The Salzburg Seminar American Studies Association (SSASA) will hold its 12th symposium from September 27 to October 1, 2014. The session focuses on recent writing from the U.S., with a specific interest in American identity during times of technological and demographic change. Among the key issues highlighted by the conference description, several topics relevant to the field of book history and print culture stand out, as seen in this excerpt:
In addition, forms of writing, publishing and book-selling are themselves being transformed. We note the gradual disappearance of bookstores and the power of online sales, the emergence of the graphic novel, blogs which develop into books, and self-published works appearing on literary prize lists. What is the impact of these changes on literary expression and cultural liveliness in America today? Are books on paper a dying technology?
The conference is geared toward scholars of North America from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, as well as toward practitioners from the publishing industry. For more information, please visit the SSASA website or download the conference brochure.
Book History and Print Culture Network 