Wednesday, February 17, 2016

CFP: Special Issue of Symbiosis: A Journal of Transatlantic Literary and Cultural Relations

Transatlanticism's Influence on British Literary Study

Transatlanticism is often credited with enriching, and sometimes even correcting, the study of American literature. By de-emphasising the nation and its perceived coherence and uncovering crosscurrents from the British Isles, Europe, and Africa, transatlanticism seems the opposite of American exceptionalism. How, though, has transatlanticism enriched or challenged the study of British literature? The journal Symbiosis invites articles of 5,000 to 7,000 words for a special issue on this topic, to appear in April 2017. Articles may, for example, analyse new authors, texts, genres, readings, or movements highlighted by the transatlantic context; study the influence of American writing on British writing; study how an encounter with American peoples gives shape to British literary styles or forms; analyse the cultural transmission of American discourses in the British Isles; disentangle (or entangle) the impact on ideas of Englishness of postcolonialism, Irish and Scottish studies, and transatlanticism; assess strategies for teaching transatlanticism; or discuss how the transatlantic puts pressure on period or genre designations within British literary study (like ‘Romantic’ or ‘Victorian’). Regardless of the focus, articles should articulate the ramifications of transatlanticism for future studies of British literature. Submissions should be double spaced throughout, prepared (initially) to any recognised humanities style sheet, and addressed or sent as email attachments to both the guest editors (contact information listed below) by July 1st 2016. Please contact the guest editors with queries pertaining to the special issue.

Stephanie Palmer, Senior Lecturer of English, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK.stephanie.palmer@ntu.ac.uk

Erin Atchison, University of Auckland. erin.j.atchison@gmail.com

Thursday, February 11, 2016

CFP: The Afterlives of Eve

The Afterlives of Eve
9-11 September 2016 at Newcastle University and Durham University
Keynotes: Sandra M. Gilbert (UC Davis), Wendy Furman-Adams (Whittier), John Bothwell (Durham)
From Genesis to mitochondrial Eve, the idea of a single common foremother has occupied a crucial space in the Western cultural imaginary. Eve, whether as bringer of sin, as life-giver, as burden, curse or saviour, functions as a commentary on maternity, sexuality, creativity and power.  This cross-period and interdisciplinary conference will be an opportunity to explore the impact of her varied representations through the centuries and across different genres and media. How has this archetypal figure been revised and revisited by conservative and radical thought? What personal, polemical and/or creative uses have been made of the figure of Eve? What persists and what changes in her depictions across time and geographical space?  How have women and men negotiated their shared and different relationships to Eve? How has Eve been appropriated, neglected or rejected as a foremother? How does she speak to fantasies of masculine or feminine self-sufficiency? What cultural, political, literary and/or theological spaces does she occupy now? Topics might include, but need not be limited to:
  • Origins of/Sources for Eve                            
  • Other Eves               
  • The absence of Eve        
  • Representations and Transformations of Eve                                                                     
  • Eve as Over-reacher

We welcome papers from all disciplines in arts, humanities and sciences and covering any historical period. We also welcome panel proposals including PGR panel proposals. Titles and abstracts of no more than 250 words per speaker should be sent to Ruth Connolly (ruth.connolly@ncl.ac.uk) and Mandy Green (mandy.green@durham.ac.uk) by 12 March 2016. Panel proposals should also include a title for the panel's programme. Speakers will be notified by March 21st.
We gratefully acknowledge support from MEMS at Newcastle (http://research.ncl.ac.uk/mems/), Newcastle University's Academic Conference Fund and also from IMEMS at Durham University (https://www.dur.ac.uk/imems/research/).                                                                                                              (A limited number of PGR bursaries may be available. Please indicate when sending your abstract whether you would like to be considered for a bursary.)