Western Literature Association (WLA)
Founded in 1965, the Western Literature Association (WLA) is a non-profit, scholarly association that promotes the study of the diverse literature and cultures of the North American West, past and present. "Western" in this context is defined broadly and refers to all of North America that historically or critically has been considered "West" as well as to comparative studies of the American West that cross regional or national boundaries.
In 2003, Krista Comer served as President of the WLA and organized its annual conference.
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~wla/index.htm