<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:12pt"><div style="" class=""><span style="" class=""><br style="">Hello all,</span></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><br style="" class=""><span style="" class=""></span></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="" class="">I, for one, find it quite difficult to support an organization such as the MLA that has never given us any recognition for so many years. 20 some odd years into my career, they suddenly need us? And one section for Korean versus three for
Chinese and two for Japanese? We don't need this sort of marginalization. <br></span></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><br style="" class=""><span style="" class=""></span></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="" class="">No thanks.</span></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><br style="" class=""><span style="" class=""></span></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: HelveticaNeue,Helvetica
Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="" class="">Michael <br style="" class=""></span></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><br style="" class="">Michael J. Pettid<br style="" class="">Professor of Premodern Korean Studies<br style="" class="">Department of Asian and Asian American Studies</div><div style="" class="">Director, Translation, Research and Instruction Program<br style="" class="">Binghamton University<br style="" class="">607.777.3862</div> <div class="qtdSeparateBR"><br><br></div><div style="display: block;" class="yahoo_quoted"> <div class="" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div class="" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue,
Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div style="" class="" dir="ltr"> <font style="" class="" face="Arial" size="2"> On Monday, June 2, 2014 9:37 PM, Henry Em <henryem@gmail.com> wrote:<br style="" class=""> </font> </div> <br style="" class=""><br style="" class=""> <div style="" class=""><div style="" class="" id="yiv6449130381"><div style="" class="" dir="ltr">Dear colleagues, <div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class="">I am writing with an update. Twenty-seven scholars of Korean and Japanese literature have now signed the petition for the formation of a Korean (Language, Literature, and Culture) forum within the MLA. </div>
<div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class="">It has to be said that the MLA commons website is not easy to navigate. I think you first have to become a member of MLA: <a style="" class="" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.mla.org/join_new_intro">http://www.mla.org/join_new_intro</a></div>
<div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class="">then you go to the MLA Commons: </div><div style="" class=""><a style="" class="" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/prospective-forum-llc-korean/">http://commons.mla.org/groups/prospective-forum-llc-korean/</a><br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class=""><div style="" class="">
<br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class="">- join the Korean forum, and then click on the petitions thread</div><div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class="">If you get this far, may I suggest that you also sign the petitions for the formation of Japanese, Chinese, and East Asian groups? </div>
<div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class="">Some supporters of the Korean forum include Michael Bourdaghs (Chicago), Yukiko Hanawa (NYU), and Michael Cronin (College of William and Mary) -- all scholars of Japanese Literature. </div>
<div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class="">If I were to appeal to "our" self-interest, it would be to "self-interest properly understood" -- i.e. our common welfare. The MLA would be a much more interesting place with Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and East Asia groups, all very vibrant. And it turns out that the Korean forum has more signatories than Chinese or Japanese. So, we are in a position to help establish the other groups within the MLA. </div>
<div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class="">Seven more signatures are needed, to establish the Korean forum in the MLA. </div><div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class="">Henry</div><div style="" class="">
<br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""><div style="" class="">On Sun, Jun 1, 2014 at 4:07 PM, Henry Em <span style="" class="" dir="ltr"><<a style="" class="" rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:henryem@gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:henryem@gmail.com">henryem@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br style="" class=""><blockquote class="" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<div style="" class="" dir="ltr"><div style="" class=""><div style="" class="" dir="ltr"><div style="" class=""><div style="" class="" dir="ltr"><div style="" class="">Dear colleagues, <div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class="">I would like to bring to your attention the (possible) creation of a Korean (Language, Literature, and Culture) forum within the MLA (Modern Language Association). </div>
<div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class="">As you may know, for the first time in decades the MLA is restructuring its division and discussion groups. It will be a significant change, making the MLA significantly less Euro-centric, and more reflective of what and how languages and literatures are taught today. </div>
<div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div></div><div style="" class=""><div style="" class=""><div style="" class="">In order for the Korean LLC forum to be established, at least 35 members must sign the petition, and at least 5 must volunteer for leadership positions. </div><div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div></div>
<div style="" class=""><div style="" class="">At present, however, the MLA website shows only 12 signatures. That means <u style="" class="">23 more signatures are needed</u>, and <u style="" class="">the deadline is June 15</u>. </div>
<div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div></div><div style="" class="">At present the MLA has only 2 East Asia Divisions / Discussion Groups: East Asian before 1900 and East Asian after 1900. With the restructuring, and <u style="" class="">if enough MLA members sign the petitions, seven East Asian groups will be created</u>: </div>
</div><div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class=""><div class="" style="margin-left:0.5in;"><u style="" class="">NEW</u></div><div style="" class=""><div class="" style="margin-left:0.5in;"><br style="" class=""></div><div class="" style="margin-left:0.5in;">
* CHINESE (under Languages, Literatures, and Cultures): </div>
<div class="" style="margin-left:0.5in;">1)
Pre-14<sup style="" class="">th</sup> Century Chinese Language and Literature<br style="" class=""></div>
<div class="" style="margin-left:0.5in;">2)
Ming-Qing Language and Literature </div>
<div class="" style="margin-left:0.5in;">3)
Modern / Contemporary Chinese Language and Literature </div>
<div class="" style="margin-left:0.5in;"> </div>
<div class="" style="margin-left:0.5in;">* JAPANESE (under Languages, Literatures, and Cultures):</div>
<div class="" style="margin-left:0.5in;">1)
Japanese Language and Literature before 1900 </div>
<div class="" style="margin-left:0.5in;">2) Japanese
Language and Literature after 1900 </div>
<div class="" style="margin-left:0.5in;"> </div>
<div class="" style="margin-left:0.5in;">* KOREAN (under Languages, Literatures, and Cultures): </div>
<div class="" style="margin-left:0.5in;">1)
Korean </div>
<div class="" style="margin-left:0.5in;"><br style="" class=""></div></div><div class="" style="margin-left:0.5in;"><u style="" class="">Reconfigured</u> </div><div style="" class="">
<div class="" style="margin-left:0.5in;"><br style="" class=""></div><div class="" style="margin-left:0.5in;">* East Asian, under the rubric "Asian" </div></div></div><div style="" class=""><div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class="">I am finishing my term on the Executive Committee of East Asian Languages and Literatures after 1900 -- don't ask how a historian like me wound up on this Committee -- and it's time for the real scholars of Korean literature to step forward and create the Korean LLC forum. I think this might mean you? </div>
<div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div></div><div style="" class=""><div style="" class=""><div style="" class="">You may have noticed that Chinese has 3 groups, Japanese has 2, and Korean has only 1. The MLA Executive Council will be re-evaluating the structure every 5 years, and at some point (if the Korean forum is vibrant, etc.) the Korean forum should become two groups (before and after 1900). <br style="" class="">
</div><div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class="">But none of that will happen unless the MLA gets 35 signatures. If you are a member of the MLA, please see instructions below. Or go directly to:</div><div style="" class=""><a style="" class="" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/prospective-forum-llc-korean/">http://commons.mla.org/groups/prospective-forum-llc-korean/</a> <br style="" class="">
</div><div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class="">If you are not a member, please consider becoming a member -- to make Korean literature a vital component within this influential organization. It is a pivotal moment. </div><div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class="">
Thank you in advance. <br style="" class="">
</div><div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class=""><div style="" class="">Henry Em<br style="" class=""></div></div><div style="" class=""><div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div><div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div>-- <br style="" class=""><div style="" class="" dir="ltr"><div style="" class="">Henry Em<br style="" class=""></div>
Associate Professor, Korean History<br style="" class="">Yonsei University Underwood International College<br style="" class="">Veritas Hall B, Room 425<br style="" class=""><div style="" class="">Gwahakno 85, Songdo-Dong, Yeonsu-Gu</div><div style="" class="">Incheon 406-840, Korea<br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class=""><br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class="">
<div class="" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Mobile: 82(country code)-<b style="" class="">(0)10-7232-2626</b> <br style="" class=""></div><div style="" class=""><div class="" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Office: 82(country code)-(0)32-363-4153</div></div></div></div>
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