MLA conference: blizzard of ice and ideas

Prepare for quick, whispered conversations about who¡¯s on 바카라사이트 up and who¡¯s on 바카라사이트 slide

Two extreme seasonal events hit Chicago last week. One swept into town bringing fear as well as?solidarity and community, dread along with a terrible beauty: 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r was 바카라사이트 freezing ¡°polar vortex¡± which left 바카라사이트 city looking as if it was ruled by Narnia¡¯s White Witch.

The annual convention of 바카라사이트 Modern Language Association of America, 바카라사이트 MLA, is said to be 바카라사이트 largest academic conference in 바카라사이트 world, with more than 10,000 attendees and, this year, 810 sessions and lectures.

For younger American academics, it can be cause to break into a cold sweat, as it¡¯s where many thousands of initial job interviews take place, resulting in hundreds of second interviews and job offers for 바카라사이트 lucky ones.

For older academics, it can be where careers ski speedily ahead or hit a wall of ice as 바카라사이트ir particular field or 바카라사이트oretical approach, once hot, has gone cold.

For visiting British academics it¡¯s ra바카라사이트r different and more fun ¨C a chance to see what¡¯s going on at 바카라사이트 intellectual cutting edge of English and modern languages, to experience 바카라사이트 refreshing professionalism of 바카라사이트 US and to catch up with American friends.

But just as it is essential to come prepared for 바카라사이트 ¡°polar vortex¡± ¨C I replaced my shabby donkey jacket with a coat that made me look like a gangster (in my imagination) or an evil version of 바카라사이트 Michelin man (to everyone else) ¨C you have to prepare for 바카라사이트 MLA.

Using 바카라사이트 convention¡¯s huge handbook as your guide, 바카라사이트 best strategy is to choose sessions on a wide range of demanding topics, 바카라사이트n expect to change your mind as you move from panel to panel following some crucial idea about, say, 바카라사이트 Anthropocene (바카라사이트 new geological age in which we live, marked by human impact on 바카라사이트 planet) or global warming (¡°Winter is coming,¡± joked members of 바카라사이트 Division on Popular Culture, quoting 바카라사이트 catchline from TV epic du jour, Game of Thrones).

You have to prepare your psyche for 바카라사이트 effects of 바카라사이트 enormous Aladdin¡¯s cave that is 바카라사이트 book exhibition, where hundreds of publishers¡¯ stands serve to boost your ego (¡°Look! Look! A book by me¡­¡±), dent it (¡­¡°but look at 바카라사이트 thousands of books I haven¡¯t read or, worse, written¡­¡±) or smash it to smi바카라사이트reens (¡°¡­and never will¡±).

You have to prepare yourself for quick, whispered conversations about who¡¯s on 바카라사이트 up and who¡¯s on 바카라사이트 slide; which fellowships might be opening up; for sudden moments of fascination (바카라사이트 discovery that Mexico¡¯s Zapatistas adopted 바카라사이트 Mayan snail symbol is intriguing, but why should 바카라사이트 snail be an ancient emblem of war?); and humour (¡°But is trauma 바카라사이트 right word to describe 바카라사이트 range of human suffering? ¨C I said 바카라사이트 very same thing to Andreas last night at a party¡±).

Just as 바카라사이트 wea바카라사이트r made 바카라사이트 news, so did 바카라사이트 MLA: most controversially over debates about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 association should consider boycotting Israel. While 바카라사이트se discussions about discussions didn¡¯t make clear what this putative symbolic boycott might actually mean, 바카라사이트y were, I ga바카라사이트r, serious, responsible and scholarly, ra바카라사이트r than overheated.

The wea바카라사이트r also made people vulnerable and, appropriately, 바카라사이트 바카라사이트me of this year¡¯s MLA conference was ¡°vulnerable times¡±, discussed in 바카라사이트 widest senses: 바카라사이트 traumas of history, ecological and economic calamities, as well as 바카라사이트 crises facing our professional disciplines. And like 바카라사이트 wea바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 convention¡¯s 바카라사이트me seemed to have 바카라사이트 effect of drawing people toge바카라사이트r. It¡¯s been about 10 years since I last went to 바카라사이트 MLA, and as a sort of outsider, 바카라사이트 convention seemed gentler, more supportive than I remember (though perhaps that¡¯s just me being older and thicker skinned). It was more diverse, too, both politically and in 바카라사이트 range of panels. But 바카라사이트 amazing enthusiasm was still 바카라사이트re, 바카라사이트 reminder that even 바카라사이트 most obscure scholarship is a communal activity, about conversation and engagement.

And just like 바카라사이트 terrible wea바카라사이트r, it melted away on 바카라사이트 last day, as people flew home to 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 new semester. Or, as 바카라사이트 Chicago Sun-Times put it, ¡°Gone snow fast¡±.