About Us

SSSL Sponsored Programs

• The Biennial SSSL Conference: a conference with papers, speakers and discussion panels held across the U.S.
  
• Current and Recent SSSL Newsletters: The Newsletter informs the members of the SSSL as to what the Society and their colleagues are doing and offers an ongoing bibliography of notable scholarship published in southern studies.
• SSSL Conference Panels: the SSSL sponsors lively and provocative panels for meetings of leading literary conferences, including the Modern Language Association, South Central Modern Language Association, and the American Literature Association.
• The C. Hugh Holman Award for the best book of literary scholarship or criticism in southern literature during a given calendar year. The SSSL makes this award annually at one of its sessions at the Modern Language Association conference.
• The Richard Beale Davis Award for distinguished lifetime service to southern letters. The SSSL makes this award every other year at its biennial conference.
• The Louis D. Rubin, Jr. Prize for best article on southern literature published by a society member in a peer-reviewed journal.
• Graduate Student Travel Awards: The SSSL awards six travel prizes to graduate students attending the biennial conference, one named in memory of Dorothy M. Scura, two named in memory of Noel Polk, one named in honor of Trudier Harris, and two named in honor of Peggy Whitman Prenshaw.  Winners are selected by the Program Committee from among graduate student submissions to the conference. The Scura, Harris, Polk, and Prenshaw Awards help to defray up to $500 of travel expenses for each winning student.
• Publications: The SSSL sponsored the publication of The History of Southern Literature, edited by Louis D. Rubin, Jr., Blyden Jackson, Rayburn S. Moore, Lewis P. Simpson, and Thomas Daniel Young (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1985).

SSSL Statement Against Harrassment

The Society for the Study of Southern Literature (SSSL) is committed to ensuring a respectful and inclusive environment that fosters scholarly exchange, deepens our collective knowledge, and practices reciprocity and accountability to the communities and work that we engage across a number of professional homes. We believe that scholarship and education are ethical acts. Thus, SSSL condemns all forms of harassment on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, size, economic status, veteran status, genetic information, and any other characteristic protected by law or used historically to marginalize, exploit, or exclude peoples. Harassment includes all forms of offensive or unwelcome physical or verbal conduct that creates an offensive or hostile environment: slurs, epithets, threats, derogatory comments, unwelcome jokes, teasing, flirting, and other similar verbal or physical conduct. Furthermore, any retaliation against an individual who has complained about harassment will not be tolerated. Members of the Society, particularly members exercising authority of any kind, are urged actively to uphold this policy, to prevent violations, and to take alleged violations seriously. Complaints of harassment should be brought directly to the President of the Society, or to members of the Executive Committee.