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UAFS Hosts 51st Annual Meeting of Arkansas Philological Association
The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith will welcome academics, scholars, and students from across the region Nov. 8-9, 2024, for the 51st annual meeting of the Arkansas Philological Association (APA).
This year’s conference theme, “Food and Culture,” will feature research presentations and panel discussions examining food’s role across literature, culture, and society, exploring topics from culinary traditions and food politics to the cultural symbolism of food in media.
The event will kick off Friday with registration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Boreham Library breezeway and a series of afternoon panel sessions on the second floor. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience 15 unique panels, and hear from more than 40 presenters from institutions across the state, including nearly a dozen faculty experts from UAFS.
Key panels include “Food and the Victorians,” “Food and Horror,” “Food in Early British Literature,” and “Food, Culture, and the South,” offering insights into how food intersects with literary themes, societal norms, and historical narratives.
Highlighting the conference will be a keynote lecture by Dr. Cammie Sublette, a professor and Title III SIP Grant director at UAFS, whose research spans food studies and cultural representations in film and literature.
Sublette, who co-edited Devouring Cultures: Perspectives on Food, Power, and Identity from the Zombie Apocalypse to Downton Abbey, will speak on “Food Studies and Cultural Representation” Friday at 5 p.m. in Windgate 107. A reception will follow at the Bakery District in downtown Fort Smith, providing an informal setting for attendees to discuss the day’s sessions and network.
Saturday’s events include morning panels, the APA business meeting, and more themed sessions such as “Politics and Food,” “Food on Screen,” and “Teaching and Food.” The conference will conclude Saturday afternoon with discussions on food insecurity, food sovereignty, and cultural identity related to food.