March 15 Massachusetts Historical Society
The Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston invites proposals for four of its 2018-2019 seminar series:
- The Boston-Area Seminar in Early American History[masshist.org], focusing on topics in American history up to the 1820s
- The Boston Environmental History Seminar,[masshist.org] focusing on any aspect of American environmental history
- The Boston Seminar in Modern American Society and Culture[masshist.org], focusing on topics in American history from the late-19th century to the present
- The Boston Seminar on the History of Women, Gender, & Sexuality[masshist.org], co-sponsored by the Schlesinger Library at Radcliffe, focusing on all aspects of the history of women, gender, and sexuality in America
The “Boston” in the series’ names signals not the topics we address, but the numerous academic institutions in Boston, Cambridge, and greater New England whose students and faculty regularly gather around our seminar table. The sessions are widely announced on H-Net, social media, email, and in our publications. They are well attended, often attracting more than two dozen participants.
Each series meets 4-7 times during the academic year. Most sessions focus on the discussion of pre-circulated works in progress, especially article or chapter-length papers, distributed to seminar registrants at least three weeks before the program. Suggestions for other media types or formats are welcome; they are of particular interest to the series on the History of Women, Gender, & Sexuality. The essayist and an assigned commentator will each have an opportunity for remarks before the discussion is opened to the floor. Seminars meet for approximately 90 minutes and are followed by refreshments and the opportunity for further networking.
In your proposal, please indicate when your paper can be available for distribution, as well as your preference (fall or spring) based on when the seminar’s feedback would be helpful to you. Advise us of any special scheduling conditions, such as a planned trip to Boston or an extended period when you cannot make a presentation. The steering committees will consider all proposals for the available session slots, and proposers will be notified by mid-May.
Interested researchers should submit a proposal (500 words) and CV by March 15, 2018 to Katheryn Viens (kviens@masshist.org), Director of Research at the Massachusetts Historical Society. For more information about our seminar series, and to see CFPs specific to each series, visit www.masshist.org/research/seminars[masshist.org].
