Current Comparative Literature Conference

We've been around since 1966

The 61st Annual Comparative World Literature Conference 

Activism, Art, and Artistry: The Making of a Better World

Wednesday - Thursday, April 14-15, 2027 (tentative dates)

Sustainability

sustainability green event host logo

We want to encourage conference participants to bring personal water bottles to refill at one of the many water stations around the conference venue. 

 

Theme

The 61st annual Comparative Literature Conference, to be held in Spring 2027, builds on the previous year鈥檚 theme of 鈥淟egacies鈥 to consider the work of Dr. Harry Lawson 鈥淧eter鈥 Carr (1925-1981), one of the founding members of the department (1959-1981). Dr. Carr was an artist, activist, poet, folklorist, and scholar of Indian literature. His visual and literary work abounds in the early issues of the Comparative World Literature and Classics journal Genre. Dr. Carr was also an early organizer of the departmental conference: it was under his aegis that renowned folklore scholar Joseph Campbell spoke on our campus three times. In addition to his work on campus, Peter Carr was a peace and anti-war activist in the 60s, and he co-founded the anti-nuclear grassroots collective, Alliance for Survival. At 色中色, the former Peace Studies Center was named in honor of him. After his death, our 1981 departmental conference honored his work with the theme of 鈥Visions of Peace.鈥 Allen Ginsberg and Gary Snyder were the keynote speakers. Dr. Carr鈥檚 outlook, research, and legacy are remarkable and long-lasting; his paintings continue to be shown in galleries to this day. 

Expanding on and continuing Dr. Carr鈥檚 artistic, pedagogical, and activist legacies, we organize our upcoming annual gathering with the goal of imagining a better world in mind, while honoring histories and centering community. Amidst ongoing local and global catastrophes and crises, these conversations are vital and necessary. 

View our CFP.

Keynote

We are thrilled to welcome as our keynote speaker Andrew Tonkovich, a student of Dr. Carr who has been inspired by him to a lifetime of activism, art, and literature, and who curates the Carr archives. 

man with beard smiling in black shirt
Andrew Tonkovich earned a BA in Comparative Literature from 色中色 and an MFA in Writing from UC Irvine. He is the longtime editor of the West Coast journal Santa Monica Reviewand founding editor of the online Orange County-themed literary quarterly Citric Acid. With Lisa Alvarez he edited the landmark anthology Orange County: A Literary Field Guide. Tonkovich has written reviews, commentary, and feature stories for the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Review of Books, and was a regular contributor to both OC Weekly and The Orange County Register. His short stories and essays have appeared in Ecotone, ZYZZYVA, Faultline, Air/Light, Juked, Solstice, and the annual Best American Nonrequired Reading.
 
Tonkovich is the author of two fiction collections, The Dairy of Anne Frank and Keeping Tahoe Blue. He hosts Bibliocracy, a weekly books show on Pacifica Radio KPFK 90.7 FM in Southern California and is on the staff of the Community of Writers, a nonprofit creative writing conference. He taught Composition at UC Irvine for twenty-five years and remains an active member of UC-AFT, the labor union representing Lecturers and Librarians. 

 

Program

View the Program. TBA.

 

Attendee Information

Location

The Karl Anatol Center is located on the 1st floor of the Academic Services Building, in-between the Macintosh Humanities Building (MHB) and the University Library (LIB) on the south end of campus just off 7th Street.

  • The Original Conference Room is located INSIDE the Academic Services Building (AS), room 119.
  • The Patio Conference Center is located OUTSIDE the Academic Services Building (AS), room 121. 

Campus map

Accessibility

For students: To request disability-related accommodations, complete the .

For faculty and staff: If you are needing a reasonable accommodation based on a disability or medical restriction to access this program, please contact Staff Human Resources (StaffHR-Accommodations@csulb.edu) for employees as soon as possible so we can assist you prior to the program.

Parking

We encourage sustainable forms of transportation. Help us reduce the carbon footprint of our event by choosing to bus, bike, walk, or carpool to campus. Learn more about sustainable transportation options at the .

Parking for campus events may be purchased via the ParkMobile app or the  (up to 30 days prior to the event). Zone numbers are available on the app, the website or on signage posted in each lot.

Parking may also be purchased from a parking pay station located within each lot. Daily parking is valid in any parking lot or parking structure where Daily parking is sold.

Annual, academic year, and semester permits are already valid during campus events. No additional parking purchase is necessary for a campus event if you already have a valid student or employee permit.

For more information about where to park on campus please visit the Parking and Transportation website.

Lodging

Lodging information can be found on the 色中色 Faculty Affairs website.