Alvernia University of Reading, Pa., will host the Third Biennial John Updike Society Conference October 1-4, 2014, and the keynote speakers are set.
On Thursday evening, October 2, Chip Kidd will deliver the first keynote talk. Kidd has been called the “rock star” of graphic designers because he has crafted so many iconic images, among them the cover for Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park and, of course, many of John Updike’s dust jackets. He interacted with Updike over the artwork and can offer a great many insights. For those who want to read more, we recently ran a story on Penn State’s University Libraries acquisition of the Chip Kidd archives.
Adam Begley, who wrote the first full-length biography on Updike (published in April, 2014) will deliver the second keynote talk on Saturday, October 4. To quote the HarperCollins website, “Updike is Adam Begley’s masterful, much-anticipated biography of one of the most celebrated figures in American literature: Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Updike—a candid, intimate, and richly detailed look at his life and work.”
From Kirkus Reviews: “A sympathetic, full-meal-deal biography—life, literary works, reputation . . . . Former New York Observer books editor Begley (Certitude: A Profusely Illustrated Guide to Blockheads and Bullheads, Past and Present, 2009, etc.) erects his formidable artifice on a sturdy foundation of research and convention. He interviewed the relevant relatives and friends, trod the ground in Pennsylvania (Updike’s state of birth and youth), Massachusetts and elsewhere, and read all the works of Updike’s most prolific career.”
Program director Maria Mogford has issued a Call for Papers. One-page proposals/abstracts for 15-20 minute papers should be titled “Updike Conference Proposal” and emailed by May 15, 2014 to program director Maria Mogford at mmogford@alb.edu. Decisions on panels and panelists will be announced no later than June 15, 2014, with rolling acceptances—meaning the sooner you get your proposal in, the sooner you’ll hear back from Maria. Moderators are also needed. See the Call for Papers for details.
While Mogford and site director Sue Guay, another longtime member and a professor of English at Alvernia, are still finalizing plans, some of the events for this year’s conference include:
- A tour and reception at the Reading Museum and Arboretum (on display is The Drinking Girl as cited in The Centaur).
- “A Soft Spring Night in Shillington” tour and reception at The John Updike Childhood Home (pictured), the first time a large-scale event will be held at the house, which is owned by the society and is currently being renovated.