By Will Lombardi, University of Nevada-Reno

The Western Literature Association (WLA) hosted two well-attended and well- received ASLE-sponsored panels at their 48th annual conference in Berkeley, CA, in October. In keeping with the spirit of the conference theme, “Califia: The West Calling the World,” each panel focused either on subjects related to California agriculture, agriculture and globalization, or both. The first panel was chaired by Kyle Bladow (University of Nevada, Reno), and featured papers by Bladow, Tom Lynch (University of Nebraska), and Mascha Gemein (University of Arizona). Bladow’s paper, “Milking It: The Pastoral Imaginary of California’s (Non)Dairy Farming,” began with a rhetorical analysis of almond milk packaging and compared contested dietary and environmental values as well as the similar sentiments about land stewardship and family in the dairy and non-dairy industries. Lynch’s paper, “Reconciliation with Place: Bioregional Narratives of Reinhabitation in the US West and Australian Outback,” examined the contentious environmental implications of the pastoral tradition on both continents, and discussed the promise and limitations of bioregional narratives written about each space. Finally, Gemein discussed the food sovereignty movement as a bioregional and cultural response to globalization and food inequity in her presentation dealing with native foodways, “Tohono O’odham Agricultural Revitalization, Food Sovereignty, and Literary Outreach.” In related WLA news, Gemein was elected to the Western Literature Association Executive Board, and Tom Lynch was introduced as the new editor of Western American Literature . Congratulations to them both!The second ASLE-sponsored panel was chaired by Paul Formisano (University of South Dakota), and featured papers by Formisano and Mark R. Bousquet (University of Nevada, Reno). Formisano’s paper, “Imperial Dreams: California Agriculture and The Winning of Barbara Worth ,” provided an ecocritical reading of the lesser known 1911 novel by Harold Bell Wright, which Formisano describes as one of the most ardent examples of the pro-reclamation sentiment that swept California at the turn of the century, a sentiment that still troubles food production and water shortage in the state today. Bousquet’s paper, “Mark Twain’s ‘Lonely Tenant’: Mono Lake, California Water Policy, and How the Rim Fire Can Save Hetch Hetchy,” likewise focused on water policy, particularly urban water use and the rhetoric of conservation near the turn of the last century. ASLE members should take note: the call for papers for the 2014 Western Literature Association conference, “Border Songs,” in Victoria, British Columbia was posted recently to the ASLE listserv and website by the conference organizers and is available on the Western Literature Association website. If you are interested in participating on an ASLE-sponsored panel in Victoria, please contact Will Lombardi, the WLA-ASLE Affiliate Liaison. Get your passport ready!