Civil Rights, Social Justice, and the Midwest

Milwaukee in the 1960s and 1970s was a key site for civil rights marches, particularly around the open housing movement. From 1897 through much of the 20th Century, the city was governed by a succession of Socialist mayors, elected on their platform of practical, "sewer socialism." And Wisconsin itself and its Midwestern neighbors have long been home to experiments inintentional community.

We encourage papers, panels, presentations and performances on literary, political, social, and architectural aspects of the civil rights struggle, intentional communities, and practical socialism with a Midwestern focus for the 2010 conference. We also welcome papers on other aspects of the utopian tradition - from the earliest utopian visions to the utopian speculations and yearnings of the 21st century, including art, architecture, urban and rural planning, literary utopias, dystopian writings, utopian political activism, theories of utopian spaces and ontologies, music, new media, or intentional communities.

*     *     *

Milwaukee has a rich array of museums, restaurants, theaters, parks, and universities for conference attendees to visit. The city boasts the first U.S. commission by Santiago Calatrava, at the world-class Milwaukee Art Museum; Frank Lloyd Wright buildings; an excellent opera company; microbreweries galore; award-winning chefs; 19th Century beer baron mansions; Lake Michigan, and more.

Please send a 100-250 word abstract by June 1, 2010 to:

Brian Greenspan
Department of English
1812 Dunton Tower
Carleton University
1125 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6

Or e-mail submissions to: brian_greenspan@carleton.ca (please put "sus submission" in the subject line). As you submit your abstract, please indicate if you have any scheduling restrictions, audiovisual needs (overhead projector; DVD/VHS player), special needs, or a need for a written letter of acceptance of your proposal.

For information about registration, travel or accommodations, please contact the Conference Coordinator, Peter Sands, at: sands@UWM.EDU

Past Meeting Programs & Minutes

34th Annual Meeting in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina 2009 Program

33rd Annual Meeting in Portland: Maine 2008 Program

32nd Annual Meeting in Toronto, Ontario: 2007 Program

31th Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado: 2006 Program

30th Annual Meeting in Memphis, Tennessee: 2005 Program

29th Annual Meeting in Toronto, Ontario: 2004 Program

28th Annual Meeting in San Diego, California: 2003

27th annual meeting in Orlando, Florida: 2002 Program and 2002 Minutes

26th Annual Meeting in Buffalo, NY: 2001 Program and  2001 Minutes

25th Annual Meeting in Vancouver, B.C.: 2000 Program and  2000 Minutes

24th Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX: 1999 Minutes

Society for Utopian Studies Conferences

2009 Wrightsville Beach: Peter Stillman; Claire Curtis

2008 Portland: Naomi Jacobs; Shelton Waldrep

2007 Toronto: Peter Fitting; Phillip Wegner

2006 Colorado Springs: Brenda Tooley; Carrie Hintz

2005 Memphis: Jennifer Wagner-Lawlor; Doretta Cornell

2004 Toronto: Peter Fitting; Alex MacDonald

2003 San Diego: Paul Majkut; Naomi Jacobs

2002 Orlando: John Barberet; Peter Sands

2001 Buffalo: Lynda Schneekloth; Phillip Wegner

2000 Vancouver: Nancy Sloan Goldberg; Andrea Anderson

1999 San Antonio: Alex MacDonald; Peter Fitting

1997 Memphis: Jennifer Wagner; Peter Fitting

1996 Nashville: Nancy Sloan Goldberg

1995 Toronto: June Deery; Mickey Abrash; Peter Fitting

1994 Toronto: Kenneth Roemer; Peter Fitting

1993 St. Louis: Lyman Tower Sargent; Naomi Jacobs

1992 Baltimore: Carol Kolmerten

1991 Las Vegas: Felicia F. Campbell

1990 Lexington, KY: Susan Matarese

1989 Asilomar Conference Ctr.: Samson Knoll

1988 Emerson College: Lynn Williams

1987 Penn State Delaware County: Carol Farley Kessler

Pacific Grove, CA: Dennis Rohatyn

1986 Asilomar Conference Ctr.: Samson Knoll; Michael Orth

1985 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: Mickey Abrash

1984 University of Missouri-St Louis: Lyman Tower Sargent

1983 Indiana University of Pennsylvania: Edward D. Wilson

1982 University of New Brunswick: William Prouty

1981 Virginia Polytechnic Institute: Nicholas Smith

1980 Pennsylvania State University: Arthur O. Lewis

1979 University of Colorado-Denver: Michael Cummings

1978 Pennsylvania State University: Arthur O. Lewis

1977 University of Michigan: Gorman Beauchamp; Alexandra Aldridge

1976 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: Mickey Abrash