''The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States'' (''MELUS'') is a

scholarly society A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and science. Membership may ...

established in 1974. MELUS publishes a quarterly

academic journal An academic journal or scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as permanent and transparent forums for the presentation, scrutiny, and d ...

, ''MELUS''. The aim of the Society is "to expand the definition of

American literature American literature is literature written or produced in the United States of America and in the colonies that preceded it. The American literary tradition thus is part of the broader tradition of English-language literature, but also inc ...

through the study and teaching of

Latino American Hispanic and Latino Americans ( es, Estadounidenses hispanos y latinos; pt, Estadunidenses hispânicos e latinos) are Americans of Spanish and/or Latin American ancestry. More broadly, these demographics include all Americans who identify as ...

, Native American,

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, Asian and Pacific American, and ethnically specific Euro-American literary works, their authors, and their cultural contexts".

Founding

The society was formed in response to the perceived practice at the

Modern Language Association The Modern Language Association of America, often referred to as the Modern Language Association (MLA), is widely considered the principal professional association in the United States for scholars of language and literature. The MLA aims to "st ...

's annual conference American Literature section of discussing only works by white men. The society was founded at the following year's conference and within a few months had almost 100 members. At the conference the following year (1974), society members formally proclaimed their demand, "We must expand the canon of American literature!" At this time, the society's goals included the recovery of lost works by minority authors, the compilation of bibliographies of minority literature, and the enlisting of the aid of ethnic studies scholars in all fields, as well as publishing book reviews, connecting scholars, and printing abstracts on ethnic studies dissertations.

Present

The Society organizes sessions at the conventions of such scholarly organizations as the Modern Language Association and its Regionals, College English Association,

National Women's Studies Association The National Women's Studies Association (NWSA) is an organization founded in 1977, made up of scholars and practitioners in the field of women's studies also known as women's and gender studies, feminist studies, and related names in the 21st c ...

American Studies Association The American Studies Association (ASA) is a scholarly organization founded in 1951. It is the oldest scholarly organization devoted to the interdisciplinary study of U.S. culture and history. The ASA works to promote meaningful dialogue about t ...

American Literature Association The American Literature Association (ALA) is "a coalition of societies devoted to the study of American authors". It has some 110 affiliated societies, mostly concerned with the work of a particular author (e.g. the Emily Dickinson International ...

, and

Popular Culture Association Popularity or social status is the quality of being well liked, admired or well known to a particular group. Popular may also refer to: In sociology * Popular culture * Popular fiction * Popular music * Popular science * Populace, the total ...

". The current president is Wenying Xu (

Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, and satellite campuses in Dania Beach, Florida, Dania Beach, Davie, Florida, Davie, Fort Lauderd ...

Journal

''MELUS'' is a quarterly

peer-reviewed Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work (peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...

, covering

multicultural The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use. In sociology and in everyday usage, it is a synonym for "Pluralism (political theory), ethnic pluralism", with the tw ...

literary studies Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. Th ...

. Most issues are thematically organized. The founding

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

was Katharine D. Newman, who was succeeded by Joseph T. Skerrett, Jr., then by

Veronica Makowsky Veronica, Veronika, etc., may refer to: People * Veronica (name) * Saint Veronica * Saint Veronica of Syria Arts and media Comics and literature * ''Veronica'', an 1870 novel by Frances Eleanor Trollope * ''Veronica'', a 2005 novel by Mary Ga ...

, and, most recently, by Martha J. Cutter. The journal is supported by dues of Society members, library subscriptions, and funds from patrons.

Abstracting and indexing

The journal is abstracted and indexed in:

Annual conference

Since 1987, the society has sponsored themed conferences in various locations around the United States. These conferences feature "panels, workshops and round tables on all aspects of the multi-ethnic literatures of the United States".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature Of The United States, The Learned societies of the United States Literary societies American studies Literary magazines published in the United States Publications established in 1974 Quarterly journals English-language journals University of Connecticut