Welcome to our Gemela Summer Virtual Symposium 2021!
GEMELA’s Board hopes you are doing well and staying healthy despite the many trying circumstances we have all faced. Indeed, the past year has challenged us professionally and personally. Unfortunately, we have not been able to meet, share our work, and celebrate our accomplishments face to face. And yet, these circumstances have also allowed us to think up new ways to connect and welcome new members to GEMELA. Through various media and by offering intellectual and professional exchange opportunities, we hope to foster partnerships and facilitate venues for GEMELA members to present their research, share information, and mentor each other.
As you may remember, we had to postpone our biennial conference slated for October 2020. Nevertheless, I am happy to announce that we continue to plan for the symposium in Valencia, Spain in Fall 2022. Our wonderful hosts remain very enthusiastic, and we are all looking forward to an exciting program and set of events. A call for papers will be issued in Spring 2022. In addition to regular sessions, we will explore how to best incorporate virtual participation opportunities for those who cannot attend in person. Be on the lookout for future announcements and the CFP!
The GEMELA Summer 2021 Virtual SymposiumWhat’s Next?: Celebrating New Approaches to the Study of Women in Spain and the Americas (pre-1800)is an essential part of our effort to disseminate the exciting work of our membership. As you can see in the program, we feature the recent publication of monographs and edited volumes of a number of our members. These exciting projects focus on early modern women’s cultural production and lives and propose significant shifts and innovative future pathways to the study of women in the early modern period in Spain and Latin America. Following a very stimulating panel at this year’s RSA, our afternoon roundtable will explore questions and issues around the topic of maternity and selfhood in the early modern period. We will also make important announcements regarding future directions and plans for the Association.
Spread the word about GEMELA and encourage graduate students and colleagues to join. Visit our website and join our Facebook page. Share announcements and publications on our news board. Become a member or renew your membership. Our goal is to continue to grow, advance the study of early modern women’s writing and cultural production in Spain and the Americas, and support each other’s professional trajectories.
The Board and I thank all active members for your continued commitment to GEMELA and its mission.
Saludos y abrazos,
Rosie
Rosilie Hernández
GEMELA President
Associate Dean for Student Academic Affairs
Professor of Hispanic and Italian Studies
University of Illinois, Chicago