WSFS 2012 Annual Meeting

Dates:

The 71st annual meeting of the Western States Folklore Society (WSFS) will be held 20-21 April 2012.

Location:

California State University, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, California, 95819.

Conference theme:

“The Arts of Ceremony: Living Traditions in the Twenty-first Century.” As always, papers on all aspects of folklore will be welcomed.

Archer Taylor Lecturer:

Prof. Timothy R. Tangherlini, Chair Scandinavian Section, Germanic Languages and Literatures; Dept. of Asian Languages and Cultures, UCLA.

Paper Submission:

Send an abstract of 100-200 words to Joyce Bishop jbishop@csus.edu. The deadline for submission of abstracts is 29 February 2012. All submissions must be accompanied by the payment of registration fees.

Registration fees:

Registration fees for regular members are $45; for non-members $70. Registration fees for student/retired members are $25; for student/ retired non-members $40. Registration checks should be sent to: Western States Folklore Society (WSFS), P.O. Box 3557, Long Beach CA 90803-0557.

Nonmembers who join the Society at the time of registration are eligible for membership benefits, including reduced registration fees and a subscription to Western Folklore.

Accommodations:

Larkspur Landing Home Suite Hotel, 555 Howe Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95825 (tel: 916-646-1212). Government rate of $84 for the smaller suite with one queen size bed, and $104 for the larger suite with two queen-size beds. These rates are only for reservations made before 19 March. Contact person: Jodi Garcia, Director of Sales. Identify yourself as attending the Western States Folklore Society Meeting at California State University, Sacramento.

The rooms are well appointed with a large desk and workspace, electronics, and a fully equipped kitchen. Each guest receives a complimentary breakfast. Cookies and fruit are available all day; coffee, tea, and chocolate are available 24 hours. There is a fitness room and whirlpool spa. The hotel has no restaurant, but there are numerous places to eat nearby. Parking at the hotel is free for guests.

It is a nice walk up the American River Parkway and Bike Trail to campus. For the less adventurous, it is a five minute drive or less to campus.

Alternative Accommodations:

A Comfort Inn is on the opposite side of campus across the freeway at 21 Howe Avenue (tel: 916-379-0400). The CSUS price is actually a bit higher than the Larkspur, and the facilities and neighborhood are not as nice. There is also a Motel Six just south of campus: 7850 College Town Drive (tel: 916-383-8110). Their rates are $39.99 on Thurs. and $49.99 on Fri and Sat—$6 more for an extra person.

Transportation:

Southwest, American, United, and regional carriers fly into Sacramento on a regular basis. Super Shuttle charges $22 each way from the airport to the Larkspur hotel; other shuttles are available. The taxi fare is about $60 each way. Car rentals are at airport.

Parking:

On-campus parking is $6 a day, with no exceptions.

Attractions:

The American River Bike Trail is probably the premier bike trail in the United States—nearly thirty miles through a beautiful natural area of oaks, cottonwoods, and other growth along the American River, a superb salmon and steelhead stream. CSUS is on mile 8. The trail and parkway begin at the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers in Old Town Sacramento and continue east to above Folsom Dam and Folsom Prison. Any piece of it is a great ride. Upstream from CSUS is pleasant with lots of walkers, runner, and riders.

There are many good restaurants and galleries in midtown Sacramento. Good wineries are just down the Sacramento River from the city with many neat river towns, including Locke, a Chinese settlement. The Gold Country in the Sierra foothills is about an hour's drive along Interstate 80 East and State 49.

Student Travel Stipends:

WSFS is again offering three student travel stipends of $100 each. A student must (1) indicate they are applying apply for the stipend; (2) submit their abstracts before the deadline; (3) submit two abstracts: a 100 word abstract for publication in the program and a 350 word abstract in which the paper is described in more detail with special attention to the conceptual point of the paper. This second abstract should also be emailed to Joyce Bishop. The student stipends will be announced in early March. Preference will be given to students who come from afar and incur significant travel expenses in coming to the meeting.

Contacts:

Joyce Bishop (tel:916-278-5627) or jbishop@csus.edu for matters concerning abstracts and local arrangements. For matters concerning membership, registration, and the payment of fees, contact Elliott Oring at ribbis1@verizon.net.

Schedule:

A schedule will be posted when available; please check back periodically.