SAMLA 2017 Call for Papers for the Mark Twain Circle Session

High Art and Low Art in the Works of Mark Twain

The 2017 SAMLA conference theme is “High Art/Low Art: Borders and Boundaries in Popular Culture.” In a November 1885 Notebook entry, Twain stated, “My books are water; those of the great geniuses is wine. Everybody drinks water.” As is characteristic of Twain’s comments, they are often self-deprecatory and ironic. His comment reflects his notion that his work is low art or “water,” which “everybody drinks.” By the time of that Notebook entry, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn had been on the market for almost a year and had been banned from libraries, hardly considered high art at the time. I welcome proposals using the conference theme that apply to any of Twain works or his biography/autobiography. Send electronic proposals (300-500 words) related to the conference theme by May 15, 2017, to session chair, Joe Alvarez ([log in to unmask]). 

SAMLA 89 will be held November 3-5, 2017 at the Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta, GA.

Joe Alvarez
900 Havel Court
Charlotte, NC 28211-4253

Telephone: 704.364.2844
FAX: 704.364.9348
Mobile: 704.564.2082

"Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in." - Mark Twain