CFP: 42nd Annual Appalachian Studies Conference, March 14-17, 2019 (10/9 deadline)

Katherine Ledford Announcement
Location
North Carolina, United States
Subject Fields
American History / Studies, Area Studies, Cultural History / Studies, Rural History / Studies, Humanities

42nd Annual Appalachian Studies Conference: AppalachA'ville

March 14-17, 2019

University of North Carolina at Asheville

Proposal deadline: Oct 9, 2018

The 42nd Annual ASA Conference will explore the theme “AppalachA’ville” by looking at the larger region of Appalachia through the experiences of our cities and financial centers. Special sessions of the conference invite participants to explore the tensions around maintaining sustainable urban development alongside rural culture and history. What does it mean to be a vibrant twenty-first century city in the traditionally rural region of Appalachia? Is there a difference between being an Appalachian city and a city in Appalachia? How can the region’s population centers grow to provide jobs for residents while preserving and protecting the environment? How does a city retain its regional cultural identity while marketing itself as a place that tourists want to visit and businesses want to set up shop? In short, how do we engage with communities to be more inclusive and supportive and at the same time sustain our cultural roots, our landscape, our values? How does a city or town innovate in ways that enhance the life of the region? Bring your interests, your curiosity, your expertise and experience to the conference and explore AppalachA’ville with us.

The 2019 Program Committee invites proposals for panels, papers, posters, community conversations, performances, or workshops. Papers and posters should feature original unpublished work in progress. The deadline for proposals is October 9, 2018.

ASA returns to Asheville after 27 years, and for the first time ever, the conference will be held on the University of North Carolina Asheville’s (UNCA) campus. UNC Asheville is one of the nation's top public liberal arts universities and one of the 17 institutions in the University of North Carolina system (https://www.unca.edu/about/mission-unc-asheville). The city of Asheville is in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with easy access to the Appalachian Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and breathtaking waterfalls. Aside from the natural beauty of the region, Asheville is noted by publications such as Condé Nast and Lonely Planet for its unique food scene, vibrant music, and microbreweries.

Contact Information
Katherine E. Ledford, PhDAssociate Professor of Appalachian Studies
Center for Appalachian Studies
Appalachian State University
 
Contact Email
ledfordke@appstate.edu