Topic for 2006: Experimentation and Orthodoxy in Recent American Literature

With respect to that general topic, ARLS will sponsor two sessions at ALA:
1. Rebel Characters: Rejecting or Nuancing Religious Orthodoxy
2. Moving East: American Writers and the Allure of Nonwestern Religions

We will also sponsor a roundtable discussion on the topic:
3. Writing and Teaching Religion through Literature

ARLS
Founded in 1997, the American Religion and Literature Society (ARLS) is a member society of the American Literature Association (ALA). ARLS is dedicated to the scholarly exploration of the relationships among religion, literature, and American culture, where each is broadly construed and where no particular scholarly or disciplinary approach is favored over any other. We try to nurture both a meaningful witness to the vitality of religion and literature and collegial friendships within the area of noted interest.

Submission of Abstracts
Please send an e-mail with contact information and title of paper and a separate, 500-word abstract (for a paper of 3000 words or approximately 20 minutes reading time; 10 minutes for the roundtable) to the following address by no later than 15 December: mbr@creighton.edu. Please note: the abstract should be sent as a separate attachment in Word, and nowhere on it should there be any indication that you are its author, though it should include the same paper title which appears in the e-mail. You will be notified via e-mail or phone by 20 January 2006 whether your paper has been accepted.

Membership in ARLS/Questions
Those presenting papers are required to be current members of ARLS (membership form in newsletter on ARLS website). If you have additional questions, please contact either:
Michael Brown (President, ARLS): mbr@creighton.edu, or Susan Rushing Adams (Vice President, ARLS): srushingadams@verizon.net

ARLS Website: www.arlshome.org.
Conference details: www.americanliterature.org.