39th Annual Northeast MLA Convention
Buffalo, New York
April 11-13, 2008

From 1836-1845 William Wells Brown, fugitive from slavery, settled in Buffalo where, as Underground Railroad operative and local temperance and antislavery leader, he collected anecdotes and attitudes that would help to shape his long career in literary activism and experimentation. In honor of this formative period in Brown's life, NeMLA, in its return to Buffalo in 2008, offers a board-sponsored panel on this pioneer of African American fiction, drama, poetry, humor, and historiography. The panel seeks papers that contribute to the recent critical effort to rethink and resituate Brown as a significant figure within the development and diversification of black public discourse and performance in nineteenth-century America. The panel is open to discussions of any aspect of Brown's work and influence.

Please send abstracts (250-500 words) to Clay Hooper at mchooper@buffalo.edu by September 15, 2007. Be sure to include name, affiliation, and email address.