At the close of the twentieth century transformations occasioned by the emergence of a global postmodern cyberculture made us increasingly uncertain about boundaries separating traditionally accepted dualities. Yet, just as we have started to feel comfortable within the fluidity of once-stable boundaries we are, once again, confronted with new distinctions that are being set up as a result of the recent political events that shook the whole world. In the wake of new categorizations or perhaps new problematizations it is significant that the 23rd annual meeting of PALA will take place in Istanbul, an ancient symbolic city which some associate with "hybridity" and others with "boundary." Hence, it is the aim of PALA 2003 Istanbul to explore both the old and the new boundaries in language and literature from an inter-disciplinary, multi-faceted and challenging perspective. To that end we seek submissions that will address, describe, analyze, define, extend, imagine, apply, reveal, problematize, challenge and even re-assert or invent textual, disciplinary, ideological, and educational boundaries.
        Please send all abstracts and proposals to pala2003@boun.edu.tr by November 1, 2002.