Introduction: Testing Times for American Studies

In the light of two recent calls for papers received by our office, it seems that American Studies is in a highly transitional state. The first, for a session at MLA 2016 in the “Ecocriticism and Environmental Humanities” division, solicits contributions on “After Transnational American Studies,” with subject-areas covering “transnationality, Americanity, globality, planetarity, empire and/or the anthroposcene” “CFP: After Transnational.” These categories seem especially intriguing, not so much for what they cover as for what they omit

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  • “Call for Papers: Special Issue of American Literature ‘Pedagogy: Critical Practices for a Changing World.’” Americanists.psu.edu. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
  • “CFP: After Transnational American Studies” (MLA 2016). Ecocriticism and Environmental Humanities Discussion Group, MLA.org. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.