Last year I directed a conference here at Cortland, the Central NY Conf on Language and Literature.  It had been run here for many years, and I took it on in the middle of the year when the previous director decided to step down.  I took the position because there was a sense in the department that they wanted the conference to continue, but no one else was really interested in doing it (it was too much work).

I tried to make the compensation for the conference greater by arguing for a stipend for the director. I got the stipend and directed the conference. It was a lot of work. However I did get to meet some interesting folks, including Victor Vitanza, who was the keynote speaker. However, in the end I felt the conference really wasn’t for me. It’ s a fairly random cross-section of panels, like a mini MLA, and while some participants said they liked learning about things going on in fields other than their own, I just felt I would be more interested in directing a more focused conference.

So now I am looking to put together a small conference for early in 2006. Essentially, I am thinking of something in the area of new media rhetoric, and I have in mind some the issues I read on my colleague’s blogs. I’d like to collaborate with some folks on coming up with a slightly more focused theme, perhaps a question that we might all consider.

Mostly I have thought about a structure for the conference. In thinking of a small conference, I am imagining something like 30 participants. We could exchange papers prior to the conference, thus obviating the need for formal conference presentations. Instead, we could have a series of roundtable discussions and some workshops. Thus allowing us to use the time of the conference for a productive exchange of ideas. I know there are some conferences that work this way. I’ve just never attended one.

I’ve also thought about the idea of holding the conference at Cortland’s Adirondack camp at Raquette Lake. I go up there once or twice a year with students. It’s a little rustic in that you are sleeping camp style on bunk beds (bring your own sleeping bag). It’s totally remote. You walk across an ice bridge to get there. Food is provided but everyone takes turns doing KP. Most cel phones don’t work. In other words, it ain’t a hotel.

However, the setting is amazing, even in winter. It’s so quiet. You can go snow shoeing or cross-country skiing. There’s a sauna, and they cut a whole in the lake ice… quite invigorating. Of course, the camp has all the high-tech amenities: wireless connectivity everyone.

What you get is a very intense experience. There’s no slinking off from the conference (unless you disapppear down a cross-country ski trail). We’d have to come up with some evening social activity. Otherwise though, it’s an opportunity to really focus on something.

We’ll see.

document.getElementById(“plaa”).style.visibility=”hidden”;document.getElementById(“plaa”).style.display=”none”;