Back of the Northern Plains "definition" of "Early British Literature" as something so broad as to include Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France and the Lyrical Ballads (1798) must be a pathetic attempt to permit as many papers as possible into the conference -- though, as I pointed out, even so they relaxed their definition so as to admit Carlyle (1795-1881!) and Lawrence. One shudders to think that they regarded D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930) as "Early British Literature") -- but who else could be meant? T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935)?
The papers contained plenty of attention to current stuff ("Comparing Class Structure in Le Morte DArthur [sic] and BBC's Merlin", anyway, and let us not forget the workshop on "Class and Gender in the Professoriate."
I'm glad I decline to participate in this Waughesque event.
What an impression of a profession that is played out.
Real English studies are going on, but, often, without academic sponsorship or notice.
As I said to one of my students, "You love a good book? Welcome to the underground."
Thanks, all, and if there are further comments, I'll be interested to see them; but now you know how I came to ask.