Welcome to NYC! The city is home not only to MLA HQ and most of my colleagues but to over a thousand MLA members. Native New Yorkers and new arrivals from every state and most countries in the world can be found here (all 8.5 million of us). As Whitman said, I am large, I contain multitudes.
You want modern languages? Head to Queens where 138 languages are spoken. Or just ride the subway—you’ll hear dozens!
You want the cuisines of all those cultures? From Dominican in Washington Heights to Middle Eastern in Bay Ridge, from Korean in Midtown to Caribbean in Crown Heights, we’ve got you covered (don’t even ask about Flushing—you name it, they’ve got it). We invite all locals to share their favorite restaurants (’cause we’ve all got an opinion!).
National monuments? From the African Burial Grounds in Lower Manhattan to Hamilton Grange in Harlem, from Stonewall in Greenwich Village to the Statue of Liberty, we’ve got history too.
Which brings me to this year’s convention logo—it’s no accident that the Statue of Liberty is featured. Like Lady Liberty, we welcome you!
The convention contains multitudes as well: over 800 sessions with more than 3,000 participants representing hundreds of institutions. You’ll find sessions in your field as well as many outside your usual area of expertise. We’re expanding our professional development offerings so that we can better support you in our ever changing world. Explore new ideas at the convention, spend time with old friends, and meet new colleagues. Be part of the MLA community and start the conversation here!
Top image © NYC & Company/Christopher Postlewaite. www.nycgo.com
Image collage, clockwise from top left: Thomas Hawk, Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin, Michael Muraz, Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
