Call for Papers (CFP): Catharine Maria Sedgwick Society

2025 American Literature Association Conference

The 40th Anniversary of Judith Fetterley’s Provisions: A Reader from 19th-Century American Women and Its Enduring Impact

The Catharine Maria Sedgwick Society invites submissions for a special panel at the 36th Annual American Literature Association (ALA) Conference dedicated to exploring the lasting influence of Judith Fetterley’s Provisions: A Reader from 19th-Century American Women, which marks its 40th anniversary in 2025. Fetterley’s groundbreaking anthology, first published in 1985, revolutionized the way we engage with and understand 19th-century American women’s literature. This milestone presents an opportunity to reassess the text’s impact on the field of American literary studies, particularly its role in fostering feminist literary criticism and its contribution to the rise of women author societies in the decades that followed.

We invite papers that address any aspect of Fetterley’s Provisions and its influence, including but not limited to:

· The impact of Provisions on the development of feminist literary criticism and theory in American literary studies.

· How Provisions reshaped the canon of 19th-century American literature and the scholarly recognition of women authors of the period.

· The role of Provisions in encouraging the formation of women author societies, reading groups, and academic networks focused on 19th-century American women writers.

· Comparative analyses of Provisions alongside other feminist anthologies or critical works in the 1980s and beyond.

· Reflections on how Provisions has influenced subsequent generations of scholars, educators, and readers in their understanding of women’s writing in the 19th century. Please submit proposals of no more than 250 words to Maureen Tuthill (Maureen.tuthill@liu.edu) by January 27, 2025, with the subject line “CMSS ALA Proposal.” Include a brief biography (100 words) and specify any audio-visual or technical requirements for your presentation. For more information about the Catharine Maria Sedgwick Society, please visit cmsedgwicksociety.org