Dec. 18, 2015
The Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers (ALSCW) will move to the campus of The Catholic University of America in early 2016.
The ALSCW is a national organization that seeks to foster interaction among scholars, artists, and anyone with an interest in literature and art. Members of the ALSCW include Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners. The association produces three publications: Literary Imagination , Literary Matters , and Forum .
ALSCW will be housed within the University's Department of English in Marist Hall.
"The ALSCW's move to Catholic University is an extraordinary development for the University, our English department, and the humanities on campus," said Ernest Suarez, professor of English and current vice president of the association. "The ALSCW's literary values align perfectly with the English department's emphasis on literary history and aesthetics. The organization brings an Oxford University Press journal, Literary Imagination, with it. I want to thank the administration for helping make this happen."
The ALSCW annual conference will be held on campus Oct. 27-30, 2016. Former speakers at the conference have included writers such as Joyce Carol Oates, Tom Wolfe, Dana Gioia, and Carl Phillips. At the conference, Suarez will be named president of ALSCW.
The conference "is a fabulous chance for our students to be exposed to many of the best literary critics, creative writers, and other artists from the United States and abroad," Suarez said.
The ALSCW's mission statement notes that the organization "seeks to promote excellence in literary criticism and scholarship, and works to ensure that literature thrives in both scholarly and creative environments. We encourage the reading and writing of literature, criticism, and scholarship, as well as wide-ranging discussions among those committed to the reading and study of literary works."