Modern Language Association

06/17/2026

Calls for papers for just-in-time sessions are now open. If you want to organize a session for the 2027 MLA Annual Convention Los Angeles (7–10 January)—about something that happened in your field, in higher education, or in the world after 1 April—we encourage you to post a call for papers for a just-in-time session by 26 July. Learn more at mla.org/Just-in-Time

06/16/2026

06/15/2026

"Your 20s can be an intense decade. In the words of Taylor Swift, those years are 'happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time'. Many of us turn to literature to guide us through the highs and the lows of this formative era. We asked 20 of our academic experts to recommend the book that steered them through those ten years."

Many of us turn to literature to guide us through the highs and the lows of this formative time

06/14/2026

"The American Library Association (ALA) has reported a record high in the number of books banned in US libraries. In 2025, 5,668 books were banned – representing 66% of the total number challenged – with an additional 920 censored through access restriction, such as relocation on the library shelves."

Most-banned book was Sold, a 2006 novel by Patricia McCormick about s*x trafficking in India

06/13/2026

"What should a class about LGBTQ+ literature teach? When English professor John Pruitt began working on an independent study course on 'the contemporary gay male American novel' in 2012, it led him on a quest to figure out what texts students interested in q***r literature ought to read—and whether making a list like that even makes sense."

An English professor considers the questions raised about selecting q***r works for study and discussion when planning a course on LGBTQ+ literature.

06/11/2026

"All ekphrasis may have this effect on the writer, the reader: To look hard enough is to be seen, which is both comforting and startling."

The form known as ekphrasis — or poetry about art — has taken a turn toward the individual. Our columnist asks what it means.

06/10/2026

Thanks to a generous grant from EBSCO Information Services, the MLA confers up to two annual awards of $500 each for coursework developed in collaboration between department faculty members and academic librarians in literature, language, or related disciplines. The award recognizes successful integration of the disciplinary objectives of the course with learning objectives in information literacy, as defined in the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Learn more and apply by 1 July: mla.org/Info-Lit-Prize

06/09/2026

The MLA AI and Research Working Group has just released AI and the Humanities: A Framework for Language and Literary Scholarship. The framework offers a series of thematic questions on AI literacy, human-centered expertise, and responsibility and ethics as well as several case studies to guide discussion and critical reflection. Read the full working paper on the committee's Commons site.

Artificial intelligence (AI)[*] is transforming the disciplines of language and literary studies. Scholars read differently when they use AI to process texts at scales exceeding individual human capacity. The distinction between analysis and writing blurs when AI-generated prose is incorporated into...

06/08/2026

"Missy Dunaway’s idea to paint all of Shakespeare’s birds first took flight in college after a chat with a friend. During the conversation, while trying to quantify the playwright’s talent, Dunaway noted that he’d coined or popularized many common phrases, and then she cited his broad knowledge of nature. 'I said, ‘Just look at how many birds he mentions,’ Dunaway recalls. 'And that’s just birds.'”

Missy Dunaway’s colorful illustrations combine natural history, folklore and literature to depict the Bard’s birds

06/07/2026

"Few phrases in literature have travelled as widely as 'all for one, and one for all'. It has come to signify loyalty, courage and a form of friendship that appears to transcend circumstance. First published in 1844 in serial form, The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (1802–1870) quickly established itself as one of the most compelling adventure narratives of the 19th century. Dumas was among the most prolific and widely read writers of his age, working across drama, journalism, travel writing and historical fiction on an extraordinary scale."

Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel suggests solidarity is possible, but only under conditions of risk and mutual obligation.