News and Upcoming Events
International Steinbeck Conference
"John Steinbeck in the 21st Century: Reading, Teaching, Translating"
San José State University, March 22-24, 2023
Visit our dedicated conference page for more information!
Call for Papers
Even as John Steinbeck’s diverse body of work has played an essential role in identifying
and interpreting the major issues of the past century, his narratives and insights
remain radically relevant to our present moment, as communities across the world navigate
unprecedented social, political, economic, medical, and ecological challenges. Since
Steinbeck’s significance is best communicated to contemporary audiences through the
practices of reading, teaching, and translation, the 2023 conference will focus on
how these forms of engagement help us better understand and share Steinbeck’s relevance
to our contemporary world.
The International Steinbeck Society invites abstract proposals from varied disciplines
and critical frameworks, including but not limited to literary/cultural studies, comparative
literature, media studies, secondary and postsecondary education, psychology, political
science, sociology, ecology, and marine biology. Potential topics include comparative
studies of Steinbeck and post-Steinbeck writers, issues in translating Steinbeck’s
works into other languages, stage/film/video adaptations, and approaches to teaching
Steinbeck in contemporary classrooms.
We are also pleased to invite undergraduate students to participate in a poster session
focused on sharing their analysis of, and approaches to, the author’s works, context,
and enduring relevance. Undergraduates who are interested in attending the conference
are encouraged to speak with their professors about possibilities for funding that
may be available through their university. Professors who are interested in integrating
an assignment related to the conference into their classroom are encouraged to direct
any questions about the poster session to steinbeck@sjsu.edu.
For traditional presentations, please email your abstract of up to 300 words, as well
as a short bio (up to 200 words) to Steinbeck@sjsu.edu with the subject line “Steinbeck Conference 2023 Submission, [last name].” If you
are interested in submitting a pre-constituted panel, workshop, or roundtable session,
please note your panel title, format, and the names of your co-presenters in your
submission.
If you are interested in soliciting participants for a pre-constituted panel, workshop,
or roudtable session, please send your topic and request to the Martha Heasley Cox
Center for Steinbeck Studies @ Steinbeck@sjsu.edu, with the subject line “Panel CFP Steinbeck Conference 2023.” We will then share
your topic and call for participants with the Center’s mailing list. To ensure an
accessible conference experience, this event will accommodate digital/hybrid paper
presentations, and will livestream its plenary talks for access by registered attendees.
Notices of acceptance to the conference will be sent out on a rolling basis in order
to support scholars who are seeking funding from their home institution. And the final
deadline for proposals is 11:59PM (midnight) on January 15, 2023.