Elmira 2022: The Ninth International Conference on the State of Mark Twain Studies

Growth: The Most Rigorous Law of Our Being

“What is the most rigorous law of our being? Growth.”
Mark Twain, from “Consistency,” a paper read in Hartford in 1887 (RPT CTSS1, 909).

Thursday, August 4 to Saturday, August 6, 2022

Established in 1989, the Center for Mark Twain Studies “International Conference on the State of Mark Twain Studies” is the oldest and largest gathering devoted to all things Twain. During times so turbulent and uncertain as to require that that the quadrennial conference on the State of Mark Twain Studies be postponed by a year, the theme of change and growth “speaks to our condition,” as the Quakers say.

The conference will be held from Thursday, August 4 to Saturday, August 6, 2022 on the campus of Elmira College in Elmira, New York. An important focus of the conference will be scholarly discussion of the study of Mark Twain and how the field might grow and change in response to changing conditions in the world, in the academy, and in the field of Mark Twain Studies.

In addition to scholarly presentations, the conference will have events that provide contexts for Mark Twain and his life in Elmira, and will also feature a keynote by Jimmy Santiago Baca, an award-winning writer for whom Twain has been an important influence. Mr. Baca’s keynote is tentatively titled “A Sense of Twain.” (Photos of Jimmy Santiago Baca courtesy of Lonnie J. Anderson)

*David Bianculli (left) and Mark Dawidziak*

Conference attendees will also have the opportunity to attend a special multi-media presentation by two nationally-known and respected television critics David Bianculli (NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross, Rowan University, and www.TVWorthWatching.com) and Mark Dawidziak (recently retired from Cleveland’s Plain Dealer and Kent State University). They will be examining a number of portrayals of Mark Twain on both the big and small screen with humor and wit in “All The Twain’s Meet: The Film and TV Portrayals.”

Important Dates and Deadlines

~~Paper and panel proposal deadline – Friday, February 11, 2022~~
~~Decisions deadline – Friday, March 11, 2022~~
Conference registration begins – Monday, March 14, 2022
Conference registration deadline – Friday, July 15, 2022
Elmira 2022 Conference – Thursday, August 4 to Saturday, August 6, 2022

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION AND ELMIRA COLLEGE LODGING

Conference and Housing Fees

The registration fee for Elmira 2022 – including all breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, special receptions, and programs is:

Full Conference Registration – $375
Daily Rate – $140

PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU REGISTER

CMTS will refund 100% of your registration and lodging fees if requested 7 days before Elmira 2022. (Thursday, July 28 is the last day to request and receive a refund)
ALL MEIER HALL ROOMS HAVE BEEN RESERVED. However, you can still register for the conference with the link below.
Please be aware that Meier Hall is a dormitory, not a professional hotel setting. Most rooms come with two beds and share a common bathroom. The rooms in Meier Hall are clean, air-conditioned, but simple and austere. Past Elmira quadrennial conference attendees have affectionally called this option “Mark Twain Summer Camp.”
Meier Hall rooms are charged by the room, not the number of people in them. It is up to the discretion of each attendee if they want to share their room with another person. As a result, two people sharing a room only need to reserve one room, however each person must register for the conference separately.
Elmira College will provide bedding and a pillow for each bed.
Conference attendees staying in Meier Hall are encouraged to bring comfort items and a light blanket since the August nights might get chilly.
Conference attendees are not required to lodge at Elmira College. There are many other hotel options in the Elmira, Horseheads, and Corning areas.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR ELMIRA 2022