Invigorated by animated discussions about research, teaching, literature, linguistics and careers in and outside of the academy, several thousand Humanities scholars braved the snow and frigid temperature to gather in New York City for the annual convention of the Modern Language Association (MLA).
Dr. Diana Taylor, president of MLA said that this year’s theme #StatesofInsecurity focused on how the humanities can offer strategies for navigating the crises of our time and look at how institutions of learning are important players in this struggle.
In the session “Literature, Race and Violence,” three scholars presented information about aspects of their research, which center on works of literature that examine aspects of race and violence. Dr. Debali Mookerjea-Leonard, associate professor of English at James Madison University, presented a story that spotlighted India’s caste system. While it is possible tofactually discuss issues of racism, classism and devastation, Mookerjea-Leonard said that literature has the power to affect people at a deeper level.
“Literature presents it in a sensitive way that brings out the texture of the pain,” said Mookerjea-Leonard. “Statistics create ripples…but writers create impact because we can empathize with the pain. Literature is a very good vehicle for understanding the pain of others, the pain of the marginalized.”
She said recent student evaluations have showed an increased desire to learn more about South Asia. Even students who come from homogeneous upbringings have shown an interest in learning about diverse cultures, noting that literature has sparked deep classroom discussions.
For many attendees, the MLA Convention was about more than simply seeing familiar colleagues and hearing about new research. There was a sense of connecting and looking at how humanities professionals in and out of academia can propel words and scholarship in resistance to the current political climate.
“A lot of useful things that came out of this conference had to do with pedagogy and feeling the need as a teacher to do a better job,” said Dr. Mark Jerng, associate professor of English at University of California Davis, who teaches critical race studies, genre fiction, fantasy and science fiction. “Doing a better job of outwardly facing with the kinds of debates and questions that are going on.”
