Special Events
Conference keynote speakers will explore interconnections between the sciences and the humanities and address concerns of activists and artists who bridge the gap between the academy and the public, engaging in various ways with the conference theme of reclaiming the commons.
Keynote Speakers at ASLE + AESS 2023
Special Sessions & Meet-Ups
Sunday Welcome and Keynote

David James Duncan, is author of the novels The River Why, The Brothers K, and the forthcoming (August 2023) Sun House.
Talk Title: TBD
Monday Keynote

Elizabeth DeLoughrey specializes in Island Studies, focusing especially on the Caribbean and Pacific Islands. She will give a joint plenary with AESS speaker Alejandro Frid, an ocean ecologist and science director of the Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance.
Talk Title: TBD
Monday Night, Awards Presentation
The Awards Reception is a long-standing AESS tradition. Award recipients will receive their physical award and be given the opportunity to share a speech. Traditionally, the Lifetime Achievement award winner ends the ceremony with a speech.
This event will be jointly held with ASLE, who will also be distinguishing awardees.
Tuesday Plenary

Jeremiah “Jay” Julius is a fisherman, Lummi Nation Tribal member, and advocate for the Salish Sea. He will speak at a keynote with Carol Craig.
Carol Craig is a member of Yakama Nation, and is a writer, photographer, editor, and public speaker, with a focus on her people and their efforts to restore the salmon runs. She will speak at a keynote with Jay Julius.
Talk Title: TBD
Wednesday Plenary

Wednesday will culminate with the final conference plenary, hosted by ASLE and open to all attendees.
Cristina Rivera Garza is a Mexican fiction writer, historian, and activist.