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Division Executive Committees

MLA divisions encompass the primary scholarly and professional concerns of the association, with each of the eighty-six divisions representing a major area of membership interest. Divisions promote scholarly and professional activities within their areas of concern. MLA members have the option of joining up to four divisions. (If you are an MLA member and wish to review or update your division affiliations, please click here.)

Each division is governed by an elected five-member executive committee. Listed here are the 2008 division executive committees. The years after the names of executive committee members are the final years of their terms. Unless otherwise noted, the member whose final year is 2009 serves as the 2008 chair, the member whose final year is 2010 serves as the 2008 secretary and 2009 chair, and the member whose final year is 2011 serves as the 2009 secretary and 2010 chair.

AMERICAN LITERATURE

American Literature to 1800 (17)
Joanna Brooks, 2008
Kristina Bross, 2009
Martin Brückner, 2010
Susan Scott Parrish, 2011
Michelle Burnham, 2012

Nineteenth-Century American Literature (18)
Sharon M. Harris, 2008 (2008 Ch.)
Eliza Richards, 2009 (2008 Sec.)
Rafia Zafar, 2010
Anna Brickhouse, 2011
Lloyd Pratt, 2012

Late-Nineteenth- and Early-Twentieth-Century American Literature (19)
Bill Brown, 2008
Gordon Hutner, 2009
Jennifer Fleissner, 2010
Donald Pease, 2011
Stephanie Foote, 2012

Twentieth-Century American Literature (20)
Thadious M. Davis, 2008
Marianne DeKoven, 2009
Shari Huhndorf, 2010
Rachel Adams, 2011
Evie Shockley, 2012

Black American Literature and Culture (76)
[position unfilled on 2008 committee]
Meta DuEwa Jones, 2009
Joycelyn K. Moody, 2010
Daylanne K. English, 2011
Michele Elam, 2012

American Indian Literatures (80)
Simon J. Ortiz, 2008
Deborah A. Miranda, 2009
Chris Teuton, 2010
Stephanie Fitzgerald, 2011
Kathryn W. Shanley, 2012

Asian American Literature (82)
Greta Ai-Yu Niu, 2008
Leslie Bow, 2009
Tina Y. Chen, 2010
Kandice Chuh, 2011
Anita Mannur, 2012

Chicana and Chicano Literature (84)
María Eugenia Cotera, 2008 (2008 Ch.)
Catherine S. Ramírez, 2009 (2008 Sec.)
Sheila Marie Contreras, 2010
John M. González, 2011
Domino Renee Perez, 2012

COMPARATIVE STUDIES

Comparative Studies in Medieval Literature (01)
Richard Utz, 2008
Seth Lerer, 2009
Suzanne Conklin Akbari, 2010 (2008 Ch.)
Sylvia Tomasch, 2011 (2008 Sec.)
Geraldine Heng, 2012

Comparative Studies in Renaissance and Baroque Literature (02)
Jane Tylus, 2008
Heather James, 2009
Gordon Teskey, 2010
Lisa Voigt, 2011
Karen Newman, 2012

Comparative Studies in Eighteenth-Century Literature (05)
Lynn Festa, 2008
Lydia H. Liu, 2009
Lisa L. Moore, 2010
Nandini Bhattacharya, 2011
Ruth Mack, 2012

Comparative Studies in Romanticism and the Nineteenth Century (03)
Kevin McLaughlin, 2008 (2008 Ch.)
[position unfilled on 2008 committee]
Emily Apter, 2010
Ellen S. Burt, 2011
Ian Balfour, 2012

Comparative Studies in Twentieth-Century Literature (04)
Margaret R. Higonnet, 2008
Marcel Cornis-Pope, 2009
Chantal Zabus, 2010
Françoise Lionnet, 2011
John Burt Foster, Jr., 2012

European Literary Relations (34)
Frederick A. de Armas, 2008
Nicoletta Pireddu, 2009
Gerald Prince, 2010
Steven Ungar, 2011
Armando Maggi, 2012

ENGLISH LITERATURE

Old English Language and Literature (21)
Andy Orchard, 2008
Carol Braun Pasternack, 2009
John M. Hill, 2010
Shari Horner, 2011
Paul Acker, 2012

Middle English Language and Literature, Excluding Chaucer (22)
Karma Lochrie, 2008
Emily Steiner, 2009
Robert S. Sturges, 2010
Frank Grady, 2011
Andrew Cole, 2012

Chaucer (23)
Elizabeth Scala, 2008
Andrew Galloway, 2009
Patricia Clare Ingham, 2010
Michael Calabrese, 2011 (2008 Sec.)
Maura Nolan, 2012

Literature of the English Renaissance, Excluding Shakespeare (24)
Susanne L. Wofford, 2008
Maureen Quilligan, 2009
Margaret P. Hannay, 2010
Jonathan Gil Harris, 2011
Natasha Korda, 2012

Shakespeare (25)
Jeffrey Masten, 2008
Lars Engle, 2009
Mary Thomas Crane, 2010
Laurie Shannon, 2011
Bruce R. Smith, 2012

Seventeenth-Century English Literature (26)
Ann Baynes Coiro, 2008
Nigel Smith, 2009
Rachel Trubowitz, 2010
Stephen B. Dobranski, 2011
Margaret Ferguson, 2012

Restoration and Early-Eighteenth-Century English Literature (27)
Ann Louise Kibbie, 2008 (2008 Ch.)
Kathryn Temple, 2009 (2008 Sec.)
Cynthia Wall, 2010
Toni Bowers, 2011
George Justice, 2012

Late-Eighteenth-Century English Literature (28)
Devoney Looser, 2008
Clifford Siskin, 2009
Janet Sorensen, 2010
Rajani Sudan, 2011
Laura J. Rosenthal, 2012

The English Romantic Period (29)
Peter J. Manning, 2008
William Galperin, 2009
Saree Makdisi, 2010
Jeffrey N. Cox, 2011
Celeste Langan, 2012

The Victorian Period (30)
Linda H. Peterson, 2008
Robert L. Patten, 2009
Ann C. Colley, 2010
Joseph Bristow, 2011
Jonah Siegel, 2012

Late-Nineteenth- and Early-Twentieth-Century English Literature (31)
Regenia Gagnier, 2008
Stephen Arata, 2009
Talia Schaffer, 2010
Janet Lyon, 2011
Mark Wollaeger, 2012

Twentieth-Century English Literature (32)
Rebecca L. Walkowitz, 2008
Patricia Laurence, 2009
Jennifer Wicke, 2010
Joseph A. Boone, 2011
Paul K. Saint-Amour, 2012

English Literature Other Than British and American (33)
P. S. Chauhan, 2008
Ifeoma C. K. Nwankwo, 2009
Waïl S. Hassan, 2010
Gaurav Desai, 2011
Faith L. Smith, 2012

FRENCH LITERATURE

French Medieval Language and Literature (51)
Jody Enders, 2008
Michelle R. Warren, 2009
Deborah McGrady, 2010
Mark Cruse, 2011
Sarah Kay, 2012

Sixteenth-Century French Literature (52)
Roberto E. Campo, 2008
Deborah Lesko Baker, 2009
Kathleen Perry Long, 2010
George Hoffmann, 2011
Virginia Krause, 2012

Seventeenth-Century French Literature (53)
Nicholas Paige, 2008
Christopher Braider, 2009
Barbara R. Woshinsky, 2010
Lewis C. Seifert, 2011
Ellen McClure, 2012

Eighteenth-Century French Literature (54)
Caroline Weber, 2008
Geoffrey Turnovsky, 2009
Tili Boon Cuillé, 2010
Susan Maslan, 2011
Diane Berrett Brown, 2012

Nineteenth-Century French Literature (55)
Adrianna M. Paliyenko, 2008
Maurice Samuels, 2009
Catherine Nesci, 2010
Daniel Desormeaux, 2011
Elisabeth Ladenson, 2012

Twentieth-Century French Literature (56)
Peter Lawrence Schulman, 2008
Adelaide M. Russo, 2009
Bella Brodzki, 2010
Katharine Conley, 2011
Eliane DalMolin, 2012

Francophone Literatures and Cultures (57)
Roseanna Dufault, 2008
Odile Cazenave, 2009
Aliko Songolo, 2010
Joëlle Vitiello, 2011
Catherine Perry, 2012

GENRE STUDIES

Drama (08)
Karen Shimakawa, 2008
Angela Pao, 2009
Elin Diamond, 2010
Ann Pellegrini, 2011
Claire Sponsler, 2012

Film (09)
Alice A. Kuzniar, 2008
Kara Keeling, 2009
Anna Everett, 2010
Nora M. Alter, 2011
Homay King, 2012

Nonfiction Prose Studies, Excluding Biography and Autobiography (10)
Laura E. Lyons, 2008
Siobhan Senier, 2009
Daniel J. Martin, 2010
M. Claire Pamplin, 2011
Linda Camarasana, 2012

Poetry (11)
Cristanne Miller, 2008
Jahan Ramazani, 2009
Susan J. Wolfson, 2010
Michael Davidson, 2011
Aldon Lynn Nielsen, 2012

Prose Fiction (12)
Judith L. Sensibar, 2008
Michelle A. Massé, 2009
Nicholas Dames, 2010
Amy J. Elias, 2011
Deborah E. McDowell, 2012

Literary Criticism (14)
N. Katherine Hayles, 2008
Hortense J. Spillers, 2009
Andrew Parker, 2010
Simon During, 2011
Michael Cobb, 2012

Methods of Literary Research (46)
Laurie A. Finke, 2008
Nancy Moore Goslee, 2009
Robin G. Schulze, 2010 (2008 Ch.)
Margaret J. M. Ezell, 2011 (2008 Sec.)
Maura Ives, 2012

Autobiography, Biography, and Life Writing (77)
Carolyn Williams, 2008
Craig Howes, 2009
Alison Booth, 2010
G. Thomas Couser, 2011
Thomas R. Smith, 2012

GERMAN LITERATURE

German Literature to 1700 (58)
Will Hasty, 2008
Sara S. Poor, 2009
Rosmarie T. Morewedge, 2010
Elio C. Brancaforte, 2011
Kathryn Starkey, 2012

Eighteenth- and Early-Nineteenth-Century German Literature (59)
Robert Tobin, 2008
Astrida Orle Tantillo, 2009
Karin Schutjer, 2010
Matt Erlin, 2011
Karin A. Wurst, 2012

Nineteenth- and Early-Twentieth-Century German Literature (60)
Kirsten Belgum, 2008
Lynne Tatlock, 2009
Irene Kacandes, 2010 (2008 Ch.)
Eric Downing, 2011 (2008 Sec.)
Peter M. McIsaac, 2012

Twentieth-Century German Literature (61)
Anton Kaes, 2008 (2008 Ch.)
Julia Hell, 2009
Lutz Koepnick, 2010
Claudia Breger, 2011
Patrizia C. McBride, 2012

HISPANIC LITERATURES

Colonial Latin American Literatures (78)
Gustavo Verdesio, 2008 (2008 Coch.)
Yolanda Martínez-San Miguel, 2009 (2008 Coch.)
Cynthia L. Stone, 2010
Eyda M. Merediz, 2011
Rocío Quispe-Agnoli, 2012

Latin American Literature from Independence to 1900 (64)
Carlos Jáuregui, 2008
Alberto Julián Pérez, 2009
Benigno Trigo, 2010
Gwen Kirkpatrick, 2011
Graciela Montaldo, 2012

Twentieth-Century Latin American Literature (65)
Jill S. Kuhnheim, 2008
Ester Gimbernat González, 2009
Roberto Ignacio Díaz, 2010
Bruno Bosteels, 2011
Michelle Clayton, 2012

Spanish Medieval Language and Literature (67)
Frank A. Dominguez, 2008
Gregory S. Hutcheson, 2009
Anthony J. Cárdenas-Rotunno, 2010
Oscar Martín, 2011
Emily C. Francomano, 2012

Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century Spanish Poetry and Prose (68)
Elizabeth R. Wright, 2008
Ricardo Padrón, 2009
Lisa Vollendorf, 2010
Elizabeth B. Davis, 2011
Nieves Romero-Díaz, 2012

Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century Spanish Drama (71)
Valerie Hegstrom, 2008
Susan Paun de Garcia, 2009
Donald R. Larson 2010
Laura R. Bass, 2011
Robert M. Shannon, 2012

Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Spanish Literature (69)
Iñigo Sánchez-Llama, 2008
Wadda C. Ríos-Font, 2009
Ruth Hill, 2010
Miriam Balboa Echeverría, 2011
Dale J. Pratt, 2012

Twentieth-Century Spanish Literature (70)
Bradley S. Epps, 2008
Ofelia Ferrán, 2009
Gema Pérez-Sánchez, 2010
Maite Zubiaurre, 2011
Sharon Keefe Ugalde, 2012

Luso-Brazilian Language and Literature (73)
Peggy L. Sharpe, 2008
Steven F. Butterman, 2009
Phillip Rothwell, 2010
Sonia Roncador, 2011
Kathryn Sanchez, 2012

INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES

Women's Studies in Language and Literature (06)
Susan S. Lanser, 2008
María Herrera-Sobek, 2009
Gayatri Gopinath, 2010 (2008 Ch.)
Lynne Huffer, 2011 (2008 Sec.)
Amelia M. L. Montes, 2012

Ethnic Studies in Language and Literature (07)
Anupama Jain, 2008
Frederick Luis Aldama, 2009
Jesse Alemán, 2010
Susan Tomlinson, 2011
Kim Martin Long, 2012

Popular Culture (13)
Joel Dinerstein, 2008
Cynthia Young, 2009
M. Thomas Inge, 2010
Eve Oishi, 2011
David R. Shumway, 2012

Anthropological Approaches to Literature (35)
Kathy Alexis Psomiades, 2008
Cannon Schmitt, 2009
Peter Logan, 2010
Nancy Bentley, 2011
Gauri Viswanathan, 2012

Linguistic Approaches to Literature (36)
K. Julia Karolle, 2008
Claiborne Rice, 2009
Craig Hamilton, 2010
Chantelle Warner, 2011
Karen C. Sherwood Sotelino, 2012

Philosophical Approaches to Literature (37)
Claudia Brodsky, 2008
Geoffrey Bennington, 2009
David L. Clark, 2010
Eleanor Kaufman, 2011
Gabriela Basterra, 2012

Psychological Approaches to Literature (38)
Esther Rashkin, 2008
Ewa Plonowska Ziarek, 2009
Graham Hammill, 2010
Lawrence D. Kritzman, 2011
Virginia L. Blum, 2012

Literature and Religion (39)
Patricia A. Ward, 2008
Susan M. Felch, 2009
E. Dennis Taylor, 2010 (2008 Ch.)
Achsah Guibbory, 2011 (2008 Sec.)
Kevin Hart, 2012

Sociological Approaches to Literature (40)
Nicholas Brown, 2008
Roderick A. Ferguson, 2009
Imre Szeman, 2010
Neferti Xina M. Tadiar, 2011
Enda Duffy, 2012

Literature and Other Arts (41)
Mark A. Reid, 2008
Linda Hutcheon, 2009
Thomas Keenan, 2010 (2008 Ch.)
Marc Weiner, 2011 (2008 Sec.)
Amitava Kumar, 2012

Literature and Science (72)
Martha Stoddard Holmes, 2008
Henry S. Turner, 2009
Laura Dassow Walls, 2010
Joseph Tabbi, 2011
Patrick Colm Hogan, 2012

Children's Literature (74)
Philip Nel, 2008
Joseph T. Thomas, Jr., 2009
Kelly Hager, 2010
U. C. Knoepflmacher, 2011
Jennifer M. Miskec, 2012

Gay Studies in Language and Literature (75)
Robert L. Caserio, 2008 (2008 Ch.)
Siobhan B. Somerville, 2009 (2008 Sec.)
Jay Grossman, 2010
Sharon P. Holland, 2011
Ricardo L. Ortíz, 2012

Disability Studies (85)
Ellen Samuels, 2008
Ann R. Keefer, 2009
Anna Mollow, 2010
Ann M. Fox, 2011 (2008 Sec.)
Susannah B. Mintz, 2012

Postcolonial Studies in Literature and Culture (86)
Elizabeth M. DeLoughrey, 2008
Susan Y. Najita, 2009 (2008 Sec.)
Deepika Bahri, 2010 (2008 Ch.)
Susan Z. Andrade, 2011
Ato Quayson, 2012

ITALIAN LITERATURE

Medieval and Renaissance Italian Literature (62)
Roberta Morosini, 2008
Daniela Boccassini Testa, 2009
Dennis Looney, 2010
Maria Galli Stampino, 2011
Christian Moevs, 2012

Seventeenth-, Eighteenth-, and Nineteenth-Century Italian Literature (63)
Tullio Pagano, 2008
Joseph Luzzi, 2009
Maria Truglio, 2010
Paola Gambarota, 2011
Clorinda Donato, 2012

Twentieth-Century Italian Literature (79)
Valerio C. Ferme, 2008
Norma Bouchard, 2009
Daniela Bini, 2010
Ernesto Livorni, 2011
Francesca Parmeggiani, 2012

LANGUAGE STUDIES

Language and Society (42)
Yelena Belyaeva-Standen, 2008
Andrea A. Lunsford, 2009
James V. Catano, 2010
Jennifer Leeman, 2011
Don Bialostosky, 2012

Language Theory (43)
Glenn Davis, 2008
David Herman, 2009
David Golumbia, 2010
José Elías-Ulloa, 2011
Roslyn Raney, 2012

Applied Linguistics (44)
Hiram H. Maxim, 2008
Julia R. Herschensohn, 2009
[position unfilled on 2008 committee]
Frank Nuessel, 2011 (2008 Sec.)
Deborah L. Arteaga, 2012

Language Change (45)
Anne Curzan, 2008
[position unfilled on 2008 committee]
Felicia Jean Steele, 2010
Michael Adams, 2011
Lisa Cohen Minnick, 2012

History and Theory of Rhetoric and Composition (81)
Morris Young, 2008
Janet M. Atwill, 2009
Peter Mortensen, 2010
Jessica Enoch, 2011
[position unfilled on 2008 committee]

OTHER LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

African Literatures (15)
Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, 2008
Mohamed Kamara, 2009
Livinus N. Odozor, 2010
Janice Spleth, 2011
Patrick K. Muana, 2012

East Asian Languages and Literatures to 1900 (16)
Laurel Rasplica Rodd, 2008
Lynne K. Miyake, 2009
Ding Xiang Warner, 2010
Yuming He, 2011
Joseph R. Allen, 2012

East Asian Languages and Literatures after 1900 (83)
John Whittier Treat, 2008
Walter K. Lew, 2009
Dennis Washburn, 2010
Ming-Bao Yue, 2011
Xiaobing Tang, 2012

Slavic and East European Literatures (66)
Tamara Trojanowska, 2008
Thomas J. Garza, 2009
Edith W. Clowes, 2010
Michael Wachtel, 2011
Jessie Labov, 2012

TEACHING

The Teaching of Language (47)
[position unfilled on 2008 committee]
H. Jay Siskin, 2009
Dan E. Davidson, 2010
Charlotte A. Melin, 2011
Stacey L. Katz, 2012

The Teaching of Literature (48)
David Scott Kastan, 2008
Alessandro Vettori, 2009
Nancy J. Peterson, 2010
Jennifer L. Holberg, 2011
John Paul Riquelme, 2012

The Teaching of Writing (49)
Pat Belanoff, 2008
Mary Boland, 2009
Krista Ratcliffe, 2010
Dale A. Larson, 2011
Donna Strickland, 2012

Teaching as a Profession (50)
Douglas Hesse, 2008
Sheila T. Cavanagh, 2009
Laura L. Behling, 2010
Vincent B. Leitch, 2011
Christine Henseler, 2012