Some of our recent meetings have had an overall theme, others not. It contributes to focus Limits the paper topics that are relevant. Many panels end up being only tangentially related to the theme anyway. Conferences should invite full range of work that people are doing in the field Provides a common conversation running through a diverse meeting. Focuses discussions, forces a little more discipline on presenters Lit and Science is itself a theme.
Helps decide whether to attend Too restrictive.
On the Website only 41 In a hard copy also 29 7. In Atlanta there were too many concurrent sessions. I think we need only 1-2 plenaries, perhaps Thursday and Friday evenings and Saturday evening dance. Papers should begin Thursday afternoon and go to Sunday midday. Perhaps conference wrap-up can happen over breakfast on Sunday Meetings in general have become too focused on celebrity academics.