Message from the RMMLA President

Dear RMMLA members:

One of the greatest joys in academic scholarship certainly proves to be the chance to share one’s work with others, by giving a presentation, by engaging with critical questions, and by probing new issues in dialogue with other scholars, young and old, familiar and unfamiliar. The next RMMLA conference is not far away, and we all will meet again in Boulder, CO, this October 2012. Having been a member of our organization, now enjoying even life membership, I am truly excited about this conference, and I invite you all to make an effort to join us again at that convention in the beautiful Rocky Mountain city, boasting its excellent University of Colorado. Although there are certainly many other conferences, often of a very special kind, the RMMLA is proud to be open to the wide field of the Humanities, responding all the time to new challenges, topics, texts, and ideas. Attending the RMMLA convention provides enormous stimulation for anyone who has kept an open mind and is willing to look beyond his/her narrow disciplinary boundaries. After all, attending a conference should provide a basis for learning and expanding one’s horizon. My experience has always been that the folks at the RMMLA are very kind and friendly, and this has never meant that we might be lacking in scholarship or serious work. On the contrary, the rigor and academic excellence of the papers presented at our convention has regularly been a delight. I find it also highly refreshing that we are so open to graduate students, simply the next generation of scholars and academics. Teaching and guiding them is one thing, but we must also encourage them, as much as we once were encouraged, to join the profession and to give papers on their own research.

The RMMLA also serves the extremely important function of supporting and upholding the Humanities at large. This proves to be so critical, and today perhaps more than ever before in our world where the financial and economic crisis has robbed most of us of many valuable resources. In fact, such a crisis is a very helpful catalyst to remind ourselves of the essential need to be human and to pursue humanistic goals and ideals. As necessary as money certainly is, life cannot be predicated on it in the long run, otherwise we would confuse the means with the goal, the humanity in the broadest possible terms. Personally, I find myself very much at home at the RMMLA, both as a scholar and as a colleague, and I hope you do or will feel the same way. Perhaps not so surprisingly, I have served as President already three times, and who knows, what other functions I may try to assume in the future.

Let me introduce you to the current Executive Board: Past President: Joyce Adams (Writing Specialist; Brigham Young University); President: Albrecht Classen (German; University of Arizona); Vice President: Maria Mikolchak (French, German, Russian, English; St. Cloud State University); Delegate: Anthony J. Cárdenas-Rotunno (Spanish; University of New Mexico); Delegate: Ruben Espinosa (English; University of Texas, El Paso); Delegate: Jennifer Brady (Spanish; University of Denver); Graduate Student Delegate: Judy Strathearn (English; University of Colorado); Graduate Student Delegate: Kimberly Madsen (English; Idaho State University). The RMMLA Executive Board and our membership rolls represent many different fields and regions, and we are proud of our diversity, inclusivity, and tolerance. That’s what characterizes true Humanities. Why not consider life membership in the RMMLA? It is one of the best deals in modern academia! Please also consider publishing your work in The Rocky Mountain Review, (published semi-annually) or the online (and equally peer-reviewed) Rocky Mountain E-Review. The RMR belongs to the Council of Editors of Learned Journals (CELJ), and was Runner-Up for the CELJ Phoenix Award for Significant Editorial Achievement in 1999.

We look forward to seeing many of you in Boulder in October.

Albrecht Classen
RMMLA 2012 President

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