Nearly 500 papers were presented at this year’s College English Association conference on a wide variety of matters primarily focused on the conference theme, Islands, but including traditional areas of pedagogy, theory, rhetoric, technical writing, creative writing, and literature in the canon. Presenters came from nearly every state and foreign countries including the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Australia, and Spain. There were other less conventional panels as well:
Graduate and Adjunct Faculty Concerns
Slavery and Abolition Literature
Alexander Hamilton
Caribbean Literature
Bob Dylan
19th-Century American Women
Gaming
Immigration Literature
Featured speakers included:
All-Conference Luncheon: Veronica Davis Gerald,
Director of The Charles Joyner Institute for Gullah and African Diaspora Studies
Plenary: Elizabeth Nunez, award-winning novelist, immigrant from Trinidad
Diversity Luncheon: Stephen Spencer, University of Southern Indiana
Women’s Connection Reception: Natalie Hefter,
Vice President of Programs at the Coastal Discovery Museum
Michiganders on the program included:
Angela Dow, Ferris State University
Susanna Engbers, Ferris State University
Kelsey McLendon, Eastern Michigan University
Amy Masko, Grand Valley State University
Lynne Johnson, Northern Michigan University
Phillip Arrington, Eastern Michigan University
David Marquard, Ferris State University
Next year’s conference will be held in St Petersburg, Florida, April 5-7, 2018. The conference theme, Bridges, encourages a variety of applications in all areas of English. The CEA welcomes papers given at the conferences of its regional affiliate organizations, so if members present at Eastern Michigan University in October, they may submit that same proposal by the November 1st deadline for consideration by the CEA. For further information, contact the Program Chair, Carolyn Kyler, at cea.english@gmail.com (put “Program Chair” in the subject line) or see the CEA web site at www.cea-web.org
Michigan CEA’s sponsorship of a beverage break was prominently posted at the conference and inside the program.
The annual CEA conference is more than the typical conference. It includes book giveaways from over forty publishers, tours of the host city, lots of casual networking with congenial colleagues, a wide variety of papers focused on every aspect of English instruction, and the president’s reception with appetizers and a free drink. It’s clearly “user friendly”! After attending one conference, most attendees continue to present at future conferences
As other CEA affiliates do, Michigan CEA might consider presenting a panel at next year’s conference.
Ed Demerly
MCEA Liaison and CEA Past President
