~is-disciplinnrity, ~~O~YCVC~,often obscures two inlportant considerations: I) tllc PACT: Problems of Affir~natiorlir~ Cultural Theory specificity of Cultural Studics as a multi-fncctcd tradition or critical-i~~tcllcctualwork, and 2) the transforniativc potential Announcing an SCE Svn~posium. On the wcckcntl of of Cultural Studies as a tcaching strategy in diffcrcnt October 4-6, 1991, at Case Wcstcrn Rcscrvc Univcrsjty in acndernic contcxts. Papcrs that addrcss these concerns arc Clcvcland, the SCE will sponsor a symposiurn on problcms of rcqucstcci for a panel on "Cult~iralStudies and Pcciagogy" at af rirrnatiotl in cultural thcory. Morc spccif ically, thc topic the 199 1 Mh41,A mccting. Prospective contributors nligllt will be thc theoretical and conceptual difficulties of consiticr the following quest ions wl~cnconstructing t hcir affirming cultural values. The symposium forms part of a submissions: larger undertaking, the PACT project, an initial stage of --Ilow docs thc multi-disciplinary heritage of Culti~ral which will be the SCE panels at tflc 1990 'ILA mcctings in Sttldics inform the dcvclopn~cntof the culturnl sti~tfics course or set of cottrscs? Chicago. Sclccted papcrs and procccdings from the various --!Vila t is tttc rcla tionsllip bctwecn the ovcrt poli ticill PACT meetings arc expcctcd to bc publisftcd in book form. projccts of Cultural Studics and the political clin13tc All symposium participants will citl~crprcparc a papcr News nr~dNotices, Fall / Winter 1990 3 or rcspond to one; tkc syn~posiun~itsclf will bc dcvotcd to tf~c discussion of papcrs circulated in advancc of t hc mccting. of the U.S. academy? --How is Cultural Studics itself informed by other critical/politicaI projccts? What allianccs influcncc its HELP WANTED: current dcvclopmct~t,what alliances arc possiblc in tflc futurc? The Regional MLAs --What can/shouId be thc rclntionship bctwccn Cuitural Studics and traditional disciplines, gcncral education rcquircments, and other Univcrsi ty programs? 1-low do wc nsscss the institutional contcxt for Cultural Studics, In the last few rnontl~s the SCE has initiated or and how do wc transform it? rcncwed ties with several regional MLAs. It is now up to all --How does Cultural Studies inform spccific classroom of us to make something of these nff ilintions, especially thc practices? What do Cultural Studics tcachcrs do ncwcst ones, with thc South Central MLA and tllc Rocky diffcrcntly than traditionally traincd tcachcrs? hlountain MLA. --How do Cultural Studics courscs/tcachcrs ncgotiatc such issues as canon formation, tcachcr authority, anti- intellectualism, political accountn bility, and the For 1991 the SCE will sponsor a special session at t11c privatized classroon~? SCMLA mccting in Fort Worth. Dcpcnding upon tllc attendance at the session and other indications of intcrcst, our slot on the program may become pcrmancnt, so wc urge TIlcsc arc suggcstcd questions; othcr idcns arc ccrtainly you all to support the effort. Patrick Murphy (Englisll, NE wclcomc. The deadline for submissions is April 1, 1991. Louisiana) is organizing the scssion, and at this point Scnd papcrs or inquiries to: Annc BaIsamo, Dcpartmcnt of proposals on any topic in thcory and criticism are wclcome. English, Illinois State University, Norntai, Illinois 61761; tclcphonc, 309/828-139 1 (hornc). Also for 1991 the SCE will sponsor a scssion at thc RMMLA, whcre we have been granted affiliate status. (A Call for oapcrs: Rocky Mountain Modcrtl Language call for papcrs appears in thc article on currcnt projccts.) \Vc Association, Octobcr 17-19, 1991, Tempc, Arizona do not yet have anyone located in the RMMLA arca to servc Papcrs arc requested on the "civilization track" that as an SCE liaison. In addition, at the 1991 RMMLA mccting has existed in many foreign language dcpnrtlncnts for over it will be necessary to cl~oosea program committee for tllc two dccades, in ttae hope of dctcrnlining how and whcthcr 1992 mccting. Volunteers are urged to contact Gary Stonurn ncw efforts in cultural studics diffcr from this track and or h4artha Woodmansce. how thc two might benefit onc anothcr in the futurc. Thc temporary organizer for this panel is Maric-Picrrc Le FIir; Our othcr two affiliations, with the Midwest and South Atlantic MLAs, have existed for some time, and thcy papcrs and abstracts should be sent by February 15 to hcr at continuc to thrive. The 1990 SAMLA meeting is taking place the Dcpartmcnt of Modern Languages and Literature, CWRU, as we arc going to press; for further information corrtact Clcvcland, QfI 44 106.