Spring Humanities & Arts Graduate Conference

Spring 2026 Conference (10^th Anniversary): Bodies of Work: Corporeal, Conscious, and Creative

��Ů’s Literature & Writing Studies department warmly invites you to our 10th Anniversary Spring Graduate Conference!

Markstein Hall, Room 125

Saturday, April 25, 2026

9:00AM to 4:00PM

Bodies of Work: Corporeal, Conscious, and Creative will host presenters of graduate-level research and creative work from San Diego County and beyond. Together, we will explore the multiplicity of a body of work: collections of words and images, occupations of physical and digital space, interpretations and representations of how we move through the world.

In the interest of accessibility and inclusion of many bodies of work, our conference invites both virtual and in-person presenters and guests. Critical and creative works from a range of disciplines are welcome, including (but not limited to!): Language and Literature, Film Studies, Videogame Studies, Comparative Literature, Digital Humanities, Media & Communication Studies, Cultural & Ethnic Studies, Gender & Sexuality Studies, and more.

All interested students, we invite you to submit critical and creative works that align with this year’s theme to be considered for presentation, either in-person or virtually. Please submit paper abstracts or creative excerpts (250-word max) to ltwrma@csusm.edu by April 1, 2026.

Full presentations should be maximum 20 minutes in length. Our conference will showcase graduate-level work, but outstanding upper-division undergraduate work may be also considered.

In order to estimate an accurate number of attendees, .

Individuals with disabilities, who would like to attend this event, please contact Nicole Mendez (nmendez@csusm.edu) regarding any special accommodation needs. It is requested that individuals requiring auxiliary aids such as sign language interpreters and alternative format materials notify the event sponsor at least seven working days in advance. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations in an effective and timely manner.

If you cannot find the contact for the event organizer, students can contact Disabled Student Services at (760) 750-4905 or dss@csusm.edu.

Prior Conferences:

Spring 2025 Conference: Screens: Divided, Revealed, Sheltered, Concealed

Our 9th Annual Spring Humanities & Arts Conference showcased graduate-level humanities research and creative work from San Diego County and beyond.

Together, we explored the many definitions of the word “screen” — noun and verb, surface and sieve, partition and curtain, projection, illusion, and the defining element of the digital age.

Though hosted by Graduate Representatives Shaymaa Abusalih and Anastasia Steele, this year’s conference could not have happened without a handful of others to whom we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude:

Literature and Writing Program Coordinator, Nicole Mendez
Literature and Writing Program Director, Dr. Oliver Berghof
Graduate Assistants, Mia Chadwick & Emily Holman

We would also like to thank the 11 presenters from the ��Ů Literature and Writing graduate program as well as Cal State Fullerton and the Los Angeles area:

Anastasia Steele
Mia Chadwick
Taen Bounthapanya
Anna Acosta
Alex Tostado
Joshua Diabo
Emily Holman
David Sargeant
London Evans
Maria Angela Jungers
Shaymaa Abusalih

We could not have had this special day without you!

Spring 2024 Conference: With/Without Borders: Writing to Deconstruct and Transform Borders

With/Out Borders: Writing to Deconstruct and Transform Borders is presented by the ��Ů Literature and Writing Studies Graduate Students. We will be showcasing graduate-level research and creative writing from all over California. Our conference aims to host critical conversations about the fabrication, and deconstruction of normalized systems that enable and perpetuate social, political, and economic borders. With/Out Borders: Writing to Deconstruct and Transform Borders is about deconstructing delimitations to integrate new possibilities.

This year’s conference was held in MARK 106 on Saturday, April 27, 2024 from 9:00am-4:30pm.

Spring 2022 Conference: A Time for Renewal: Growth and Transcendence in a Hybrid World

LTWR was pleased to host our 7th annual graduate conference: “A Time for Renewal: Growth and Transcendence in a Hybrid World.” True to its theme, this year’s conference was both virtual and online, enabling guests to join in whatever way best suits them on Saturday, April 9, 2022.

This conference was particularly illustrative of our culture’s current state of renewal as the world gradually comes to embrace new standards. Change is an opportunity for growth and the catalyst to transcendence. As we move forward in our in-person and virtual realities, we are able to connect and evolve in new ways. While change can be painful, out of struggle comes a deeper understanding of one another and a more profound grasp of life as we now know it. As we reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re headed, we can also explore stories that are illustrative of transformation and rebirth as a whole.

Spring 2021 Conference: The (Human) Experience in a Pandemic Era

LTWR was pleased to host the 6th Annual Graduate Humanities & Arts Virtual Conference: Crafting Civil Discourse: The (Human) Experience in a Pandemic Era. This year’s conference was entirely virtual, through the magic of Zoom, on Saturday, April 17, 2021 from 9:30am-3:00pm.

We see civil discourse as referring to a cluster of interactional strategies used to avoid intellectual siloes, evaluate belief systems on the basis of data and intellectual methodologies, and facilitate discussion that emphasizes solutions, compromise, and innovation over the maintenance of existing belief.

The meaning of civil discourse has changed in the pandemic era and the increased reliance on digital communication. Unlike in face-to-face life, which often forces us into contact with views different from ours, the digital environment allows fewer opportunities to converse with others outside our personal and professional bubbles. The pressure of the pandemic vacuum surrounding us during this time compounds the emotional and social aspects of our lives, thereby creating a strain on open communication.

There were 32 participants (17 presenters and 15 attendees), including presenters or attendees from CSU Long Beach, CSU Fullerton, UC Santa Cruz, University of Arizona, Western University, and the University of Toronto, as well as one attendee from South Korea!

We had some great conversations, and our keynote speaker, Syndee Wood, was moving and inspirational. Thanks again to the organizing committee (Nik Barnes, Kes Connolly, Aydan Lopez, Josh Meihaus, & Amanda Vail) and to graduate assistant, Vinnie Bernabeo. We couldn't have done it without all of you!

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