From October 31 to November 3, the International Conference “Vladimir Nabokov, or Education Without Borders” took place in Ithaca, NY, on the campus of Cornell University. The conference included 29 paper presentations and two keynote lectures, by Gavriel Shapiro and Monica Manolescu. In addition to the anticipated scholarly offerings, the conference included visits to an exhibition on Nabokov’s Butterflies at the Mann Library (research center for the life sciences, agriculture, applied social sciences and human ecology).
The Manuscript Collections at the Koch Library presented a pop-up exhibit of inscribed books, lecture notes, a personal expense diary, letters, and many other fascinating items. On the departure day, many participants were led on a tour of four of the Nabokovs’ former Ithaca residences, including 802 E. Seneca St. (where they lived while much of Lolita, “Signs and Symbols,” and “The Vane Sisters” were written), 101 Irving Place (launchpad of Pnin), and others (a couple of homes even invited the Nabotourists inside). Some lucky separate travelers managed to drive out to 880 Highland Road, site of the prototype shagbark, which still stands, also seen in Pale Fire (see photo). (An overview of all of the Nabokovs’ Ithaca homes was put together by Akiko Nakata in 1997, and can be viewed here). It was another in a string of triumphs for the French Vladimir Nabokov Society, and the first fully collaborative conference presented by the IVNS and the FVNS together. The IVNS is grateful to all the organizers: Julie Loison-Charles, Marie Bouchet, Agnès Edel-Roi, Dana Dragunoiu, the indefatigable Chris Link, and of course the lead organizer of the whole event, Isabelle Poulin. We are also grateful to local liaison Laurent Dubreuil, Cornell University (and various funds, departments and programs there), Wellesley College, the French Vladimir Nabokov Society, the Vladimir Nabokov Literary Foundation, and many supporting organizations in France, all of which are listed under the “Program” tab of the conference site (q.v!), which of course also has all the paper titles. If abstracts become available, we will add those or links to them.
Bravo to all who contributed so much time and effort to making this sparkling event come to life!
-Stephen Blackwell
