Minutes of the Annual
Business Meeting of the Dreiser Society
American Literature Association, Boston, MA
Friday, May 22, 2009, at 9:30 AM
- The meeting began with discussion of the status of Studies in
American Naturalism. All in attendance agreed that the
journal's association with U of Nebraska Press would continue to
benefit the Society and to increase an interest in Dreiser.
Content is currently licensed to EBSCO and, beginning with the
next issue, with Project Muse. Journal submissions have declined
across the board because more senior professors have been working
on chapter collections and books, which is also reflected in a
recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education about
how senior professor submissions have declined in journals.
- Tom Riggio asked how involved the Norris and Crane people had
been with SAN. Keith Newlin responded that the Society
had offered an arrangement in which SAN would become a member
benefit for allied societies but no one expressed interest.
SAN does, however, receive submissions from members of other
societies.
- Roark Mulligan introduced the idea of a Lifetime Society
membership, which was tabled for future discussion.
- Cara Erdheim asked how the U.S. and global market crisis has
affected journal membership; both Gary Totten and Roark noted that
membership over the past year has actually increased.
- Gary noted that the Society's current balance, a very healthy
one, is $2,741.58.
- Tom Riggio mentioned that Morgan Harris, the grandson of Marguerite
Harris, editor of Dreiser's Notes on Life, expressed an
interest in selling a bronze cast of Dreiser's death mask.
- Donna Campbell proceeded to inquire about future panel topics
for next year's ALA; we proposed the following: Dreiser's career
as a magazine editor, Dreiser the poet, an open panel on Dreiser.
Tom Riggio came up with the idea that panels could focus on
comparing and contrasting Dreiser's early and late writings, both
poetry and other genres.
--Minutes by Cara Erdheim
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