Poet Kay Ryan to Read on Thursday

Donald Hall, sadly, is too ill to travel and so will not be able to give his scheduled reading on the opening night of the MSA conference. Fortunately, the Poetry Foundation has found a distinguished poet, Kay Ryan, to substitute. Information on Ms. Ryan is available on our Featured Speakers page.

Important Update on Housing

Since the MSA room block at the conference hotel was filled as of September 28, the organizers have reserved a limited number of additional rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile. This highly rated hotel is located quite close to the conference at the Chicago Marriott Downtown. The MSA rate at the Hilton is $167 per night. For reservations, please phone the Hilton at (312) 595-0000 or (877) 782-9444.

Conference Program

Download the preliminary conference program (PDF file). This program is subject to minor changes and adjustments. You will need Abode Acrobat Reader to view this file. Download the free application here.

Newberry Library Special Event

Tim Newcomb's panel on Manuscript Research and Modernist Studies (Thursday, November 3rd at 3 p.m.) will be held at the Newberry Library, Chicago. Lawrence Rainey, George Bornstein, and Laura Milsk Flower will present. Prior to the presentations, the Newberry staff will give a brief tour of the library and an introduction to its modern manuscript collections. This session presents an excellent opportunity for scholars to become better acquainted with the Newberry collections in modernist studies and fellowship opportunities.

As one of the world's leading independent research libraries, the Newberry Library's collections are rich in sources for the 20th century. The modern manuscript collections include extensive holdings on Katherine Mansfield, Sherwood Anderson, Malcolm Cowley, John Alden Carpenter, Catherine Dunham, and the Messenger magazine, to name only a few. The Edward E. Ayer Collection in Native American history is one of the best in the country. Their website provides a general overview of the collections but the tour will go into much more detail.

Those planning to attend this session should notify Ann Mattis as soon as possible but no later than September 28th so that transportation to and from the Newberry can be arranged. Attendees will return to the Marriott in time for the opening reception and Donald Hall's poetry reading that evening.

Conference Overview

Founded in 1999, the Modernist Studies Association is devoted to the study of the arts in their social, political, cultural, and intellectual contexts from the late nineteenth through the mid-twentieth century. Through its annual conferences and journal, Modernism/Modernity, the organization seeks to develop an international and interdisciplinary forum for exchange among scholars in this revitalized and rapidly expanding field.

The Modernist Studies Association will hold its 2005 annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The conference will be held at one of Chicago's top conference hotels, the Marriott Downtown, located on world-famous Michigan Avenue.

Sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, Loyola University Chicago, the conference will feature a variety of events related to the study of modernism and modernity, including the following:

• Plenary presentations by Hazel V. Carby and Francis Davis;
• A poetry reading by Kay Ryan, sponsored by The Poetry Foundation;
• A jazz concert featuring vocalist Jackie Allen;
• Seminars, roundtables, and panels.