This conference was held in Birmingham, Alabama, from March 31 to April 2, 2022.
There were 73 breakout sessions on topics including peace studies, Native American literature, composition and rhetoric, American and British literature, LGPTQ studies, film studies, popular culture, war and trauma literature, religion and literature, and creative writing.
Denise Miller from Western Michigan University and Ed Demerly (retired) from Henry Ford College and the MCEA Board represented Michigan.
The 52nd annual conference will be held in San Antonio, Texas, from March 30 to April 1, 2023. The theme for that conference is Confluence. For further information, see the CEA website at www.conftool.pro/cea2023 . Submission of paper proposals (one per person) may be made between August 15th and November 1st, 2022. Papers presented at Michigan CEA’s conference will automatically be accepted if the submission makes clear that the paper was previously presented at the Michigan CEA conference.
Notes from the Affiliates’ meeting at the CEA Conference in 2022
Members present were Stacy Bailey (Rocky Mountain CEA), Ed Demerly (Michigan CEA), Valerie Kasper (Florida CEA), Gerald Siegal (Pennsylvania CEA)—via ZOOM, and Moumin Quazi (Texas CEA).
Guests were Scott Borders (CEA Executive Director), Jeraldine Kraver (Editor, CEA Critic), and Emily Pucker (Board Member).
Jeraldine Kraver introduced us to what the Rocky Mountain CEA has offered now for four years—pop-up conferences with papers limited to 500 words (about five minutes) presented on a Zoom format. This allows presenters to offer the essence of their idea or argument in a simple and streamlined manner and allows for more presenters and more discussion. The pop up format also gives those who have never presented at conferences an opportunity to “get their feet wet” in an unthreatening way. Furthermore, it introduces all participants to new, still undeveloped concepts which might be explored further. This year’s conference theme is focused on “What is Right with English Studies?” A previous conference asked, “What are some Impediments to Student Success?” For further information on the Rocky Mountain CEA’s June 11, 2022 Pop-Up Conference, contact James Meredith at James.Meredith@csuglobal.edu . Jeraldine urged the affiliates to try this format within their own organizations.
The CEA Critic is published three times a year. The editor welcomes longer submissions from the affiliates describing any news we may have to offer. She also encourages affiliate members to submit papers to The CEA Critic even if they may feel the work is not quite ready for publication. The editorial staff will work with the writer to get the material ready for publication.
Emily Pucker (University of Alabama) is considering starting a new affiliate for the southeastern United States.
Moumin Quazi inquired why the South Asian Literary Association had not yet been accepted as an allied organization of CEA. There was no specific response yet.
The majority of affiliates held Zoom conferences or no conferences in 2020 and 2021, but most are planning in-person with Zoom access conferences for 2022.
The conference offered a table display of calls for papers and prominent recognition of those affiliates, including Michigan, which sponsored beverage breaks.
Submitted by Ed Demerly, MCEA’s CEA representative and Board Member
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.