The Western Literature Association (WLA) is a non-profit, scholarly association that promotes the study of the diverse

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

and cultures of the North American West, past and present. Since its founding, the WLA has served to publish scholarship and promote work in the field; it has gathered together scholars, artists, environmentalists, and community leaders who value the West's literary and cultural contributions to American and world cultures; it has recognized those who have made a major contribution to western literature and western studies; and it has fostered student learning and career advancement in education. The

Association for the Study of Literature and Environment The Association for the Study of Literature and Environment (ASLE), also known as ASLE-USA, is the principal professional association for American and international scholars of ecocriticism and environmental humanities. It was founded in 1992 at a ...

(ASLE) was founded in 1992 at a special session of the Western Literature Association conference in Reno, Nevada, for the purpose of "sharing of facts, ideas, and texts concerning the study of literature and the environment." The Association publishes ''Western American Literature: A Journal of Literary, Cultural, and Place Studies'' (since 1965) in partnership with the

University of Nebraska Press The University of Nebraska Press, also known as UNP, was founded in 1941 and is an academic publisher of scholarly and general-interest books. The press is under the auspices of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the main campus of the Univer ...

. It considers itself "the leading peer-reviewed journal in the literary and cultural study of the North American West, defined broadly to include western Canada and northern Mexico".

List of WLA Presidents and Annual Conferences

This is a list of people who have served as presidents of the organization and have hosted the annual conference.

References

External links

Western Literature Association official website

Western American Literature Research
hosting links to the journal ''Western American Literature'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Western Literature Association 1965 establishments in the United States Arts organizations established in 1965 Literary societies