Welcome to the Fall 2000 edition of NewsNotes
In this issue:
- A message from the President, Bonnie Tu-Smith
- Call for MELUS 2000 proposals
- Conference 2001
- Annual MLA Dinner
- Announcements
- MELUS Cookbook
- MELUS Officers
- Application for membership
In addition to several announcements, you will find in this issue of NewsNotes information about the 2001 MELUS conference in Knoxville, Tennessee, as well as notes on other recent (and future) events.
If you have ideas for ways to enlarge our Table of Contents, send suggestions to: Dr. Katharine Rodier, Associate Professor of English, Marshall University, 400 Hal Greer Blvd., Huntington WV 25755-2646, rodier@marshall.edu. Monica García Brooks, our Technical Editor, has outlined subscription information for future issues. If you would prefer to receive NewsNotes in print copy or in another format, please let us know.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
A Brief Report on the MELUS-Europe conference at Orléans, France
from Bonnie TuSmith, MELUS PresidentThe second MELUS-Europe conference took place June 22-25, 2000, at Université d’Orléans. Throughout the conference each keynoter—Sterling Stuckey, Robert Lee, Karla Holloway, Wolfgang Binder—contributed his/her substantial knowledge, wit, and unique perspective on aspects of the theme, “Europe and the United States: Comparative Ethnic Literatures.” Two other originally scheduled speakers, Barbara Christian and Lisa Lowe, were unable to attend—we certainly felt their loss.
Panel presentations and discussions were consistently engaging. In response to the comparativist call of the conference, the 23 concurrent sessions throughout the conference offered a variety of cross-cultural, multi-text analyses. In this respect, scholars used to studying one ethnic literature met the challenge of studying texts from one or more other ethnic tradition(s) as well.
A highlight of the conference was the Friday night banquet at Chateau de Meung sur Loire. The stark contrast between the beautiful grounds and the eerie bone-strewn dungeons culminated in an exquisite 5-course meal in the historical castle. In consonance with the MELUS family spirit, conference convener Professor Dominique Marcais and the interim MELUS-Europe Executive Board successfully hosted a memorable and enjoyable event.
In the afterglow of our “MELUS night out,” it was with great distress that present and former MELUS officers and journal editors at the conference—including John Lowe, Joe Skerrett, Veronica Makowsky, Amritjit Singh, Cheng Lok-Chua, and I—learned later that MELUS-Europe was soon to become MESEA (Multi-Ethnic Studies Europe and America). Without prior warning, the interim leaders of our affiliate society had decided to change its identity and become an entirely new entity. This caught all of us from the US by surprise. As indicated in its acronym, MESEA is a broadly-construed organization that does not identify literature as its field of study. While President Alfred Hornung assured us that the new society would like to maintain close ties with MELUS, this turn of events mandates a reassessment of our future relationship. The MELUS Executive Committee will discuss the issue at our business meeting during this year’s MLA convention.
NOTE: If anyone would like to look into what happened to MELUS-Europe, I have a substantial letter from Professor Hornung explaining the Europeans’ rationale for MESEA. Please contact me for further information.
CALL FOR PROPOSALS—MELUS 2002 and MELUS 2003
As plans for the MELUS 2001 conference are well under way (please see announcement in this issue of NewsNotes), the Executive Committee would like to invite proposals from MELUS members for hosting MELUS 2002 and MELUS 2003. Please submit a 1-2 page proposal to Professor Bonnie TuSmith, MELUS President, English Department, 406 Holmes, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115 (email: btusmith@hotmail.com). Hosting our annual national/international conference requires team effort as well as institutional support (an average of $10,000 in funding—depending on the program). In addition to the MELUS Executive Committee, the MELUS Conference Advisory Committee (consisting of 3 recent conference conveners) will also assist the hosting institution throughout the conference planning process. So if you’re interested in throwing a “party,” we’d love to come! [Please submit your proposal—or at least indicate your interest—by December 1, 2000.]
CONFERENCE 2001
THE 15TH ANNUAL MELUS 2001 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
RADISSON SUMMIT HILL HOTEL
Knoxville, Tennessee
PH: 865/522-2600 FAX: 865/523-7200
March 1-4, 2001The Society for the Study of Multiethnic Literatures of the United States will hold its 15th annual conference in Knoxville, Tennessee, March 1-4, 2001. The MELUS 2001 International Conference will be hosted by Knoxville College. Vice President of Academic Affairs Ron Bailey will preside as convener and Professor Donna Sherwood of the English Department will chair the conference steering committee.
Conference Theme:
The theme of the conference is “Taking Stock of Multiethnic Literatures.” Gaining recognition for the study of U.S. ethnic literatures and cultures has been an ongoing struggle built upon personal commitment and honest and open dialogue. The first wave of this revolution involved putting neglected authors and works in print and making room for all populations within our institutions. This immensely important work of establishing and defining the field will continue for the foreseeable future. The second wave must be equally passionate and ongoing: assessing the value of these texts and sharing our judgments about them through our roles as teachers, scholars, students, activists, writers and readers.We invite paper abstracts and complete panel, workshop, and roundtable proposals on all aspects of multiethnic literatures of the United States, but especially ones that discuss or engage in evaluation—of texts, authors, traditions, ideas, pedagogies, institutions, hierarchies, policies, methods, theories, styles, and so forth. Some questions to consider (but not be limited by):
The deadline for receipt of abstracts and proposals is NOVEMBER 10, 2000.
- What constitutes “great” or “significant” multiethnic texts and why?
- Who determines literary value today—editors, teachers, students, the reading public?
- How important is a shared tradition? To whom and why? When a homogenous culture cannot be taken for granted, what can take its place?
- With the proliferation of diverse texts for study, are common criteria possible?
- When the primary goal is greater inclusiveness, is evaluation desirable?
- Does opening up the canon promote the deterioration of standards? If not, why has the charge gained currency?
- Assuming that literary standards are still necessary, how do we go about establishing them?
- Is postmodernism about eliminating all standards and judgments?
All abstracts and proposals should be 300-400 words, double-spaced, 10” or 12” font.
Please include full contact information and mail or fax to:Prof. Donna Sherwood, Chair
MELUS 2001 Conference Steering Committee
English Department, Knoxville College
901 Knoxville College Drive
Knoxville, TN 37921
Phone (865) 524-6665
Fax (865) 524-6631
Email: sherwood@utkux.utcc.utk.edu
ANNUAL MLA DINNER
6:30 p.m. Friday, December 29, 2000
Program begins at 8:00 p.m.Mamma Ayesha's
1967 Calvert St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009
(202) 232-5431
Host: Mr. Samir HawaLocation: Adams Morgan Section of D.C.: Across the Ellington Bridge from the Sheraton and within walking distance from the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel--the English language and literature hotel this year. We will have our own space in the restaurant.
Dinner: Middle Eastern food served family style (menu includes meat, vegetarian, and low fat items as appetizers and entrees).
Cost: $35 per person. This price includes food, beverage (non-alcoholic), tax and tip.
Program: 2000 Lifetime Achievement Awardee: Helen Barolini, author, Umbertina, Love in the Middle Ages, Chiaro/Scuro; editor, The Dream Book.
Literary Reading: Wendy Law-Yone, Burmese/American writer and author of Irrawaddy Tango, a novel (Knopf, 1994), The Coffin Tree, a novel (Knopf, 1983) and more.
Dinner Registration Form
Fill out your reservation form and mail it in with your check by December 10, 2000. Checks for $35 should be made payable to MELUS and sent to:
Avis Kuwahara Payne, MELUS Treasurer
P.O. Box 562
Las Cruces, NM 88004-0562
akpayne@zianet.com
Member Name ________________________________________Address: _________________________________________
City: ____________________ State ____ Zip __________
Phone/Fax/Email _________________________________________
Number attending dinner _____________
Check total ____________
SPACE IS LIMITED SO REGISTER EARLY
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALL FOR MELUS PARTICIPATIONMELUS will have two sessions at the American Literature Association Annual Conference
May 24-27, 2001Location: Hyatt Regency Cambridge
575 Memorial Drive
Cambridge MA 02139Please send a 250-500 word paper proposal and a line or two of bio to be received (regular mail, email, or fax) by December 15, 2000. Paper topics are purposely left open for MELUS members. In broad terms, we are interested in fresh perspectives on one or more ethnic American works—including papers with a cross-cultural or interdisciplinary focus. Whether critical, theoretical, or pedagogical, as long as the study reflects the mission of MELUS, we are willing to take a look. There are only 6-8 possible slots so give us your best.
Send proposals toMELUS Sessions at 2000 MLA Convention
Professor Fred Gardaphe
Dept. of European Languages
SUNY at Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY 11794-3359
Office fax: (631) 632-9612
Email: Fgardaphe@notes.cc.sunysb.eduThursday, 29 December, 12 noon-1:15 p.m. 221.
"Ethnic Communities and Urban Spaces," Park Tower Suite 8217, Marriott Wardman Park.Presider: Bonnie TuSmithSaturday, 30 December, 10:15–11:30 a.m. 754.
Speakers: Reginald Scott Young, Jaye T. Darby, Mary Paniccia Carden
The “New Negro” Away from Harlem, Park Tower Suite 8218, Marriott Wardman Park.Presiding: Amritjit Singh, Rhode Island Coll.
1. “Paul Robeson: An Image of the ‘New Negro,’” Marcy L. Tanter, Tarleton State Univ.
2. "Southern Sisters of the New Negro Renaissance,” Katharine Capshaw Smith, Florida Intl. Univ.
From Mary Thomas, csega@marsall.edu
The Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Gender in Appalachia at Marshall University invites humanities scholars to apply for a resident fellowship funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. Proposals must fit our focus, which is to examine the intersection of gender, ethnicity, and region (Appalachian) with a primary goal of developing a research database to undergrid paradigms that encompass multiple aspects of identity.
Candidates should have the doctorate or equivalent professional experience. Awards will be a maximum stipend of $17,5000 per semester, housing stipend, travel allowance, and health benefits. Complete applications, including letters of reference, are due by February 15, 2001 for a fellowship in the fall 2001 or spring 2002.
For information contact:
Mary Thomas, CSEGA,
400 Hal Greer Blvd.,
Huntington, WV 25755
csega@marsall.edu or visit our website at http://www.marshall.edu/csega.
From Venetria K. Patton, vpatton1@unl.edu
The African American and African Studies Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Presents: Bridging the African Diaspora In the New Millennium: An Interdisciplinary Symposium
February 23-24, 2001 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Keynote Speakers: Molefi Asante, Ron Daniels, Carole Boyce Davies, Guerin Montilus, and Filomena Chioma Steady.The African presence in Asia, Europe, and the Americas is not a recent phenomenon. The international dimension of the African presence in world history reflects commonalties and discontinuities in the histories and worldviews of African people in the Diaspora. This dynamic, continuous, and complex phenomenon also reveals the voluntary and involuntary dispersion of Africans throughout history, the emergence of a cultural identity based on origin and social condition, and the physical or psychological return to the African homeland.
The conference planning committee welcomes all submissions from a broad spectrum of disciplines, including African American studies, African studies, agriculture, anthropology, archeology, architecture, art and art history, communication, dance, education, geography, health, history, journalism, literature, music, politics, psychology, religion, sociology, theatre, women’s studies, and rural and urban studies. The goal of the committee is to attract a wide range of scholars, students, activists, and professionals to converse about various aspects of the Diaspora.
Panel presentations might explore topics on:
Popular Culture, including film, music, and political cartoons
Status of Diaspora Relations: Retrospective & Prospective
Representations of Blackness: Permanence & Change in the African Continuum
Diaspora Studies in the New Millennium Social Responsibility to the Profession
Democracy, Human Rights, and the African Diaspora
Gender Issues in the African Diaspora
National Summit on AfricaIndividual proposals and panel submissions are encouraged. Interested contributors should submit proposals of 150-200 words plus a brief resume by October 12, 2000. Submissions may be sent by mail, fax, or email attachment to :
Professor Venetria K. PattonQuestions regarding the conference may be directed to Dr. Patton at (402) 472-0249. Thank you for your interest and please share this call for papers with other interested scholars, students, activists, and professionals. Please see the conference website for additional information. http://www.unl.edu/unlies/symposium/symposium.html
African American and African Studies
University of Nebraska
420 University Terrace
Lincoln, NE 68588-0688
Fax: (402) 472-0531
Email: vpatton1@unl.eduFrom Batya Weinbaum, batyawein@csuohio.edu or batyawein@aol.com
I am proposing a Multicultural Lit, Multiethnic Lit of the US, or Ethnic Lit concentration to my Dept of English where I work as an assistant professor. Can anyone help by sharing known existing models for such an idea currently at work elsewhere? Or by sharing your experience in setting one up? Various issues have emerged--can it be departmentally based; how many courses outside of the dept might be required as core or allowed; whether it should be global/postcolonial or just US ethnic; whether courses on pure culture or psychology of prejudice, separate from lit, can be included; whether such a minor might stifle further directions of an interdsciplinary studies program of multiculturalism in general and hence would be negative as an initial step in a conservative environment; or might it feed into launching a broader university-wide curriculum development?
FEMSPEC is looking for some writing by Native American women writers who challenge gender through speculative techniques--science fiction, magical realism, mythical "tribal realism," surrealism, etc. We have organized a special issue which we think will be a useful contribution to the field, but it is heavily weighted towards criticism. We would like more art, poetry and fiction as well. Does anyone have any leads for us to follow up on, or could you spread the word?
From Anita P. Hodges, PhD, anitah@hawaii.edu
A SEMESTER ALMOST ABROAD wishes to update you and your students regarding opportunities for students to enhance their academic experience through the University of Hawaii's specialized curriculum and multicultural environment. Because of its unique geographic location and history of Asian/Pacific Island immigration, the University of Hawaii` has evolved an unparalleled Asian/Pacific curriculum. We currently teach over 450 courses with specific Asian/Pacific focus, including 19 Asian languages.
Students from elite private colleges as well as those from state universities and smaller colleges have supplemented their academic experience by participating in the A SEMESTER ALMOST ABROAD program. Courses unavailable at their home institutions and experiences unique to Hawaii's ethnic diversity have earned high praise from students who have attend this program. In addition, students have traveled to the neighbor islands on course-sponsored or wilderness-type trips to explore Hawaii's volcanos or observe ocean and Pacific Island eco-systems. Dorm space and meal plans are available for participating students, and ASAA students are free to enroll in any course offered at UH.
If you have students who you believe would benefit from additional exposure to the richness of Asia and Pacific cultures, A Semester ALMOST Abroad will provide a stimulating option within their academic program. Additional information regarding this unique program is available on the A Semester ALMOST Abroad website located at http://www.hawaii.edu/almost/ or via email at anitah@hawaii.edu.
Anita P. Hodges, PhD
University of Hawai`i at Manoa
College of Arts & Humanities
John A. Burns Hall 4030
1601 East-West Road
Honolulu, HI 96848-1601
Phone: (808) 956-6052;
FAX: (808) 956-9085
Email: anitah@hawaii.edu
From Batya Weinbaum, batyawein@csuohio.edu or batyawein@aol.com
I would like to announce the publication of my book which started out as a dissertation with Dr. Joseph T. Skerrett, Jr. at UMass Amherst in the American Studies Program. Margo Culley, another MELUS member, was on the committee. The book, called Islands of Women and Amazons: Representations and Realities, just came out from U of Texas Press. It can be shipped in 24 hours from amazon.com, and contains photographs of popular art in Mexico in contrast to traditional glyphs. It might especially interest those who are exploring the changing representations of gender in Fourth World art.
The book jacket states: "From the beginning, myths have told of women who lived apart from men-the Sirens who sang on the Aegean rocks, the Amazons of the Brazilian jungle, the self-reproducing women on islands in Polynesia, to mention only a few. As this theme emerged in her own fiction, Batya Weinbaum became intrigued by its persistence across time and cultures and began tracing it in literature and mythology, as well as in actual locales that are or were said to be islands of women. In this fascinating, interdisciplinary book, she explores how the myth of Amazons has served varying psychological needs in different cultures over time. Weinbaum first analyzes various historical interpretations and uses of the Amazon archetype, some designed to empower women, others created by men to disempower them. She next turns to the original Greek context, in Homer's epics and other aspects of Greek culture, and then traces how Amazons eventually evolved into negative representations of paganism. Moving from Rodriguez de Montalvo's fifteenth-century Sergas de Esplandian, which imagined an island of women in the New World, Weinbaum concludes with revealing fieldwork she conducted on Isla Mujeres (Island of Women) off the Yucatan Peninsula, which included giving birth with the participation of a native Maya midwife."
From: Nathalie Handal, NatalyaH@compuserve.com
The Poetry of Arab Women: A Contemporary Anthology edited by Nathalie Handal, published by Interlink, Massachusetts, ISBN 1-56656-374-7 $20, To order contact www.interlinkbooks.com
This anthology was prepared to eradicate invisibility: to provide an introduction to Arab women poets, to make visible the works of a great number of Arab women poets who are virtually unknown to the West, to make visible many Arab-American women poets who are marginalized within the American literary and ethnic scenes, and to demonstrate the wide diversity of Arab women's poetry, which extends to other languages besides Arabic and English (as in the case of Arab women poets writing in French and Swedish). This anthology seeks to unite Arab women poets from all over the Arab world and abroad, regardless of what language they write in and whether they were born in an Arab country or not. Its aim is to bridge the religious, linguistic and geographical spaces existing among Arab women worldwide. With the exception of Oman and Sudan, every Arab country has been represented in this volume. Included are Arab women in exile or living in non-Arab countries, and women poets of Arab descent from Europe and North America. The volume incorporates the most accomplished Arab women poets of the twentieth century, including those of the distinctive new generation. It opens a door to a new and fast changing world where women are an extremely vital force in both literary and social terms. The introduction provides a historical overview for understanding contemporary Arab women's poetry, including the singularity as well as the shared trends and movements in the work of these poets. Translated by distinguished translators and poets from around the world, The Poetry of Arab Women showcases the work of 83 poets, among them: Elmaz Abi-Nader, Fawziyya Abu-Khalid, Etel Adnan, 'Aisha Arnaout, Andrae Chedid, Nada al-Hage, Hoda Hussein, Salma Khadra Jayyusi, Joanna Kadi, Fatma Kandil, Vnus Khoury-Ghata, Nazik al-Mala'ika, Houda al-Na'mani, Lisa Suhair Majaj, Zakiyya Malallah, D.H.Melhem, Naomi Shihab Nye, Amina Said, Munia Samara, Lina Tibi and Fadwa Tuqan.
Nathalie Handal divides her time between Boston and London, where she is a researcher in the English Department at the University of London. She is the author of a book of poetry, The Never Field, and a poetry CD, Traveling Rooms.
From Bonnie Tu Smith, btusmith@hotmail.com
American Family Album: 28 Contemporary Ethnic Stories by Bonnie TuSmith and Gerald W. Bergevin. Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers, 2000. 384 pages.
American Family Album: 28 Contemporary Ethnic Stories is a compact anthology of American short fiction that explores an expanded idea of family. Written by American writers of 16 different ethnic backgrounds, these 28 stories offer readers an intimate look at contemporary American family life as they explore a variety of family relationships. American Family Album is designed for courses in introduction to fiction, multiethnic literatures of the United States, contemporary short fiction, and contemporary American fiction, as well as composition, writing about literature, and creative writing.
Within American Family Album, readers will find numerous pedagogical aids: an introduction that alerts the reader to issues in the story; a career biography of the author; "Let's Talk about the Story: A Guided Tour for a Second Reading" that asks thought-provoking questions; "Considering the Story's Broader Context" that discusses a story's significant historical and cultural contexts; summary questions at the end of each chapter that make connections among the chapter's four stories; and a glossary of literary terms.
Instructor’s Resource Manual: In addition to the main text, instructors will find a useful manual that includes: “Memory Joggers” for each story; specific strategies for using "Let's Talk about the Story"; selective essays by experienced teachers on teaching multiethnic literatures; explanations of cultural and linguistic issues likely to arise in class; recommended additional texts, such as novels, to complement the story collection; a bibliography of resources to supplement the commentary on individual stories; and a sample syllabus with suggestions for scheduling reading assignments and managing classroom activities.
For orders and examination copies of American Family Album (ISBN 0-15-507331-1), please call 800-782-4479 (Harcourt College Publishers, 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, FL 32887-6777).
From Lisa Suhair Majaj, lmajaj@earthlink.net
Going Global: The Transnational Reception of Third World Women Writers. Edited by Amal Amireh and Lisa Suhair Majaj. New York and London: Garland Publishing Inc., 2000.
This book explores the problematic of reading and writing about third world women and their texts in an increasingly global context of production and reception. The ten essays contained in this volume examine the reception, both academic and popular, of women writers from India, Bangladesh, Palestine, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Brazil, Bolivia, Guatemala, Iraq/Israel and Australia. They focus on what happens to these writers’ poetry, fiction, biography, autobiography, and even to the authors themselves, as they move between the third and the first worlds.
In tracing the production and transformation of textual meanings within shifting contexts of reception, the essays implicitly and explicitly participate in on-going discussions about the politics of location, about postcolonialism and its discontents, and about the projects of feminism and multiculturalism in a global age. Among the questions considered in the collection are the following: How do these texts get to “travel” in the first place? Who selects, translates, publishes, reviews and teaches them, and what politics are involved in these activities? How do the publishing, circulation, and teaching of texts in both the first and the third worlds reproduce, challenge or alter the asymmetries of power among different groups of people? How are third world women themselves constructed in the process of transnational mediation? How do the politics of inclusion and exclusion shape the formation of multicultural, feminist and postcolonial canons?
Contributors include: Eva Paulino Bueno, Patricia Geesey, Bishnupriya Ghosh, Mohja Kahf, Jeanne Kattan, Alpana Sharma Knippling, Marnia Lazreg, Sally McWilliams, Therese Saliba, Ella Shohat, Jennifer Wenzel.
From Timothy B. Powell, tipowell@arches.uga.edu
The University of Georgia has recently made available to the public a digital version of the Cherokee Phoenix (www.galileo.peachnet.com). The Phoenix, which began in 1828, is the first Native American newspaper. The publication of a fully searchable electronic version of the newspaper constitutes a major research development in the field of Multicultural Studies. Jace Weaver, one of the leading Cherokee scholars in the country, officially opened the digital archive on October 17th. Weaver, an Associate Professor in the Religion department at Yale University, stated that "The Cherokee Phoenix is one of the greatest landmarks of American Indian intellectual history. Using the syllabary developed by Sequoyah (the only written language ever created by one individual), the Cherokee published the first bilingual Native newspaper. Its life spans one of the most crucial periods in U.S. history-- the era of Indian Removal." The Cherokee Phoenix project is sponsored by Galileo, the
Digital Archive of Georgia, and the Multicultural Archive of Georgia (www.arches.uga.edu/~amitchel/msis.htm). Other materials include "The Colored Tribune," an early African American newspaper from Savannah, Georgia; the Williams Collection of Photographs from the Hargett Library; and letters, treaties, and other documents related to Native American life in colonial Georgia.Timothy B. Powell, Assistant Professor, Department of English, University of Georgia, Athens GA 30602
From Margaret Rozga, mrozga@uwc.edu
Call for articles: For a collection of essays on teaching multi-ethnic literature, I seek 500-750 word
proposals by December 31, 2000. Rather than essays about teaching courses on the literature of a
single ethnic group, this collection will be focused on such issues as the rationale, the pedagogy and
the literary and political implications of teaching courses that combine works by writers of several
ethnic groups in the United States. The proposals should be detailed abstracts for papers that, when
completed, would be about 3,000 to 6,000 words. Please send proposals to:Margaret Rozga
Professor of English
University of Wisconsin--Waukesha
1500 University Drive
Waukesha, Wisconsin 53188
MELUS COOKBOOK
Deadline for recipes: December 1, 2000So far, I've received 30 recipes with the certainty of another 10 coming in. I'd like to have many more before going to press with the cookbook. I would especially like more recipes for appetizers, snacks, soups, salads, cooked vegetables, cookies, a pie or two, and beverages in order to offer a balanced collection, but I would welcome any recipe at all from you. Recipes with a distinct ethnic or regional origin accompanied by brief or lengthy anecdotal material are especially appealing because the cookbook should reflect the diversity of our MELUS "family." Some of the most engaging contributions have come from India, Japan, and the South. But please just send me a recipe. Do not feel you must include an anecdote. I'll contact you if any clarification of ingredients or instructions is necessary. Please write me if you'd like to discuss your recipe or other contribution, such as a short story or a poem, to the collection. If you've already sent me a recipe, please urge your friends to do so, too.
Avis Payne
recipes@zianet.com
Lahaina Ice Cake--4-6 servings
This recipe makes a simple, refreshing desert. In the 1940's and 1950's, kids in Lahaina (Hawaii) came home to an ice cake snack. The tinned milk is a giveaway that this recipe comes from the tropics.
Bring to a boil:
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
Add:
2 cups water
1/3 cup canned evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extractMix well and freeze at least 4 hours. Break the ice cake into chunks before serving.
Maui Mochi (Japanese Ricecakes Maui Style)--8-12 servings
Japanese ricecakes make a non-fat or low-fat snack, depending on ingredients, that goes well with tea. They can be served as a dessert. This recipe, whichoriginated on the island of Maui, resembles the Filipino pudding called "bibingca."
3 3/4 cups (1 pound) mochiko (sweet rice flour)
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups coconut milk (low-fat or regular)--one can (13 1/2 ounces) coconut milk plus regular milk (skim or whole) to make 3 cups
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extractPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or oil a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Mix the dry ingredients well. Add the milk and vanilla gradually, stirring well to make the batter smooth. Pour batter into pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place pan on the top rack of oven. Bake 1 hour. Turn off heat. Let stand at least 8 hours.
Cut into squares with a plastic knife.Comments: Mochiko is available at Asian food markets and in the gourmet section of supermarkets. Maui mochi may be kept up to two days at room temperature if it is tightly covered with plastic wrap. The mochi freezes well if it is cut into squares and wrapped in airtight plastic bags. To soften frozen mochi, microwave it at a defrost setting for 10 to 20 seconds per serving. If you don't have a plastic knife (and they are readily available at fast food outlets), wet your knife blade before making each cut into the mochi. You can easily vary the flavoring of Maui mochi by creating different combinations of fruit and milk, e.g., passion fruit or raspberry juice and skim milk. You may add a drop or two of food coloring to make the mochi look more interesting. Maui mochi may be baked late at night and left in the oven to cool until morning.
MELUS Officers, 2000-2003
President, Bonnie TuSmith
Associate Professor of English
Dept. of English
Northeastern University
Boston MA 02115
btusmith@hotmail.com
Office: 617.373.4552
Home: 617.825.6379
Office FAX: 617.373.2509
Home FAX: 617.825.0224Membership Chair, Melinda L. de Jesus
Assistant Professor, Asian Pacific American Studies
College of Public Programs
Arizona State University
PO Box 870803
Tempe AZ 85287-0803
dejesus@asu.ede
http://www.public.asu.edu/~dejesus
Office: 480.727.7340
Home: 480.704.8754
Office FAX: 480.965.9189Program Chair, Fred Gardaphe
Professor of Italian/American Studies
Dept. of European Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
State University of New York--Stony Brook
Stony Brook NY 11794-3359
fgardaphe@notes.cc.sunysb.edu
Office: 631.632.1215
Home: 631.724.9210
Office FAX: 631.632.9612Secretary, Kim Martin Long
Assistant Professor of English
1871 Old Main Drive, DHC 113
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Shippensburg PA 17257
kmlong@ship.edu
http://www.ship.edu/~kmlong
Office: 717.477.1215
Home: 717.532.3245
Office FAX: 717.477.4025Treasurer, Avis Payne
PO Box 562
Las Cruces NM 88004-0562
akpayne@zianet.com
505.522.5059MELUS Journal Editor, Veronica Makowsky
Professor of English
Dept. of English
337 Mansfield Road, U-25
Storrs CT 06269-1025
makowsky@uconnvm.uconn.edu
Office: 860.486.2320
Home: 860.487.5230
Office FAX: 860.486.1530NewsNotes Editor, Katharine Rodier
Associate Professor of English
Dept. of English
Marshall University
400 Hal Greer Blvd.
Huntington WV 25755-2646
rodier@marshall.edu
Office: 304.696.3128
Office FAX: 304.696.2446Archivist/Webmaster; NewsNotes Technical Editor, Monica Garcia Brooks
Associate Dean of Libraries
Marshall University
400 Hal Greer Blvd.
Huntington WV 25755
brooks@marshall.edu
melus@marshall.edu
Office: 304.696.6613Student Representative, Wendy Rountree
2920 Scioto St. #709
Cincinnati OH 45219
rountrwa@email.uc.edu
513.556.8449
APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
MELUS members may participate in the annual MELUS conference as well as the conferences, meetings, and sessions that MELUS holds in conjunction with other learned societies and other MELUS chapters abroad. Members also receive the MELUS Journal, MELUS Newsnotes (online newsletter with current information about the conferences, publications, and activities that are related to the study of ethnic American literatures), and the MELUS Directory (membership list with notes identifying each member's work and scholarly interests).Colleges and universities may serve as patrons by making contributions of $150 per year. Membership in MELUS is based on a calendar year (i.e. January 1st to December 31st)
Membership Fees (please check one):
____ $20 Students, retirees and limited income
____ $25 Students (outside USA)
____ $40 Regular
____ $50 Regular (outside USA)
____ $60 Family rate (includes two memberships with one set of the journal)
____ $350 Life Membership (Payable in full or in annual payments over a 3-year period. Consult brochure on this.)Check one:
____ New membership
____ Renewal
Make checks payable to MELUS and mail to:
Avis Kuwahara Payne
MELUS Treasurer
PO Box 562
Las Cruces, NM 88004-0562
USA
Full Name __________________________________________________________
Position/Title ________________________________________________________
Institutional Address __________________________________________________
Mailing Address ______________________________________________________
Office Telephone ( ) _____________ Home Telephone ( ) __________________
Fax __________________________ E-Mail ________________________________
Academic Discipline ___________________________________________________
Ethnicity (optional) _______________________Special interest(s) in Ethnic Literature and/or areas in which you might be interested in serving as a reviewer:
___ African American
___ Asian Pacific American
___ Ethnic European American
___ Latino/a American
___ Multiethnic American
___ Native AmericanEducation: ____BA ____MA ____PhD ____Other (specify)________
Gender: ___Male ____Female
Release of information:
____ I grant MELUS permission to use my biographical information for a MELUS membership directory. (You must check this box to be listed in the directory).