Associations and Societies

Associations and Societies are a great source of information. They provide a way to contact professionals in the field of Literature, and many associations publish journals and newsletters. The following list, while not exhaustive, is a sampling of the many literature-related associations in the United States and the World. For further information, consult the Encyclopedia of Associations (Ref H 17 .G332) located behind the library reference desk. 

Associations

• American Literature Association - Formed in 1989, the ALA provides specialists in American authors with "new opportunities for scholarly interaction." 

• Modern Language Association - Founded in 1883, the MLA is the preeminent association for language and literature study. 

• Academy of American Poets - The largest organization in the United States devoted to the art of poetry.  

• American Comparative Literature Association - The principal learned society for scholars whose work involves the study of several literatures. 

• National Humanities Alliance - A coalition of more than 80 associations concerned with national humanities policy. 

• National Center for the Book - Formed in 1977 by the Library of Congress to promote books, reading, and literature. 

• Modern Humanities Research Association - The MHRA supports the unity of humanities scholarship through the publication of journals, bibliographies, and other aids to scholarly research. 

• Western Literature Association - A diverse group of international scholars devoted to the study of literature west of the Mississippi. 

Societies

Many American writers have societies devoted to them. They can provide information about authors, movements, and regions, occasionally providing access to primary source materials. Here are a few representative examples:

• Edgar Allan Poe Society  

• Center for Steinbeck Studies 

• Herman Melville Society 

• Charlotte Perkins Gilman Society

• Robert Heinlein Society

• Toni Morrison Society

• Emily Dickinson International Society

• Charles Bukowski Society (in German)

• James Fenimore Cooper Society

© 2001, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries. This is an official publication of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries. For comments or suggestions concerning this page, please contact: Isabel Espinal, iespinal@library.umass.edu

Created: June 2002
Last modified: May 7, 2002