October 2-3rd, 2026 at Yale University
The 83rd Annual English Institute meeting, “Reversal,” will take place October 2-3, 2026 at Yale University. This event is co-sponsored by the Whitney Humanities Center.
Find out more and register here.
For more than seven decades, The English Institute has been a major resource for developments in criticism, theory, and scholarship, while honoring traditional fields of interest and modes of literary analysis.
Three institutions will now host The English Institute conference: Yale University (2015, 2018, 2023, and 2026), the University of Chicago (2016, 2019, 2024), and the University of California at Irvine (2017, 2022, and 2025).
Shared reading for “The Conversation”: Friedrich Nietzsche, “On Truth and Lying in a Non-Moral Sense” (linked here).
Schedule
Friday, October 2
1:00 pm: Welcome
1:10 pm: Welcome (Yoon Sun Lee and Daniel Stout)
1:20 pm: Bonnie Honig, “The Accidental Ordinary: Euripides’ Hippolytus in Reverse” (Introduced by Jennifer Fleissner)
2:50 pm: Coffee break
3:00 pm: Sarah Beckwith, “The Impossibility of Reversal: Shakespeare’s Turnings in The Winter’s Tale and Some Intertexts” (Introduced by Nancy Yousef)
4:30 pm: Coffee break
5:00 pm: Emily Greenwood, “Third Person Regret: Shipwreck and Black Atlantic Counterfactuals” (Introduced by Kevin Quashie)
6:30 pm: Opening Reception
Saturday, October 3
8:30 am: Continental breakfast
9:00 am: Heather Love, “Doubling Back” (Introduced by Caleb Smith)
10:45 am: Coffee break
11:00 am: Daniel Hack, “Expectations? Great!” (Introduced by Virginia Jackson)
12:45 pm: Lunch
1:45 pm: The Conversation: Friedrich Nietzsche, “On Truth and Lying in a Non-Moral Sense”
2:45 pm: Coffee break
3:00 pm: Minou Arjomand, “Aesthetic Labor from Wagner to Abortion Theater” (Introduced by Shonni Enelow)
4:45 pm: Mel Y. Chen, “Method’s Negative Spaces” (Introduced by Meredith Martin)
6:15 pm: Closing reception
Travel
Depending on where you are coming from, there are several ways to travel into New Haven.
Air
Avelo Airlines flies to Tweed New Haven Airport (HVN) from twenty-six locations. Yale campus is a 10-15 minute car ride from the airport.
Please note that most major (New York area) airports are between two and five hours from New Haven via shuttle bus, train, or car. It is best to plan to arrive at these airports in the early morning to early afternoon.
If you will be flying, we recommend flying into La Guardia International Airport. From there you will take a shuttle bus to Grand Central Station and take the Metro North to New Haven’s Union Station. The Metro North runs regularly and does not require purchasing tickets before arriving at the train station. Another excellent option is flying into Newark airport. From Newark you can take an Amtrak train to New Haven’s Union Station. While Amtrak prices fluctuate you are able to book in advance and reserve seats.
Ground
If you are travelling regionally and would like to take the train to New Haven you can take the Metro North from New York City’s Grand Central Station to New Haven’s Union Station or the Amtrak can be taken from most major hubs to New Haven’s Union Station.
The Yale Shuttle provides service between Union Station and campus destinations. Please note that there are now TWO shuttle stop locations in front of Union Station. If the stop directly in front of the station is congested, shuttle drivers pick up in front of the parking garage. Please look for Shuttles in both locations.
Taxis meet all trains and buses at Union Station in New Haven. Include a tip for taxi drivers of about 15% of the total fare; add an extra $1 to $2 for help with luggage. Uber and Lyft are also widely available in New Haven.
Hotels near the conference include:
1157 Chapel Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Phone: 203.503.3900
Estimated price/night: $250-$300
229 George Street
New Haven, CT 06510
Phone: 203-498-3100
Estimated price/night: $174-$274
155 Temple Street
New Haven, CT 06510
Phone: 203-772-6664
Estimated price/night: $150-$250
The Graduate by Hilton New Haven
1151 Chapel Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Phone: +1-833-GRADHOTELS
Estimated price/night: $250-$350
9 High Street
New Haven, CT 06510
Phone: 203-390-5352
Estimated price/night: $250-$300
Travel Stipends
The English Institute is pleased to offer travel stipends of $300 each to graduate students and contingent faculty attending the conference. These awards are in addition to the $300 stipends available to one graduate student or faculty member from each sponsoring institution. Graduate students and contingent faculty interested in applying should email their application, a short letter of intent and estimated budget, to englishinstitute@yale.edu. The conference organizers will review applications, and funding decisions will be communicated directly to applicants.
Registration
Faculty & Students from Sponsoring Institutions: FREE
Faculty from Non-Sponsoring Institutions: $50
Students & Scholars from Non-Sponsoring Institutions: $20
We request that all conference attendees fill out the online registration form (name, institutional affiliation, email address) as soon as you can, since room capacity is limited.
Register via eventbrite here.
Membership
For an annual donation of $600, sponsoring institutions enjoy a waived registration fee for all faculty and students, a listing in all promotional materials, and participation in The English Institute’s travel subsidy program, which provides up to $250 toward transportation and lodging costs for one graduate student or one untenured faculty participant.
To become a sponsor, please contact The English Institute at englishinstitute@yale.edu.
Questions? Contact The English Institute at englishinstitute@yale.edu or visit http://englishinstitute.yale.edu for further information.