The GL/Q Caucus of the MLA invites nominations for each of our three annual awards: the Alan Bray Memorial Book Prize, The Crompton Noll Award for Best Essay, The Michael Lynch Service Award, and a NEW award: The Audre Lorde Graduate Student Essay Award. Descriptions and instructions for the prizes are below. All nominations are due November 2, 2015.
Please circulate widely.
THE ALAN BRAY MEMORIAL BOOK AWARD
Named in honor of a scholar whose two landmark books have been profoundly influential in gay and lesbian studies, the Bray Award will be given to the best book in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer studies in literature and cultural studies, all broadly construed.
Eligibility: all books must bear a 2014 copyright date.
Deadline: all books should be received in the mail by November 2, 2015 by 6pm EST.
To nominate your own book, contact your editor and have them email Committee Chair Marcellus Blount mb33@columbia.edu.
To nominate someone else’s book, contact the author with the information in this Call for Nominations and have the author contact editor. Although direct contact from an editor is preferred, you may e-mail the nomination directly to Marcellus Blount, if necessary.
THE CROMPTON-NOLL AWARD
The Crompton-Noll Award for best essay in lesbian, gay, queer studies in the modern languages/literatures pays tribute to Louis Crompton, who passed away in 2009, and Dolores Noll (Kent State University), two early scholar/activists who helped found the gay and lesbian caucus of the MLA. The award recognizes the important work of lesbian, gay, and queer studies in the modern languages and the history that has helped make this current work possible.
Essays published between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015 may be submitted by email attachment to Committee Chair Uri McMillan umcmillan@ucla.edu no later than November 2, 2015 6pm EST.
THE MICHAEL LYNCH SERVICE AWARD
This award serves not only to honor an LGBTQ academic activist every year, but also, in Eve Sedgwick’s words, “to publicize and celebrate—and as widely as possible—the range, the forms, the energy, and the history of queer activism by academics.” Michael Lynch wanted to honor those whose activism is academic in context but not limited to work for the Caucus or Division. This activism might consist of activities including (but not limited to) direct service to, or administrative advocacy on behalf of, LGBTQ students; action that results in non-discrimination clauses in contracts; working to establish domestic partner benefits, awareness of transgender issues in housing and health services, or other LGBTQ-friendly campus policies; facilitating connections between campus and LGBTQ community activists; or other forms of campus, public, or media activism. Lynch also wanted the award to offer a way that, in Eve Sedgwick’s words, “the achievements and struggles of each of the generations of lesbian/gay scholars who are currently active could become more visible to the others.”
Nominations for this award, including a summary of the nominee’s qualifications, may be submitted to Committee Chair Melissa Gonzalez megonzalez@davidson.edu no later than November 2, 2015 at 6pm EST.
NEW AWARD THE AUDRE LORDE GRADUATE STUDENT ESSAY AWARD
This award, named in honor of the scholar, warrior, mother, activist, and writer Audre Lorde, honors the best graduate student paper presented at the MLA convention. Papers should be submit to the GLQ Executive Committee President Shanté Paradigm Smalls smallss@stjohns.edu by December 31, 2015 at 6pm EST.
PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY.
Winners will be announced at the GL/Q Caucus off-site party during the MLA Convention in Austin, TX (January 7-10, 206). Winners will later be posted on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Glqcaucus.
I hope to see you there!
Shanté
President, GL/Q Caucus of the MLA Executive Committee
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