Call for Papers—“Irreverence, Rebellion, and Resilience”:

The Mark Twain Circle at Elmira’s Tenth International Conference on the State of Mark Twain Studies, July 30-August 1, 2026

The Mark Twain Circle invites proposals (developed abstracts of 250-500 words plus a brief biography) for two panels of 20-minute papers on topics below.

(1) “Arrogance, Autocrats, and Corruption: Mark Twain Critiques the American Political Landscape.”

(2) “Beyond the Page: Adaptations, Sequels, and (Re)Visions of Mark Twain’s Writings,” with a focus on recent works.

The Circle also invites proposals for a roundtable (5-minute presentations or position statements followed by moderated conversation) on the following topic:

(3) “A Mark Twain Studies Wish List: Under-studied, Overlooked, and Persistent Critical and Biographical Questions in Mark Twain Scholarship.”

Early-career scholars and graduate students are encouraged to submit. All presenters must be current members of the Mark Twain Circle, which expects to have some funds to support participation by un(der)funded presenters.

Proposals are due February 15, 2026 to Circle president Judith Yaross Lee <le**@**io.edu>, who will forward them to the chair of each panel (TBD). Decisions will be communicated in time for proposals that cannot be accommodated in the Circle’s panels to be resubmitted to the Center for Mark Twain Studies in time for its general-submission deadline of February 20.