Please welcome Erik Wesner, well-known authority on the Amish and host of AmishAmerica.
I wish I could have attended the event myself!
I had the opportunity to attend the Amish technology conference at Elizabethtown College last month, entitled “Amish America: Plain Technology in a Cyber World”. Kate kindly asked me to share a few thoughts with you about it, so here goes.
Overall the conference was a great experience. It was organized by the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies and held on the Elizabethtown campus. This is a small liberal arts college located way up in the northwestern end of Lancaster County. Though this is Lancaster County, it’s not the highly-Amish portion of it (that would be more the eastern half of the county), though a number of Amish have moved into the Elizabethtown area in recent years. It’s about a thirty minute highway drive from the Intercourse/Bird-in-Hand/Strasburg areas which visitors would be more familiar with (Lancaster is a big county).
The conference was held over three days, and there were a lot of talks scheduled—so many that you couldn’t expect to attend more than a small percentage of them (I had heard there were around 100 total speakers). The format was to have seven sessions running concurrently, and you would choose which to sit in on. Then there would be larger sessions typically held in the main auditorium—these were usually the plenary speakers—which everyone would attend.
And though this was described as an Amish technology conference, in reality the topics spanned many areas, including quilting, Amish song, and non-Amish Anabaptist groups. Some covered topics of broad interest—Amish genetics or population growth or Amish fiction, while others delved into more obscure areas (one paper presentationI attended addressed Amish households’ production and consumption patterns in the 1930s and 40s) There seemed to be quite a few addressing health and medical issues.
Though a number of the talks were very interesting, the best part, for me at least, was the people. It was a lot of fun to catch up with friends and acquaintances from all over, both English people and also a number of Amish people, a couple of whom I did not know would be attending. And of course making some new friends and acquaintances. Total attendance was around 300.
I also presented a paper on Amish-themed websites. I don’t love giving talks, but this one went well, and I enjoyed the questions and follow-up people had. Typically speakers would have about 20 minutes to discuss their papers (not as long as it sounds, as a number of speakers discovered), followed by a short audience Q-and-A. I also got to convene a few of these sessions, which basically amounts to being the person who shuts down speakers who go too long, so everyone has time to talk. But no speaker threw anything at me when I motioned for them to wrap it up, so I guess it went well. So there you have a bit of the glamorous behind-the-scenes nitty gritty.
Some people have asked when the next conference will occur. I don’t have an answer for that; Elizabethtown has put on other Amish-themed conferences in recent years, including an Amish forgiveness conference in 2011, but there is not a set schedule.
However if you are interested in the material covered you can view at least one segment from the conference online. On Sunday C-SPAN aired a recorded panel discussion with the authors of the new book The Amish—Donald Kraybill, Karen Johnson-Weiner, and Steven Nolt. That is viewable in its entirety here. Additionally, some of the papers presented will be published in some form in academic journals.
Finally, I wrote a few posts for my website sharing my day-by-day experience of the conference. Here are Day 1(tour groups, quilts, Kevin Kelly), Day 2(international panel, meeting blog readers), and Day 3 (my talk, Amish genetics).
Please leave a comment for Erik or me, and possibly win one of my books, either Pennsylvania Patchwork or Leaving Lancaster. Entrants must be USA residents only. Winner has one week to respond. Please leave email address so I can contact winner!
The winner of last week’s giveaway with Vannetta Chapman is Sonja N! Congratulations, Sonja!
I hope that I win. Sharma Darby rdarby@roadrunner.com
Good luck, Sharma!
Wow!! Did you visit Lancaster County while nearby for the conference?
Will you ever have a book signing in the Gettysburg/York/Lancaster area?
Iwould love to win!!
Would really love to win a book.
I get most of my books from the library, but enter every sweepstakes hoping to increase my personal library. Thank you for this opportunity.
I use the library too, Martha, but love owning my own books!
I have Leaving Lancaster on my bookshelf. It looks lonely without Pennsylvania Patchwork sitting next to it 🙂 Would love to win. Please accept my entry. Thank you.
I hate to think of Leaving Lancaster getting lonely!
What a NICE giveaway! Good luck everyone!! bethekelsay@yahoo.com
And good luck to you!
I live in an area where there are a lot of Amish and German Baptist. Love seeing the horse drawn buggies at our small village grocer. I admire their skills and would love to learn quilt making and canning from them, but do not know how to even get myself in a position to ask lol.
Thanks for all your hard work, both of you!
Sounds like fun, Elizabeth! Getting your foot in the door can be tough, but Erik is the expert and has traveled extensively among the Amish. I am fortunate to have Amish friends and relatives living in Lancaster County.
This would be neat to win and add to my collection! Love reading his work sounds wonderful. Lisa
I am so grateful to have Erik as my guest today! He has a fabulous website with articles aplenty about the Amish.
Kate I do appreciate you sharing this with your readers, and thanks readers for having a read. This post made me realize how time flies, it’s already been two months.
Would love to win a book! rlepree@musfiber.com
Thanks for entering, Rachel!
I enjoyed the blog. Sounds like Eric had a good time. I would love to win.
Blessings
joeym11@frontier.com
Thanks for entering, Diana! Erik is a wealth of knowledge!
Wow! Did you visit Lancaster County Amish Country while you were nearby at the conference?
Will you ever be in the Gettysburg, York, or Lancaster area for a book signing?
I would love to win a copy of your book.
I think this question might be for Erik, Elaine, but I’ll answer that the conference was located in Lancaster County.
Wow, that is neat! I never knew there was an Amish conference. Very interesting!
Linda Ortiz
Strgth4yu@hotmail.com
I was disappointed not to be able to attend, Linda, as the director of the Young Center had invited me. I’m sure it was fascinating and I would’ve enjoyed hearing Erik’s presentation!
Interesting person. I wonder how the Amish feel about being “studied?”
Erik is a most interesting person and I often read his informative articles on the Amish, Judy. No, the Amish do not like being studied, and yet they are visited by 4 million tourists a year in Lancaster County. I have found the Amish I’ve met and become friends with to be genuinely kind and friendly.
I don’t think Amish appreciate a camera stuck in their face, but I can say they really appreciate the work of some studies such as genetic and health related research.
I love your books Kate and I read Erik’s blog everyday. It would be wonderful to win one of your books. I read the first one and really enjoyed it.
Thanks for the chance to enter this drawing.
Deb
drharb@iowatelecom.net
I also read Erik’s blog every chance I get, Debra! So glad to hear you enjoyed reading Leaving Lancaster
Please enter me in this contest. Thanks much!! judyfritz@yahoo.com
Thanks for visiting my blog!
Sounds like a great conference. Would love to win a book written by you. I use our public library and sometimes they are limited in what they can order. Thank you for sharing this giveaway.
Barbara Thompson
barbmaci61(at)yahoo(dot)com
Thank you for visiting my blog, Barbara! Good luck in the giveaway!
Hi, Kate. Loved Pennsylvania Patchwork but would love to win Leaving Lancaster. Thanks for this contest and thank, you, Eric , for your sharing your thoughts with us! I hope to win!
flowersmarylou85(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks for the visit, Mary Lou! I think you need a copy of Leaving Lancaster!
Thanks Mary Lou, it was nice to recall the conference and think about why I enjoyed it.
Hi Kate,it seems as though the meetings went well.I’m sure you and Eric did a great job. It’s exciting when people talk about and are so knowledgeable about The Amish. I went to a used book store trying to find books on any of you and I told her I loved anything Amish. She said it was very popular right now,even though she had several of Beverly Lewis,I could not find any of yours but I’m hoping that will change soon as more and more people are reading everyone’s books that write Amish.I’ll keep doing my part,getting the word out there.Blessings to you!
Erik is the one who went to the conference and made presentations, Linda. I wish I could have attended. Thanks for looking for my books! Much appreciated!
Love your “Pennsylvania Patchwork”. Thanks for your visit to Book Fun Club for readers. Enjoyed listening to you and learning about your books. I truly enjoyed reading PA Patchwork. Have a wonderful & blessed week.
Oh, that chat was so much fun, Pat! A wild ride with a dozen conversations going on at once … sort of like our dinner table when I was growing up. I’m very pleased to hear you enjoyed Pennsylvania Patchwork!
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I would love to win. Tammy Hudson HUBTIVOLI1@YAHOO.COM
Thanks for the visit and for entering, Tammy!
I went to the Amish town when I was up at my niece house.I really did enjoy it.Paula told me a lot about the Amish.I want to go back.I really like reading about the Amish way of life.vwaxel@yahoo. coming would love to win a copy of your book.thank you.vickie
I enjoy reading about the Amish too! And writing about them!
What an interesting blog entry. I have been reading and studying lots about Amish genealogy. Very fascinating and their starts in Switzerland. As a genealogist by profession, following their travels to find religious freedoms is really a fascinating subject, also. It is very difficult to find Anabaptist church records, but often they are found in the “state” church religion’s record books. There is usually an interesting article written about these people as they are required to be registered by law. Love to find these entries.
Your profession sounds so interesting, Sonja. Their history is indeed fascinating!
Greetings to kate and Erik. This was interesting Erik. I would have listened to lotss off it. Sounds like there was a big crowd. Kate, I would sure enjoy winning the Patchwork book to go with my first one. Thanks for the give-away. Maxie mac262(at)me(dot)com
I wish I could have been at the conference to hear Erik in person! Thanks for leaving a comment!
Love the Amish & tour different communities whenever possible – love their simplicity, dedication to their faith, cooking (especially eating in Amish homes),furniture, & crafts!
Thanks for the opportunity to win one of your books!
bonnieroof60(at)yahoo(dot)com
Sounds like you enjoy marvelous trips, Bonnie! Thank you for sharing your insights.
Kate is posting for Paula Shouse Newton:
I loved reading today’s blog it was very interesting. Sounds like it would have been fun. Do they seminars/conferences like that 1 other places as well. Would love to go. I especially if they had a seminar/conference in Kentucky. Love learning about the Amish.
Kate also entered: Linda Zaragoza-Zrubek
Wow, who knew there were Amish conferences for this! I learned something new today. 🙂 Great info!
lattebooks at hotmail dot com
I am under the impression this was the first conference of its kind, Susan. I was invited, but not able to attend. Heavy sigh.
what an awesome conference that must have been! Love your blogs, and go right to my email every day looking forward to reading what you have to say.
Debbie Rhoades
ReadingMama922@gmail.com
Attending the conference would have been wonderful, Debbie! Thank you very much for keeping an eye on my blog!
wow i didnt know that. i would love to win one of her books. my email is houswife(at)gmail(dot)com God bless both of yall thanks ida davis
You are officially entered, Ida! Thanks for stopping by my blog.
read eric’s blog very interesting i love readin andhearing about amish communities i would love to win your books mrs.loyd kimingram46@yahoo.com
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Kimmie! Thanks for your comment!
Would love to visit Lancaster Co and surroundings areas. I would probably never leave. Would love to win your Books Katie. Angel4god(at)charter(dot)net
It’s worth there trip, LeAnn! Thanks for writing!
I love Amish literature and hope to win one of your books. Mercedes H. hall.mercy@gmail.com
Thanks for writing, Mercedes!