Over the last weeks, many scholarly organizations have published statements responding to the uprisings following the killing of Ahmad Aubrey, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade, among many others. The Modernist Studies Association stands in solidarity with Black colleagues across fields and disciplines against racism and violence. Black Lives Matter.

The MSA has, since its inception, worked to diversify the canons and methods of modernist studies. But it has failed to become a sufficiently welcoming space for scholars and students of color, especially Black scholars and students. The MSA Board recommits itself to the long-term necessary work of anti-racism. We are developing a concrete plan of action now that we will bring to the membership this fall. Please email MSA President Matt Hart (mh2968@columbia.edu) with questions or suggestions.

The Modernist Studies Association seeks applications from its members for the position Chair, Technology and Infrastructure. Nominations and self-nominations may be sent to the MSA President, Matt Hart, by email (mh2968@columbia.edu). Questions about the position may be sent to the current Chair, Alex Christie (achristie@brocku.ca).

Description
The Technology and Infrastructure Chair (formerly Webmaster) serves a three-year term as a Consulting Trustee of the executive board in a fast-paced and highly creative position. Each year, the Chair collaborates with the local organizing committee to create the annual conference website, maintaining creative and operational control over the design and implementation of each year’s site. Year-round duties also involve administering and updating MSA digital resources (including Slack, web forms, and the MSA organizational site), as well as regular communication with internal and external partners, as the chair oversees the technical operation of our international organization. The Chair also has the freedom to develop new technological initiatives in collaboration with the board, playing an active role in the future of digital modernist studies.

Primary Responsibilities

• Creating and maintaining the annual conference website (including annual analytics reports), in collaboration with the local organizing committee.
• Setup, administration, and oversight of system(s) used to organize annual conferences (Ex Ordo), in collaboration with the Program Chair.
• Maintaining and regularly updating the MSA organizational website in cooperation with Johns Hopkins University Press and fellow members of the MSA board.
• Maintaining internal MSA cyberinfrastructure, including:
• Internal communications systems for the Executive Board (Slack)
• The digital document archive for the Executive Board (Dropbox)
• Listservs and (in collaboration with the Membership & Elections Chair, who administers the accounts) Social Media.
• Web forms used by the membership and hosted outside JHUP (Google Forms), including forms for the following:
• Research Travel Grants
• Conference Travel Grants
• DHSI Scholarship Application Forms
• Web forms used by the membership and hosted by JHUP, including forms for the following:
• Annual conference registration
• Annual conference survey
• Annual elections voting pages
• Providing ongoing technical, logistical, and operational support as needed.
• Developing new digital resources in consultation with the board.

Required competencies
The position requires proficiency with web design standards (i.e. modern HTML and CSS, as well as FTP transfer), spreadsheets, and the administration of basic web services (i.e. Google Forms, Slack, Dropbox). Some familiarity with CMS administration (Drupal) is highly desirable, though not required. Basic proficiency with scripting and automation is not expected; however, these competencies are highly recommended for Chairs who wish to build new resources and refine existing organizational workflows.

How to apply
The MSA invites applications from candidates interested in developing our digital presence and with demonstrated experience with website management and development. Applications should include a brief description of the candidate's relevant qualifications and experience, plus a one-page CV. Candidates are also encouraged to submit a brief statement describing their vision for the MSA's web presence. These materials should be sent to the MSA President, Matt Hart, by email (mh2968@columbia.edu) no later than July 31, 2020.
Any queries about the position can be addressed to the current Chair, Alex Christie (achristie@brocku.ca). The elected Chair’s term will begin on the final day of the upcoming Annual Conference.

Election procedures according to the MSA Constitution
The Technology and Infrastructure Chair shall be selected in the following fashion. A call for applications for the post shall go out to the membership a minimum of six months before the expiration of the present Technology and Infrastructure Chair’s term. The present Technology and Infrastructure Chair, the President, and the First Vice President, comprising the Technology and Infrastructure Chair Nominating Committee, shall review the applications and submit to the rest of the Executive Committee a slate of two candidates on which the Executive Committee shall vote. Any other member of the Executive Committee shall have the right to review the applications and make advisory recommendations. If the Technology and Infrastructure Chair Nominating Committee fails to arrive at a slate of two candidates by consensus, up to one candidate shall be chosen by each member of the Technology and Infrastructure Chair Nominating Committee, for a slate of no fewer than two candidates. The new Technology and Infrastructure Chair shall be selected from this slate by majority vote of the Executive Committee members plus the present Technology and Infrastructure Chair, having one vote each.

The Modernist Studies Association affirms and stands in support of the rights and dignity of our transgender and gender non-binary members and all other persons associated with our organization and conference. We believe that inclusivity, diversity, access, and equality are critical to the strength of our organization and the effectiveness of our academic mission. We are committed to maintaining a welcoming and inclusive organization where everyone can be their full self. This goal includes the practice of using individuals’ correct name and pronoun reference when introducing speakers or citing their work or ideas.

MSA 2018 Executive Board Elections are now open!

Dear Members:

Please be sure to cast your vote in this year’s Executive Board elections for our new 2nd Vice President, Chair of Interdisciplinary Approaches, and Chair of International Relations. You can access the voting site by following this link: https://vote.press.jhu.edu/msa/elections.

You will need to use your MSA membership username and password to log into the site to cast your vote. While you're at it, if you have not yet voted on the proposed change to the editorial term of Modernism/modernity from 5 to 4 years, please cast a ballot on it too. Please go back to the main election page and click on the Bylaw Change Vote: https://vote.press.jhu.edu/msa/elections.

If you have forgotten your username please click here to retrieve it.

f you have forgotten your password and need to reset it, please click here.

Voting will remain open until Friday, May 4th. If you have any questions, please contact me directly.

Best wishes,

Erin Templeton
Membership and Elections Chair
Modernist Studies Association

2017 ELECTION RESULTS

Dear MSA members,

The results are in, and I am very pleased to announce that Matthew Hart will be joining the MSA Board later this year as the next Second Vice President; Rebecca Walsh has been elected Program Chair, and Erin Templeton will be our next Membership & Elections Chair.

Thank you again for taking part in this year’s elections, and best wishes,

María del Pilar Blanco
Chair, Membership & Elections
Modernist Studies Association

MSA joins MLA statement

At our last meeting the Executive Committee of the MSA unanimously endorsed the recent statement by the MLA Executive Council concerning the 2016 presidential election. You may read the statement below or on the MLA’s website.

MLA Statement on the 2016 Presidential Election

The Executive Council approved the following statement in November 2016.
Throughout the campaign and in the aftermath of the presidential election in the United States, sharp political lines have been drawn that pit groups and individuals against one another on the basis of national origin, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, migration status, ability, class, and other forms of identity. The Modern Language Association reaffirms in the strongest terms possible its commitment to free inquiry and academic freedom for all, unimpeded by acts of prejudice and hate. We note especially the need to offer support to those who are the most vulnerable and condemn the unjust rhetoric that targets them. We recognize that the humanities and humanistic knowledge are now more essential than ever to help guide us in these difficult times, and we pledge to maintain the MLA as an organization open to all individuals who share our commitments.

2016 ELECTION RESULTS

Dear members,

Voting for the two open positions in the MSA Executive Board has now ended, and it’s my pleasure to announce that Celia Marshik and Allan Hepburn will be our next 2nd Vice President and Treasurer. They will assume those roles officially at the end of our upcoming conference in Pasadena in November.

Thank you to all of you who voted in the elections, and a huge thank you to all the candidates for putting themselves forward!

Very best wishes,

María del Pilar Blanco
Chair, Membership and Elections
Modernist Studies Association

NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR TWO MSA EXECUTIVE BOARD POSITIONS

The MSA Executive Committee seeks nominations for two Board positions.

1. CHAIR, FINANCE (TREASURER) (3-year term commencing on the final day of MSA 18 in 2016).

2. 2nd VICE-PRESIDENT (the 2nd Vice President assumes office on the final day of MSA 18 in 2016, then proceeds to the position of 1st Vice-President on the final day of MSA 19 in 2017, and then to that of President on the final day of MSA 20 in 2018).

For more information, visit http://msa.press.jhu.edu/about/nominations.html

New MSA Research Travel Grant

The MSA Research Travel Grant aims to help scholars of modernism conduct their research through visits to archives, collections, and other pertinent sites. Applications will be selected on the basis of the merit of the proposed research and demonstration of need. As this grant is supplementary to other sources of support, applicants are must also apply for any available support from their home institutions and the target archives.

Purpose: The funding is designed to supplement other existing sources of support, enabling scholars to travel to archives or other pertinent sites to conduct original research.

Eligibility: All scholars are eligible, regardless of stage of career, employment status, or institutional affiliation (or lack thereof). Applicants must be members of the MSA. MSA Board members are not eligible for the Grant. Applicants may apply more than once, but preference will be given to those who have not held the grant previously. Preference will also be given to those who have sought other sources of support for the proposed research.

How to Apply:

Submit a 500-word statement

• outlining the research to be conducted.
• indicating whether the materials can be accessed in any other way (e.g., they are digitized and available online), and/or that such forms of access are inappropriate for the proposed research.
• outlining support options provided by the target archive and indicating why MSA support is needed in spite of them (proof of having applied for these other sources of funding is required).
• outlining support options provided by their home institutions (if they have them) and indicating why MSA support is needed in spite of them (proof of having applied for these other sources of funding is required).
• including a budget showing
• anticipated travel costs (eligible costs include economy travel, accommodations, and meals).
• how much institutional support the applicant has sought and/or received.
• how much support is being sought and/or has been received from other sources.
• how much is being sought from the MSA (to a maximum of $5,000USD).
• submit your application by email to the Vice President (Jessica Berman, jberman@umbc.edu).
• deadline for submission of applications is 1 February.
• successful applicants will be required to provide a minimum 500 word research report on the activities supported by the grant, for publication on the MSA website, within one month of completing the research trip.

Decisions: Applications will be adjudicated by three members of the Board. All applicants will be notified of the decision.

Call for Applications: Co-Editor of Modernism/Modernity

This year, the MSA Board will appoint a new Co-Editor of the MSA’s official journal, Modernism/Modernity. The Co-Editor will be appointed to a five-year term (Sept 1, 2016 – Aug 31, 2021) and will serve as one of the journal’s two co-editors, each responsible for two issues annually and sharing responsibility for the journal’s ongoing and future projects.

The new Co-Editor will replace Lawrence Rainey, who will step down at the end of 2015, and join Debra Rae Cohen, whose term as Co-Editor runs from Sept 2014 - Sept 2019.

As a result of the closing of the York office, the MSA will now appoint both editors of the journal, rather than one, as has previously been the case. The two Co-Editors will supervise all future issues of Modernism/modernity. The MSA Board believes that the addition of a second MSA-appointed editor launches a new era for the journal, providing an exciting opportunity for both structural and conceptual innovation. The two Co-Editors will be able shape the journal, individually and collaboratively, in substantial ways.

Debra Rae Cohen’s editorial office will absorb the activities of both editorial offices from January – August 2016. After the new editorial office is launched in September 2016, responsibility for overseeing the journal’s four issues will be divided evenly between the two offices. In addition, Cohen’s office will run the Print-Plus Platform (currently in development) and continue to run the journal's editorial hub, coordinating the distribution of submitted manuscripts. The new editorial office will take over responsibility for the book review section. Those roles may change as the two editors prefer and/or when Cohen’s term concludes in 2019.

Johns Hopkins University Press will provide $20,000 annually to support the new Co-Editor’s office. These funds have normally been used to support a Managing Editor. The Co-Editor’s institution must cover any additional editorial office expenses.

Please note: the MSA Board will accept applications from editorial teams as well as from individuals.

Applications should include:

• a vision statement
• a description of your qualifications
• a c.v. (editorial teams should include one for each member)
• a statement about the funding resources you would bring to the position

The MSA Board will interview finalists for the position at the 17th annual MSA conference in Boston (November 19-22, 2015) or by Skype or conference call if an in-person interview proves impossible.

By no later than October 1, 2015, applicants should send their materials as a single PDF file to Rebecca Walkowitz, MSA President (rebecca.walkowitz@rutgers.edu), and Debra Rae Cohen, Modernism/ modernity Co-Editor (COHENDR@mailbox.sc.edu).

We encourage inquiries about the position and would appreciate hearing prior to the deadline from those who are planning on or considering submitting an application. Please contact the MSA President and M/m Co-Editor at the email addresses above.

2015 ELECTION RESULTS

Dear MSA members,

Thank you to everyone who voted in this year’s elections. It is a pleasure to announce the following results:

The new 2nd Vice-President will be Laura Winkiel (University of Colorado, Boulder). She will assume office on the final day of MSA 17 in November this year, then will proceed to the position of 1st Vice-President on the final day of MSA 18 in 2016, and then to that of President on the final day of MSA 19 in 2017.

The new Chair of International Relations will be Christopher Bush (Northwestern University). He will hold office for three years, starting on the final day of MSA 17.

The new Chair of Interdisciplinary Approaches will be Scott Klein (Wake Forest University). He will also hold office for three years, commencing on the final day of MSA 17.

Many congratulations to the new board members. We are extremely grateful to everyone who ran for office for their enthusiasm about the association.

Sincerely,

María del Pilar Blanco
Chair, Membership and Elections
MSA

CFP FOR MSA17: BOSTON ANNOUNCED

The organizers for MSA17 are pleased to announce the release of this year's CFP: http://msa.press.jhu.edu/conferences/msa17/

2014 ELECTION RESULTS

Dear MSA members:

I am pleased to announce the results of this year's MSA elections.

The new 2nd Vice President will be Jessica Berman of the University of Maryland Baltimore County. She assumes office on the final day of MSA 16 in 2014, then proceeds to the position of 1st Vice-President on the final day of MSA 17 in 2015, and then to that of President on the final day of MSA 18 in 2016.

The new Program Chair will be Lisi Schoenbach of the University of Tennessee. She will hold office for three years, commencing on the final day of MSA 16.

The new Membership and Elections Chair will be María del Pilar Blanco of Trinity College, University of Oxford. She will hold office for three years, commencing on the final day of MSA 16.

Congratulations to these new board members. The Association owes a great deal of gratitude to all of those who expressed their willingness to serve and to run.

Thanks also to those of you who voted.

Sincerely,

Adam McKible, Membership and Elections Chair

Adam McKible
Associate Professor of English
John Jay College
619 W. 54th St., 7th Floor
New York, NY 10019
212-237-8584

2014 ELECTION

Voting is now open for the 2014 MSA elections. To vote, go to http://msa.press.jhu.edu/cgi-bin/2014_msa_vote.cgi

Voting will be open until 11:59 PM on April 30, 2014.

We are electing officers for three positions:

1. 2nd VICE PRESIDENT (the 2nd Vice President assumes office on the final day of MSA 16 in 2014, then proceeds to the position of 1st Vice-President on the final day of MSA 17 in 2015, and then to that of President on the final day of MSA 18 in 2016).

2. CHAIR, PROGRAM (3-year term commencing on the final day of MSA 16 in 2014).

3. CHAIR, MEMBERSHIP & ELECTIONS (3-year term commencing on the final day of MSA 16 in 2014).

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTIONS of these positions.

NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR THIS YEAR'S BOOK PRIZE

The Modernist Studies Association seeks nominations for this year's MSA Book Prize, to be awarded to a book with a printed copyright date of 2013. The prize is given each year to a work that makes a significant contribution to modernist studies. The recipient will receive $1000 plus up to $500 toward travel expenses to the 2014 MSA conference, where the award will be presented. Read more...

NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR 3 MSA EXECUTIVE BOARD POSITIONS

The MSA Executive Committee seeks nominations for three Board positions.

1. 2nd VICE PRESIDENT

2. CHAIR, PROGRAM

3. CHAIR, MEMBERSHIP & ELECTIONS

For more information, visit http://msa.press.jhu.edu/about/nominations.html

CFP for MSA 16

The organizers of MSA16 are pleased to release the Call for Papers for Pittsburgh. Read the entire CFP at http://msa.press.jhu.edu/conferences/msa16/index.html

MSA Brighton Plenary Videos

The MSA is pleased to announce that the Plenary lectures from MSA15 are now available at: http://msa.press.jhu.edu/conferences/msa15/

MSA Brighton Conference Feedback Form

The MSA invites its members to complete the Conference Feedback Form for MSA15: Brighton. These surveys help us plan future conferences and let us know how we did in serving our members.

Winner of 2013 MSA Book Prize Announced

The MSA is pleased to announce Jeremy Braddock's Collecting as Modernist Practice (Johns Hopkins University Press) as the winner of the 2013 Modernist Studies Association book prize.

Collecting as Modernist Practice is an elegantly written, thoughtfully argued, and captivating book. It places collecting at the center of modernist practice so convincingly . . . [ read more ]

REGISTRATION FOR MSA15: BRIGHTON IS NOW OPEN

Members may now register for MSA15: Brighton

2013 ELECTION RESULTS

The MSA is pleased to announce the results of this year's MSA elections. The new 2nd Vice President will be Stephen Ross of the University of Victoria. He assumes office on the final day of MSA 15 in September, then proceeds to the position of 1st Vice-President on the final day of MSA 16 in 2014, and then to that of President on the final day of MSA 17 in 2015. The new Treasurer (previously titled Chair of Membership, Development, and Communications) will be Gayle Rogers of the University of Pittsburgh; he will serve a 3-year term commencing on the final day of MSA 15. Finally, the Association owes a great deal of gratitude to all of those who expressed their willingness to serve and to run.

VOTE IN THE 2013 ELECTIONS

Voting is now open for the 2013 MSA elections: http://msa.press.jhu.edu/cgi-bin/2013_msa_vote.cgi

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: MSA EDITOR OF MODERNISM/MODERNITY

Due date: June 15, 2013

This year, the Executive Committee of the MSA will appoint a new MSA Editor of the Association’s official journal, Modernism/Modernity. The MSA Editor will be appointed to a five-year term (January 1, 2015 thru December 31, 2019) and will serve as one of the journal’s two editors, the other having been appointed by Johns Hopkins University Press.

For more information, visit our Board Nominations page: http://msa.press.jhu.edu/about/nominations.html

PDF for circulation (42 kb)

NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR 2 MSA EXECUTIVE BOARD POSITIONS

The MSA Executive Committee seeks nominations for two Board positions:

1. 2nd VICE PRESIDENT (the 2nd Vice President assumes office on the final day of MSA 15 in 2013, then proceeds to the position of 1st Vice-President on the final day of MSA 16 in 2014, and then to that of President on the final day of MSA 17 in 2015).
2. CHAIR, MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS & TREASURER (3-year term commencing on the final day of MSA 15 in 2013).

For more information, visit our Board Nominations page: http://msa.press.jhu.edu/about/nominations.html

Nominations Now Open for 2013 Book Prize

The Modernist Studies Association is now accepting nominations for its 2013 book prize. To nominate a book (self-nominations accepted), please follow the instructions here: http://msa.press.jhu.edu/prize/nominate.html

MSA 2012 Book Prize Announced

The Modernist Studies Association awards its 2012 Book Prize to Christopher GoGwilt's The Passage of Literature: Genealogies of Modernism in Conrad, Rhys, and Pramoedya (Oxford UP). Check out the full blurb and honorable mentions here: http://msa.press.jhu.edu/prize/archive.html

Final Program Schedule for MSA14

The final program schedule for MSA14: Modernism & Spectacle is now available at: http://msa.press.jhu.edu/conferences/msa14/program.html

Registration for MSA14: Las Vegas now open

We are pleased to announce that registration is now open for MSA14.

Winners of the 2012 Election Announced

The new 2nd Vice President will be Rebecca Walkowitz of Rutgers University. She will assume office on the final day of MSA 14 this November, then proceed to the position of 1st Vice-President on the final day of MSA 15 in 2013, and then to that of President on the final day of MSA 16 in 2014.

The new Chair of International Relations is Aaron Jaffe of the University of Louisville; he will serve a 3-year term commencing on the final day of MSA 14.

The new Chair of Interdisciplinary Approaches is Carrie Preston of Boston University; she will serve a 3-year term commencing on the final day of MSA 14.

VOTE IN THE 2012 MSA ELECTION

Voting is now open for the 2012 MSA elections. Voting will be open until 11:59 PM on April 30, 2012. We are electing officers for three positions:

1. 2nd VICE PRESIDENT (the 2nd Vice President assumes office on the final day of MSA 14 in 2012, then proceeds to the position of 1st Vice-President on the final day of MSA 15 in 2013, and then to that of President on the final day of MSA 16 in 2014).

2. CHAIR, INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES (3-year term commencing on the final day of MSA 14 in 2012).

3. CHAIR, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (3-year term commencing on the final day of MSA 14 in 2012).

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTIONS of these positions may be found at the MSA Website (http://msa.press.jhu.edu/about/bylaws.html).
If you have any questions, please contact me at amckible@jjay.cuny.edu.

If you have difficulty accessing the site or completing your ballot, please contact JHUP for help:

--Toll free number at 800-548-1784 (U.S. and Canada only), all others please call 410-516-6987
--By email at jrnlcirc@press.jhu.edu
--By fax at 410.516.3866.

NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR THREE MSA EXECUTIVE BOARD POSITIONS

Deadline for receipt of Nominations: 1 March 2012 (Thursday)

The MSA Executive Committee seeks nominations for three Board positions.

1. 2nd VICE PRESIDENT (the 2nd Vice President assumes office on the final day of MSA 13 in 2012, then proceeds to the position of 1st Vice-President on the final day of MSA 14 in 2013, and then to that of President on the final day of MSA 15 in 2014).
2. CHAIR, INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES (3-year term commencing on the final day of MSA 14 in 2012).
3. CHAIR, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (3-year term commencing on the final day of MSA 14 in 2012).

For more information, visit our Nominations page

CFP: MSA14, Modernism & Spectacle, Flamingo Hotel, Las Vegas

The organizers of MSA 14 invite proposals for panels, roundtables, and seminars for inclusion in the fourteenth annual meeting of the Modernist Studies Association, to be held at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, October 17-21, 2012. MSA’s Program Committee welcomes proposals on any topics related to modernist studies broadly conceived. We particularly encourage proposals related to the conference theme, as well as interdisciplinary proposals and international participants. For more information, please visit our conference website: http://msa.press.jhu.edu/conferences/msa14/cfp.html

MESSAGE FROM THE MSA PRESIDENT

Greetings to Members of MSA!

On behalf of the Modernist Studies Association, I would like to give a huge round of virtual applause and warm thanks to Cristanne Miller, Margaret Konkol, and the 35 volunteers from the University of Buffalo for hosting an exciting and beautifully run conference. With some 720 participants, MSA XIII was the second largest conference ever, just shy of the 750 participants in Montreal in 2009.

CONFERENCE FEEDBACK

Please fill out the conference survey form: http://msa.press.jhu.edu/cgi-bin/msa13_feedback.cgi; your feedback will help the Executive Committee and future hosts meet your needs in the future. Note as well the question about your experience submitting to Modernism/modernity.

2011 BOOK PRIZE

Winner of the 2011 Modernist Studies Association Book Prize is Michael Rubenstein, for Public Works: Infrastructure, Irish Modernism, and the Postcolonial (Notre Dame UP). Honorable Mention goes to Mark Goble for Beautiful Circuits: Modernism and the Mediated Life (Columbia UP). Shortlisted books include Rubén Gallo’s Freud’s Mexico: In the Wilds of Psychoanalysis (MIT); Maud Ellmann’s The Nets of Modernism: Henry James, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and Sigmund Freud (Cambridge); Matthew Hart’s Nations of Nothing But Poetry: Modernism, Transnationalism, and Synthetic Vernacular Writing (Oxford); and Alison Syme’s A Touch of Blossom: John Singer Sargent and the Queer Flora of Fin-de-Siecle Art (Penn State).

Congratulations to the prize-winning authors and special thanks to the hardworking MSA Prize Committee: Paul Young (chair), Enda Duffy, and Justus Nieland, who read over 60 books and essay collections published in 2010. The Prize Committee’s citations for the books are [link or below}. Pamela Caughie will chair the 2012 MSA Prize Committee, with committee members Holly Laird and Stephen Ross. Nominations are now open for the 2012 Book Prize: http://msa.press.jhu.edu/prize/nominate.html (deadline: April 1, 2012).

As incoming MSA President, I also want to give special thanks to the MSA Executive Committee’s dedicated outgoing members: Pamela Caughie, past MSA President (2009-2010); Rebecca Walkowitz, Chair of the Program Committee (2009-2011); and Debra Rae Cohen, Chair of the Nominations and Election Committee (2008-2011). As MSA’s President in 2010-2011, Mark Morrisson will continue on the Executive Committee for another year. Their tireless efforts on behalf of MSA have consolidated the association as a vibrant and broad-based intellectual community. We welcome newly elected members David Chinitz, Second Vice President; Victoria Rosner, Program Chair; and Adam McKible, Nominations and Elections Chair. Thanks also to Ann Ardis, who has made a smooth transition from Cassandra Laity as MSA’s co-editor of Modernism/modernity and to J. Matthew Huculak, who has generously agreed to continue as MSA’s Webmaster through 2014. Please contact Executive Committee members with your ideas and concerns about MSA!

We hope to see you all at MSA XIV in Las Vegas, October 18-21, 2012, hosted by Beth Rosenberg. The theme, suitably enough, is Modernism & Spectacle.

Best wishes,

Susan Stanford Friedman

MSA President, 2011-2012

MSA 2011 BOOK PRIZE

The Modernist Studies Association awards its 2011 Book Prize to Michael Rubenstein's, Public Works: Infrastructure, Irish Modernism, and the Postcolonial (Notre Dame)

According to Michael Rubenstein, “Irish modernism was largely a literary engagement with the problem of how to forge an Irish modernity after colonialism.” How he goes about supporting this claim—by uncovering Irish modernism’s obsession with public utilities—is as audacious, stunning, and ultimately convincing as the claim itself. In Public Works, Rubenstein comes at this infrastructural unconscious from two directions: elegant close readings of key works by Joyce, Flann O’Brien, and Denis Johnston; and meticulous material history that turns lampposts, sewers, and other quotidian furniture of modernization into exemplars of a colonial process of modernization—a process about which the Irish had every right to be skeptical. This skepticism plays out within each author’s works, and across them, too. While O’Brien’s The Third Policeman pits tradition and Celtic revivalism against the “new dependencies” that electrification exacts from the unsuspecting populace, Joyce’s Ulysses, which Rubenstein recasts, brilliantly, as a “postcolonial comedy of development,” envisions waterworks and other utilities of circulation as harbingers of an independent Ireland: an Ireland possessing the ability to engineer itself via infrastructural control, thus solving “the problem of the Irish underdeveloped identity.” What makes this book especially remarkable is Rubenstein’s recuperation of infrastructure as a technology of citizenship in general—a mechanism for post-colonial self-definition well beyond Ireland and its era of development—and as an everyday vehicle of utopian thought.

Please visit our Nominations page to recommend a book for this year's prize.
Visit our archive to see previous winners.

MSA 2011 ELECTION RESULTS

Dear MSA Members,

I would like to announce the winners of this year's MSA elections:

2nd Vice President: David Chinitz
Programs Chair: Victoria Rosner
Nominations and Elections Chair: Adam McKible

The proposed amendment to the MSA constitution was overwhelmingly approved.

Many thanks to all of those who voted, and especially to those who were willing to step forward and run for office.

Debra Rae Cohen
Nominations and Elections Chair

MSA CONFERENCE AND YOM KIPPUR DATE CONFLICT

We would like to offer our sincere apology that this year's conference conflicts with Yom Kippur. The scheduling error was inadvertent, and the MSA will ensure that it is not repeated with future conferences. Regrettably, owing to hotel contracts and booking constraints, we are unable to reschedule this year's conference.

If you are observing Yom Kippur and would like to participate in the conference on Thursday, Friday before sundown, and/or Sunday, please let us know and we will accommodate you (msa13@buffalo.edu). Registration materials will also include a list of synagogues in Buffalo.

Sincerely,

Mark Morrisson, on behalf of the MSA Executive Committee and the MSA 13 Conference Organizers

VOTING NOW OPEN FOR 2011 ELECTIONS

Voting Ends 7 April 2011

The MSA is pleased to announce that voting is now open for the 2011 Elections. Please follow this link to see your ballot.

MSA CONFERENCE AND YOM KIPPUR DATE CONFLICT

We would like to offer our sincere apology that this year's conference conflicts with Yom Kippur. The scheduling error was inadvertent, and the MSA will ensure that it is not repeated with future conferences. Regrettably, owing to hotel contracts and booking constraints, we are unable to reschedule this year's conference.

If you are observing Yom Kippur and would like to participate in the conference on Thursday, Friday before sundown, and/or Sunday, please let us know and we will accommodate you (msa13@buffalo.edu). Registration materials will also include a list of synagogues in Buffalo.

Sincerely,

Mark Morrisson, on behalf of the MSA Executive Committee and the MSA 13 Conference Organizers

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: THREE (3) MSA BOARD POSITIONS

Deadline for receipt of Nominations: 1 March 2011 (Tuesday)

1. 2nd VICE PRESIDENT (the 2nd Vice President assumes office on the final day of MSA 13 in 2011, then proceeds to the position of 1st Vice-President on the final day of MSA 14 in 2012, and then to that of President on the final day of MSA 15 in 2013).

2. CHAIR, PROGRAMS (3-year term commencing on the final day of MSA 13 in 2011).

3. CHAIR, NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS (3-year term commencing on the final day of MSA 13 in 2011).

Visit our Nominations page to view full announcement

CFP: STRUCTURES OF INNOVATION; MSA 13, OCTOBER 6-9, 2011

The organizers of MSA 13 invite proposals for panels, round tables, and seminars for inclusion in the thirteenth annual meeting of the Modernist Studies Association, to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Buffalo, New York, October 6-9, 2011.

This year's theme, "Structures of Innovation," encourages the exploration of modernist innovation in literature, film, music, architecture, visual and performing arts, technology and industry, and the intersection of these fields with race, gender, the sciences, and law.

NEW PUBLISHER ADDED TO "SPECIAL OFFERS"--25% DISCOUNT ON BOOKS

The MSA is pleased to welcome Pickering & Chatto to our new "Special Offers" page. MSA Members now enjoy discounted books from Ashgate, JHUP, Oxford, Palgrave/Macmillan and Pickering & Chatto.

CONFERENCE FEEDBACK FORM NOW AVAILABLE

Member feedback is an important part of conference planning. Please let us know what you thought of MSA 12: Victoria by filling out this short Conference Feedback Form

NEW ONLINE FEATURES AVAILABLE TO OUR MEMBERS

The MSA is pleased to announce two new features available to our members. First, we have expanded our website so that publishers may offer special deals to our current members. Let the publisher of your book or magazine know that it may apply to participate in this program here. To see what special discounts you are entitled to as a current member, follow this link.

Second, we have created a "modernist jobs" page for all members. If you know of a job in the field of modernist studies, please take a moment to list it freely here. Please let your department know that it may freely list modernist jobs on this interdisciplinary list.

GRADUATE STUDENT TRAVEL GRANT APPLICATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR MSA 12

We are pleased to announce that graduate students may now apply for travel funding to participate in MSA 12: Victoria. Please follow this link to access the editable PDF application form. Deadline for applications: September 1, 2010.

REGISTRATION FOR MSA 12 NOW OPEN

We are pleased to announce that the registration process for MSA 12: The Networks of Modernism in Victoria, Canada is now open. Please visit the conference website for more information. And don't forget, you may now pay for conference and membership fees using our convenient "pay together" option.

MSA 12 IS GOING GREEN

Given Victoria's abundant natural beauty and the culture of conservation that prevails here, the Organizing Committee has determined to make this year's MSA the greenest ever. The need for such initiatives is too obvious to detail, and the Committee feels that the MSA can take the lead in showing other conferences and organizations how to keep their annual meetings while showing real responsibility by reducing the environmental impact they necessarily entail. As such, we have undertaken several new steps this year with the goal of giving the conference a much lighter touch than in years past, all while maintaining its quality. Click here to see what steps are being taken to make this our greenest conference yet!

ELECTION RESULTS FOR 2010 BOARD POSITIONS

We are pleased to announce the results of this year's MSA elections:

The new 2nd Vice President will be Paul Saint-Amour of the University of Pennsylvania. He will assume office on the final day of MSA 12 this November, then proceed to the position of 1st Vice-President on the final day of MSA 13 in 2011, and then to that of President on the final day of MSA 14 in 2012.

The new Chair of Membership Development and Communications will be Jesse Matz of Kenyon College; he will serve a 3-year term commencing on the final day of MSA 12.

VOTING NOW OPEN FOR 2010 BOARD POSITIONS

We ask all members to cast their votes in this year's election.

CALL FOR MSA BOARD NOMINATIONS

The MSA Executive Committee seeks nominations for two Board positions:

1. 2nd VICE PRESIDENT (the 2nd Vice President assumes office on the final day of MSA 12 in 2010, then proceeds to the position of 1st Vice-President on the final day of MSA 13 in 2011, and then to that of President on the final day of MSA 14 in 2012).

2. CHAIR, MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS (3-year term commencing on the final day of MSA 12 in 2010).

Please visit our Nominations Page for more information

CALL FOR MSA BOOK PRIZE NOMINATIONS

The Modernist Studies Association seeks nominations for this year's MSA Book Prize, to be awarded to a book with a printed copyright date of 2009. The prize is given each year to a book that makes a significant contribution to modernist studies. Authors need not be members of MSA to be considered for the prize. Please visit our Nominations page for more information.

MSA 12 (Victoria) Call for Papers

The organizers of MSA 12 invite proposals for panels, roundtables, and seminars for inclusion in the twelfth annual meeting of the Modernist Studies Association, to be held at the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, November 11-14, 2010. Please visit the new MSA 12 web site to read the full text.

MSA 11 Conference Survey

The Modernist Studies Association would like to hear from you. Please take our online survey to rate your experience at MSA 11 (Montreal) and let us know what you think about our potential conference sites in Las Vegas and Sussex.

2009 MSA Book Prize Winner

Congratulations to William Chapman Sharpe, winner of this year's MSA Book Prize. Check out our Book Prize page to see the full announcement.

Graduate Student Travel Grants

The Modernist Studies Association will offer a limited number of awards to assist in travel funding for graduate students participating in this year's conference. Learn more at the official conference website.

Membership Renewal Reminder

Have you had trouble logging into the website? Remember that our membership year ended on June 30, 2009. Renew for the 2009-10 membership period, visit our renewal form online.

2009 MSA Conference

Registration for “The Languages of Modernism,” the 2009 MSA Conference, is now open. The conference will take place at the Delta Centre-Ville, Montréal, Canada, November 5-8, 2009. Visit the conference website.

Executive Board Election Results

Congratulations to the new members of the MSA Executive Board. Susan Stanford Friedman from the University of Wisconsin-Madison is now the 2nd Vice President. The 2nd Vice President assumes office on the final day of MSA 11 in 2009, proceeds to the position of 1st Vice-President on the final day of MSA 12 in 2010, and then to the position of President on the final day of MSA 13 in 2011.

Christopher Reed from Penn State University is the new Interdisciplinary Approaches Chair. The new International Relations Chair is David Ayers from the University of Kent, Canterbury. Each will serve a three-year term beginning at the end of MSA 11.

Book Prize Nominations Open

Nominations for the 2009 MSA Book Prize are now being solicited. Please visit our Book Prize page for details. Deadline for nominations: April 27, 2009; Deadline for receipt of books: May 15, 2009.

Call for Papers Website Active

The MSA is pleased to offer its members access to a new CFP database for Modernist Studies. Visit the Call for Papers page for more information.