Program director Jack De Bellis will continue to accept paper proposals until the end of April, so it’s not too late to email him your proposal and become a part of the historic First Biennial John Updike Society Conference, which will be hosted by Alvernia University in Reading, Pa., October 1-3 2010.

The program is shaping up to be a truly international event, with scholars from six different countries scheduled to present their work. We have papers by professors, graduate students, and independent scholars as well—all of which will make a nice complement to location-specific events. Two different three-hour tours of Updike sites in Reading, Shillington, and Plowville are planned. Pictured is the barn that inspired Updike to write “Pigeon Feathers” and the Pagoda/Pinnacle described in Rabbit, Run. The conference celebrates the 50th anniversary of the publication of Rabbit, Run.

The full conference schedule to date will be made public on May 3, so check back. Those wishing to propose a paper should email Jack De Bellis directly: bjd1@lehigh.edu.