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William Paterson University to Host the Fifth Biennial Conference of the William Carlos Williams Society

--Theme of the conference is “Williams and Women”

William Carlos Williams

The work of William Carlos Williams, who was born in Rutherford, will be discussed when an international group of scholars gathers for the Fifth Biennial Conference of the William Carlos Williams Society at William Paterson University in Wayne from June 27 to 29. The theme of the conference is “Williams and Women.” A feature of this year’s conference will be remarks by his granddaughter, Daphne Williams Fox of Rutherford.

The conference participants include scholars from the United States, Canada, Germany, and India. A bus tour will visit Paterson, including the Great Falls and other sites that inspired Williams’ multivolume epic poem Paterson, and his hometown of Rutherford, on June 29.

The keynote speaker for the conference is Julio Marzan, professor, Nassau Community College, who is the author of The Spanish Roots of William Carlos Williams, as well as numerous critical essays, poems, and books of poetry. He was previously a Visiting Distinguished Professor in the Department of Languages and Cultures at William Paterson University. His topic is “Women Metaphors in the Creation of ‘William Carlos Williams,’” analyzing the development of Williams’ complex persona.

The conference director is Ian Copestake, University of Bamberg, Germany, who is managing editor of the William Carlos Williams Review, and the author of numerous books and essays, including The Ethics of William Carlos Williams’ Poetry.

William Carlos Williams (1883-1962) was born in Rutherford, NJ, and, in addition to his literary career, practiced obstetric and pediatric medicine until his retirement around 1950; his son, William Eric Williams, followed him into the medical practice.  Williams’ youngest granddaughter, Daphne Williams Fox, will share memories and perspective on her father and grandfather in a presentation at the conference.

The conference is sponsored in part by The Friends of the Cheng Library, the Cheng Library, and the Office of the Provost. Conference coordinators are Anne Ciliberti, dean of the Cheng Library, and Stephen Hahn, interim provost.

The conference is free and open to the public; there is a fee for the bus tour.  For additional information, please visit the conference website at www.wpunj.edu/william-carlos-williams or telephone Anne Ciliberti at 973-720-2113.