Arts , Humanities & Social Science

Abstract

“Professorial Tourism:  Reflections on Examples” examines conferences that combine scholarly presentations with tourist activities that are organized by the conference itself.  These are distinct from conferences where tourist activities are simply an aspect of the city or country where the conference is held.  Particular attention is paid to the annual Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference (F&Y) and to the triennial meetings of the International Association of University Professors of English (IAUPE), with comments as well on the Willa Cather Conference (WCC) and the Dickens Project (DP).  Discussion centers 1) on the reasons cities and institutions (colleges and universities) choose to host these conferences and 2) on the divergent needs of the three groups of attendees:  scholars, general readers, and accompanying persons (usually spouses/partners).  The discussion also draws on my personal experiences as a frequent attendee at F&Y and IAUPE. The article concludes with a speculation about what the future holds for these conferences and similar conferences, as the authors on which they focus cease to be contemporaries of the attendees.