English Association of Pennsylvania State Universities Annual Conference
October 2nd - October 3rd, 2026
Proposal Deadline: August 15th
Storytelling as a Form of Resistance: Narrative, Power, and Identity
The English Association of Pennsylvania State Universities (EAPSU) invites faculty and students at Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) universities, as well as neighboring universities, to its 46th annual conference. This year’s conference will be hosted by East Stroudsburg University (ESU) and will be held online via Zoom, a teleconference app licensed by ESU. Participants will receive a conference program with links to individual rooms where presentations will be delivered.
Storytelling as Resistance and Identity Formation
This last year, we have faced growing threats to our academic freedom and personal liberty, so for EAPSU’s 2026 conference we will focus on storytelling as a vital form of resistance in its power to shape narratives and identities, to create a sense of belonging, and to build community across a broad range of media, literary, rhetorical, and educational contexts. We ask you to reflect on how storytelling fosters care, labor, resilience, and resistance within and beyond the classroom.
We ask you to consider one or more of these questions for presentations, discussions, and/or creative work:
- How do storytelling/narrative practices help us understand acts of care as a form of labor within and/or beyond academic spaces?
- How do collective narratives help communities (e.g., students, faculty, staff, etc.) work toward a more just and equitable future?
- In what ways does storytelling create opportunities for collective memory, healing, or resistance within and/or beyond the classroom?
- How do narratives in literature, film, media, or public discourse influence the way individuals and communities construct identity and belonging?
- How do different genres of public writing shape how stories are told and received?
- What ethical responsibilities do educators have when representing shared struggles, institutional pressures, and/or collective action in the classroom and/or beyond?
- What narratives are being produced in literature, media, and public discourse about the current state of higher education, and what do they reveal about the changing role, value, and future of the humanities?
Call for Submissions
We invite work for all disciplines and dimensions of English studies, including but not limited to literature, creative writing, linguistics, multicultural studies, literary criticism, cultural criticism, rhetoric and composition, first-year writing, community-engaged writing, service-learning, public-facing writing, professional and digital media writing, technical writing, English curriculum, digital and multimodal composing, writing program administration, media and film studies, environmental writing, cultural rhetorics, publishing (e.g., journalism, academic, etc.), and professionalism (e.g., careers in English, graduate studies, etc.).
We welcome submissions for:
- 60 - 90 minute workshops
- Roundtable discussions
- Creative works and demonstrations
- Individual papers
- Research posters
- Panels
Application & Submission Deadline: Submit the proposal to the linked form below by August 15th, 2026:
Proposal Submission Form [Google Forms]
Or paste the URL into your browser's address field: https://forms.gle/37ssGQopbUhZS5FX8
For any questions, please contact the co-chairs: Dr. Cynthia Leenerts, cleenerts@esu.edu; Prof. Jan Selving, jselving@esu.edu; Dr. Jasmine Villa, jvilla@esu.edu.
Registration Costs:
Students & Contingent Faculty: Free
Faculty: $30
