SASA Newsletter - November 2008
The STAR (Scotland's Transatlantic Relations) Project is pleased to be hosting yet another successful seminar series through the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh. In collaboration with the Institute and its Fellows, STAR is now drawing an even larger group of academics for its unique series of fortnight presentations, conversations, and reading group discussions. Thanks to the contributions of scholars from a diverse range of subjects, the Project continues to provide a locus for transatlantic research with a Scottish dimension; and through a variety of seminars, conferences, publication ventures and other collaborations, it continues to foster lively discourse that provides texture for ongoing debates concerning transatlantic theory in practice. Scholars from outwith the University of Edinburgh remain active in the Project through the STAR website, and thanks to an extensive network of international links there are now over 400 members associated with the Project worldwide.
In March 2008, along with several other institutions and projects, STAR sponsored a conference concerning 'Transatlantic Ideas of the American Founding', featuring plenary lectures by Gerald Stourzh (University of Vienna) and David Armitage (Harvard University), and papers from several other leading Atlantic scholars. The conference took place at IASH, where Paul Kerry (Brigham Young University) and Matthew Holland (Brigham Young University) acted as conference conveners.
Last spring, STAR also hosted two joint seminars during its regular programme, following the 'Transatlantic Ideas of the American Founding'. The first one, with early Americanist Historians from Edinburgh and Glasgow welcomed Trevor Burnard (University of Warwick) for a conversation on 'The American Revolution and the Atlantic world: Two topics or one?'. The second one was held jointly with the Institute of Geography (University of Edinburgh), where David Featherstone (University of Liverpol) presented a paper entitled 'Subaltern nationalism and counter-global networks: the trans-Atlantic mutinies of the 1970s and the making of Irish political identities'. STAR looks forward to a similar event with Geography on Novembre 24th, 2008, when it will warmly welcome Gustavo San Roman (University of St. Andrews) and Iain Stewart (Independent scholar) for a discussion concerning Scottish-Uruguayan connections.
On a different plane, STAR anticipates the publication of additional texts in the Edinburgh Studies in Transatlantic Literatures Series (edited by Susan Manning and Andrew Taylor, EUP), and is pleased to welcome a new group of students to its twelve-month 'Literature and Transatlanticism' MSc at the University of Edinburgh. It continues to support the work of several doctoral and post-doctoral scholars in the field of transatlantic studies, and is pleased to maintain an ongoing partnership with Gerry Cambridge and the Dark Horse: Scottish-American Poetry Magazine. Extracts from the latest edition of the Horse (Issue 22) are now available on the STAR site.
STAR is also particularly excited to unveil an attractive new website in the spring term! The site is designed both to expand the contours of transatlantic discourse and to introduce users to an academically rich online community. Please visit us at the same address (www.star.ac.uk) and feel free to leave thoughts and suggestions as the site expands; we look forward to a more active engagement with all our members, both in Scotland and abroad. In addition, STAR will continue to accept contributions for its growing archive of online papers and resource materials. If you have any suggestions or wish to be included in the STAR mailing list, then please contact either Susan Manning (Susan.Manning@ed.ac.uk), or Kristin Cook (K.A.Cook@sms.ed.ac.uk).
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