Out Now - Mythlore for Spring - Summer 2024

Just released this week: Mythlore's special issue on "Fantasy Goes to Hell."

Copies of the complete issue can be purchased directly from the Mythopoeic Society. Individual pieces can be accessed from their archive at  SWOSU Digital Commons. 

Mythlore 144 Volume 42, Issue 2   

Spring/Summer 2024

Table of Contents

Introduction to the Special Issue: Fantasy Goes to Hell

— Janet Brennan Croft and Erin Gianinni

Tolkien, Augustinian Theodicy, and ‘Lovecraftian’ Evil

— Perry Neil Harrison

Substance Abuse: The Symbolic Geography of Hell in The Great Divorce

— Richard Angelo Bergen

Denial and Acceptance: A Core Myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in the Modern Lyric

— Brian O. Murdoch

Orpheus and the Harrowing of Hell in the Tale of Beren and Lúthien

— Giovanni Carmine Costabile

Two Roads to Hell: Rebirth and Relevance in Musical Adaptations of Katabatic Myth

— Jarrod DePrado

Timeless Moments: Russell Kirk, Charles Williams, and Stephen King on the Afterlife

— Camilo Peralta

Hell on His Mind: Dean Winchester’s Journey to Hell and Back

— Anna Caterino

“Hell is Only a Word, The Reality is Much, Much Worse”: Black Holes as Fantasy Gateways to Hell

— Kristine Larsen

Hell as an Exploration of Sin: A Comparison of Alan Moore’s Providence to Dante’s Inferno

— Zachary Rutledge

Notes and Letters

Dating “The Dark Tower”: C.S. Lewis, the Nazis, and the Jews — Lee Oser

Whatever Happened to The Princess Bride? Thoughts for Further William Goldman Research — G. Connor Salter

Some Observations on the Newspaper Reports on Tolkien’s Andrew Lang Lecture in 1939 — Matthew Thompson-Handell

In Memoriam: Peter J. Schakel — Janet Brennan Croft

In Memoriam: Richard (Dick) Plotz — Janet Brennan Croft

Reviews

Monster Midway: An Uninhibited Look at the Glittering World of the Carny by William Lindsay Gresham — G. Connor Salter

Fantasy: How It Works by Brian Attebery — Glenn R. Gray

Tarot and Other Meditation Decks: History, Theory, Aesthetics, Typology, 2nd edition, by Emily E. Auger — Laurel M. Stevens

The Archetype of the Dying and Rising God in World Mythology by Paul R. Rovang — James Hamby

The Inklings, the Victorians, and the Moderns: Reconciling Tradition in the Modern Age by Christopher Butynskyi — Hannah Frances Roux

Essays Triologue: Kepler, Twain, Lewis by Susan Dorman — Sharon L. Bolding

Pursuing an Earthy Spirituality: C.S. Lewis and Incarnational Faith by Gary S. Selby — Sarah O’Dell

The Literary Tarot, The Literary Tarot Classics Edition Guidebook, and Oracle’s Atlas: A Companion to the Literary Tarot Classics Edition from the Brink Literacy Project — Emily E. Auger

The Medieval Worlds of Neil Gaiman: From Beowulf to Sleeping Beauty by Shiloh Carroll — Kris Swank

J.R.R. Tolkien in Central Europe: Context, Directions, and the Legacy edited by Janka Kascakova and David Levente Palatinus — Nancy Martsch

Tolkien in the Twenty-First Century: The Meaning of Middle-Earth Today by Nick Groom — Laura N. Van Dyke

Ursula K. Le Guin’s “A Wizard of Earthsea”: A Critical Companion by Timothy S. Miller, and Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea by John Plotz — David Bratman

Mystical Perelandra: My Lifelong Reading of C.S. Lewis & His Favorite Book by James Como — Eleanor Knobil

A Joyful Outpost: Exploring the Household Economy of the Beavers from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, by Aaron Bair — Josiah Peterson

Journey Back Again: Reasons to Visit Middle-earth, Mythopoeic Press edition, edited by Diana Pavlac Glyer — Kristine Larsen

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit: Realizing History Through Fantasy by Robert T. Tally Jr. — Bianca Beronio

Historical Dictionary of Fantasy Literature, 2nd edition, by Allen Stroud — Douglas A. Anderson

Briefly Noted:

101 Middle Eastern Tales and their Impact on Western Oral Tradition, by Ulrich Marzolph — Daniel C. Snell

The Road to Fair Elfland: Tolkien on Fairy-stories: An Extended Commentary, by Giovanni Carmine Costabile — Landon Loftin

CFP NEMLA 2023 "The Classics Take Centerstage: Theatrical Adaptations of Ancient Histories and Myths" (9/30/2022)

NEMLA 2023 "The Classics Take Centerstage: Theatrical Adaptations of Ancient Histories and Myths"

source: https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2022/06/15/nemla-2023-the-classics-take-centerstage-theatrical-adaptations-of-ancient-histories

deadline for submissions:
September 30, 2022

full name / name of organization:
Charles Firestone East, Columbia University

contact email:
cfe2107@columbia.edu



In celebration of the off-Broadway début of The Tyrannicides, the first ever full theatrical adaptation of the story as told in Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War, this roundtable calls for a discussion of theatrical and cinematic (re)tellings of classical histories and myths. As The Tyrannicides makes its audience confront the tragic events that eventually led to the foundation of democracy in the West, a larger history set against a more personal story of romance that dissects homoeroticism and pederasty in ancient Greece, the works in discussion at this roundtable will highlight the enduring relevance of these classical stories to the contemporary circumstances of our present — be it for their social, historical, cultural, or other significance. With a very open definition of what counts as “classical” and “modern,” this roundtable welcomes proposals from scholars who come from a variety of backgrounds and who work with various canons (i.e. both classicists who work primarily with the original tellings of these stories and modernists whose expertise lies more in their (re)tellings). Preference will be given to proposals that highlight specifically some aspect of enduring relevance that make their proposed history’s retelling and commentaries pertinent in debates ongoing in contemporary society. Nonetheless, proposals might also treat the very act of adaption, focusing on the shift in cultural norms from antiquity to the present and the particular challenges of reframing those stories for a contemporary audience.


Last updated June 16, 2022

CFP ARISTEIA: The Journal of Myth, Literature, and Culture (Spec. Issue on Myth, Deep Time, Extinction, Survival) (5/15/2022)

ARISTEIA: The Journal of Myth, Literature, and Culture

Special Issue on Myth, Deep Time, Extinction, Survival

deadline for submissions: May 15, 2022

full name / name of organization: 

Michael T. Williamson / Indiana University of Pennsylvania

contact email: mtwill@iup.edu

source: https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2021/09/23/aristeia-the-journal-of-myth-literature-and-culture-special-issue-on-myth-deep-time

Call for Papers for ARISTEIA: The Journal of Myth, Literature, and Culture

Myth, Deep Time, Extinction, Survival

ARISTEIA: The Journal of Myth, Literature, and Culture returns after a twenty-year hiatus. This peer-reviewed print journal is now published under the auspices of the Dessy-Roffman Myth Collaborative at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. For our first issue, we invite scholarly essays of 5,000-7,000 words, poems of any length (including epic poems), and short stories of no more than 4,000 words. This issue’s theme encourages contributors to explore the relationship between Myth, “Deep Time” (geological time, metaphysical time, cosmological time, etc.), Extinction, and Survival. Please send preliminary abstracts of 500 words by December 10, 2021 or completed essays, poems or stories to Dr. Michael Williamson (mtwill@iup.edu) and Allen Shull (mrhcc@iup.edu) by May 15, 2022.

Myth can give us hope, existential strength, and the courage to face adversity. It can bring people and communities together. Weaving together (aspirational and/or inspiring) tales from our various mythological traditions, we can sustain ourselves in times of plenty and in times of scarcity. Myth attests to disasters as well as creations, and it beckons us, often uncertainly, towards forms of transcendence and plenitude that challenge our conceptions of what it means to be human.  Recent studies on geology, literature, and culture, for instance, reinforce the role that mythological thinking plays in shaping our expectations regarding catastrophe and continuity. David Sepkoski’s recent examination of how geological thinking affects culture, Catastrophic Thinking, for example, explores “the recognition that extinction is a ubiquitous, even commonplace phenomenon represents a profound shift in scientific and cultural awareness of the tenuousness of life and the balance of nature that has taken place over the past two hundred years” (17). Embracing and enriching diversity may seem to be a solution, but “but we also struggle with what diversity is and what it means” (16). As one of the most primary cultural artifacts of the human imagination, myth activates ideas about time, extinction, and diversity. How do we regard the death of plants and animals in catastrophic climate change, and how do we react to extinctions in the past, even the deep past? How do we deal with social extinctions, whether language death, erosion of the middle class and social mobility, or loss of traditional cultures and folkways? Do we mourn losses or celebrate amalgamations?  Our editorial board encourages scholarly research and creative writing that engages with these questions.

Subjects to Consider:

• Literary and cultural conception of extinction of species, family, language
• Literary and cultural conception of diversity in species and in cultures
• Literary and cultural conception of feuds, aristocratic extinction, or changing ways of life
• The literary and cultural conception of future extinctions and diversifications
• Literary genres and artistic branches as sites for extinction and diversification
• Language preservation, evolution, convergence, death, preservation, revival, reconstruction, and artificial construction
• Literary and cultural conception of catastrophe: loss, rescue, abandonment, and exile
• Literary and cultural conception of cross-temporal connections: immortality, time travel, preservation, rediscovery

Scholarly essays on all periods of literary and cultural history are welcome, but this issue especially welcomes works related to Mythology and Science Fiction, Mysticism, and literature and cultural objects from historical times of stress such as the plagues, revolutions, and natural disasters. Poems and short stories should address the theme of this cfp in a clear way.

Please direct inquiries to Dr. Michael T. Williamson (mtwill@iup.edu) and Allen Shull (mrhcc@iup.edu) For more information on the Dessy-Roffman Myth Collaborative visit https://www.iup.edu/news-item.aspx?id=294439&blogid=6121

Last updated September 24, 2021

CFP Greek Mythology & Modern Culture: Reshaping Aesthetic Tastes (11/30/21; Spec Issue of Humanities)

Greek Mythology & Modern Culture: Reshaping Aesthetic Tastes

Source: https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2021/03/29/greek-mythology-modern-culture-reshaping-aesthetic-tastes

deadline for submissions: November 30, 2021


full name / name of organization: Humanities


contact email: phillipzapkin@gmail.com




Dear Colleagues,

Much of the Western world has a rising problem with white nationalists. These white supremacists often co-opt fields like Classics, medievalism, and Norse mythology to support their racist ideologies—twisting these disciplines and repressing or ignoring evidence for the multicultural and multiracial realities of the ancient and medieval world. In terms of Classics, these distortions and appropriations have been documented by an emerging generation of scholars like Donna Zuckerberg, Dan-el Padilla Peralta, Curtis Dozier, Sarah Bond, and others. Ancient myth, literature, and symbols continue to pervade modern culture.

In particular, Greek myth continues to shape modern worldviews, influence contemporary artists and writers, and appeal to our literary and aesthetic tastes. However, understandings of Greek myth—both in its original context and its reception by later generations—have changed dramatically over time. This special issue of Humanities seeks articles about current research in Greek mythology. Submissions should present cutting edge research about an aspect of Greek myth, prepared for a general audience.

Specific topics might include:

• Greek drama, tragedy, or comedy
• Greek vase paintings
• Epic or lyric poetry
• Reception studies
• Adaptations
• (Re)-Examinations of mythic structures (e.g., rethinking Joseph Campbell’s Hero With A Thousand Faces)
• Feminist analysis of Greek myth
• Postcolonial analysis
• Psychoanalytic analysis
• Generic or cross generic analysis (e.g., myths adapted for film or TV)
• Cross-cultural comparison between Greek myths and myths from other cultures
• Children’s or Young Adult literature, movies, or TV

This special issue seeks to offer an impression of the field, with essays presenting different arguments about Greek myth. While this is a broad brief, the issue as a whole should explore the ways in which Greek myth, and debates about it, remains relevant to the modern world.

Dr. Phillip Zapkin
Prof. Dr. Kevin Wetmore
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information



Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Humanities is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Last updated April 6, 2021 

 

One last cfp for the day:

CFP: Mythmoot VII: Defying and Defining the Darkness, June 25–28, 2020, Leesburg, VA, USA
https://www.fantastic-arts.org/2020/cfp-mythmoot-vii-defying-and-defining-the-darkness-june-25-28-2020-leesburg-va-usa/
February 1, 2020

Mythmoot VII: Defying and Defining the Darkness

“Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.”
— attributed to Anne Frank

When: June 25–28, 2020
Where: The National Conference Center
Leesburg, VA
USA

What is Mythmoot VII?

Mythmoot VII, with the theme of “Defying and Defining Darkness,” combines an academic conference, creative writing meet-up, and fan convention for a unique experience. Here at Mythmoot, we have room for serious scholarship in fields such as science fiction, high fantasy, horror, gothic, mythology, children’s literature, folklore.. .the list goes on. We also appreciate less academic, but no less enthusiastic, pursuits of all the above—such as demonstrations of how to knit the best fake candle ever, presentations theorizing the exact recipe for Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, or papers dissecting the cultural background of Baron Harkonnen!

Call for Proposals:

Where there is light there is darkness—the two play off of each other. This concept appears throughout literature all over the world in yin and yang, good and evil, two sides of the same coin, and even in the literal sun rising and setting. How does one define the darkness? Can darkness only be defied once it is known? Should darkness even be defined or defied? We want to hear how you believe defining and defying the darkness interacts with the stories you love and how you would approach the topic.

We are accepting proposals for Papers, Panels, Workshops, and Creative Presentations about defying or defining the darkness (or tangential topics) in the following areas of study:

● Imaginative Literature (ex: Harry Potter, Dune, The Call of Cthulhu, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Dresden Files, etc.)
● Tolkien and Inklings Studies
● Classic Literature from ancient times to the present
● Philology

If you are unsure whether your topic fits, send your proposal or a description of your idea to the listed submissions email, and we will let you know.

Individual presentations, whether creative or critical, will have 30 minutes—20 minutes for presentation and 10 for Q&A. (N.B. The “creative” category is not limited to original works but could include presenting or performing art, music, drama, or dance. If you have any questions about what you can present, please contact the submissions email.)

Panels must contain at least 3 papers and/or presenters and will be allocated 90 minutes total for presentations and Q&A.

Workshops must identify their own length (either 30 min, 60 min, or 90 min) and include justification for the requested time. Workshops may be run individually, but it is recommended that a workshop have at least two leaders. (Workshop examples: the knitting of Smaug hats, an interactive discussion on dragon species, etc.)

Papers will be presented in 90-minute sessions of 1 – 3 presenters. Each presenter will have 30 minutes (20 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for questions) to present their paper.

Proposal Submittal:
Your submission to events@signumu.org must contain the following in the email: the type of submission, a title, a 300-word abstract or description, the name(s) of the presenter(s), and a two-sentence biography for each presenter. Title your email “Mythmoot VII Proposal”. All submissions must be received by 11:59 pm EST on March 13th, 2020.

No presentations will be given in absentia, and your submission to Mythmoot VII is considered an agreement to attend and present should your proposal be accepted. Each room will have a projector for presenter use.

CFP SFRA Conference (3/31/20; Bloomington 7/8-11/20)

CFP: SFRA 2020
https://www.fantastic-arts.org/2020/cfp-sfra-2020/
February 19, 2020


DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 3/31/20 (details at http://www.sfra.org/Coronavirus-News)


SFRA 2020
Wednesday, July 8th – Saturday July 11th
Indiana University, Bloomington IN
Conference Theme: Forms of Fabulation

Keynote Speakers:
Tavia Nyong’o
Kate Marshall
Special Guest: John Crowley (author of Little, Big)

The Science Fiction Research Association invites proposals for its 2020 annual conference, to be held on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

The SFRA is the oldest scholarly association for the study of science fiction and related genres. It brings together important writers of speculative fiction with premiere scholars of speculative fiction to discuss and debate timely and relevant themes. The annual conference also recognizes important contributions to the field through the Pioneer and Pilgrim Awards for excellence in scholarship.

This year we take FABULATION as our key term. Fabulation is a potent political force as well as an emerging genre convention. Ranging from fantasy fiction and the New Weird to fictional sciences and prefigurative politics, fabulation centers the importance of imagining otherwise in the construction of reality as a scholarly as well as a fictional action.

Fabulation is a future-oriented practice that draws from the energies of the past and the perspectives of the oppressed. Keynote speaker Tavia Nyong’o writes that Afro-fabulation resurfaces from the historical archive those untimely ideas that were “never meant to appear” (3) in majoratian culture and so could only be articulated by way of minor genres and obscure gestures—in performance art, speculative fiction, gossip and legend. Building on the critique of imperial sciences by Indigenous scholars and imaginative writers that were the focus of the 2019 conference, this year’s conference asks what subjugated knowledges can be found in the speculative fiction archives and how they might be surfaced in the present toward multispecies thriving and antiracist worlding. At the same time, reality-production as a form of fictionality has become the principle characteristic of politics in the 21st-century. In addition to asking how we can make fabulations, the conference theme also asks participants to consider the ethics of fiction in the post-truth era.

Topics related to the conference theme include:

● prefigurative politics, visionary fiction, & speculative futurisms
● the weird and the New Weird
● fantasy fiction, fairy stories, magic
● Afro-futurism, indigenous futurisms, and related genres
● post-truth politics and fabulation
● fabulation and Afro-fabulation
● insurgent research, fictional sciences, and related methods
● decolonial speculative fiction
● fabulation and the occult
● aesthetic warfare, feminist witchcraft, meme magic
● aesthetics as a technology of resistance
● European mythology and the problem of white supremacism
● fabulation, environmental ethics, and eco-eroticism
● fabulation and the nonhuman
● fabulation in games, videos, and other non-print media
● fabulation, cosplay, cons, and fan cultures
● science fiction, fantasy and the Midwest
● African, Afro-caribbean, and Indigenous cosmologies
● technology and magic
● children’s literature and magic
● Posthumanism, speculative realism, and fabulation

We also welcome papers on topics relevant to science fiction research broadly conceived that are not specifically related to the conference theme, including proposals for preconstituted panels & roundtables.

300-500 word abstracts should be sent to SFRA2020IU@gmail.com by March 15 2020. Acceptance notices will be returned by April 1.

Questions concerning this call for papers, preconstituted panels, & roundtables can be directed to SFRA2020IU@gmail.com with the subject line “CFP QUESTION,” or to the conference’s local organizers, Rebekah Sheldon (rsheldon@indiana.edu) and De Witt Douglas Kilgore (dkilgore@indiana.edu).

Graduate students are encouraged to submit abstracts & to attend, regardless of whether they plan to present.

Some conference travel grants will be made available. Applications will be posted soon and due on 15 April 2020.

You will also need to join SFRA (or renew your membership) in order to register for the conference. Conference Registration information will be posted soon.

http://www.sfra.org/

CFP Mythcon 51 (5/15/2020; Albuquerque 7/31-8/3/2020)

Mythcon 51

The Mythic, the Fantastic, and the Alien

http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/mythcon-51.htm

http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/mc51-CFP.htm
 
Albuquerque, New Mexico
July 31 - August 3, 2020

Location

Please join us at the Ramada Plaza Hotel by Wyndham in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for Mythcon 51. Albuquerque is a wonderful “destination city” where Mythcon has been held only once before in 2011 (Mythcon 42) and is well worth the return.

Call for Papers

Download PDF of Call for Papers here

CONFERENCE THEME: THE MYTHIC, THE FANTASTIC, AND THE ALIEN

This year’s Mythcon theme provides multiple opportunities to explore the Other in fantasy and mythopoeic literature. Tolkien spoke in “On Fairy-stories” of “the desire to visit, free as a fish, the deep sea; or the longing for the noiseless, gracious, economical flight of a bird.” We invite discussion about the types of fantasy that are more likely to put us into contact with the alien, such as time portal fantasy and space travel fantasy. In addition to Inklings, some writers who deal particularly well with the truly alien who might be explored include Lovecraft, Gaiman, Le Guin, Tepper, and others. Other topics that might be fruitfully explored are:

  — depictions of the alien Other in film and television (Contact, Arrival, HBO’s Watchmen, etc.);
  — developing constructed languages that are truly different from those of Earth-based humans;
  — fantastical Others in indigenous myths (such as Coyote and Spider Woman from Native American mythology);
  — and American folklore about the alien (flying saucers, alien abduction, Area 51, Roswell).

Papers on our conference theme and the works and interests of our guests of honor are especially welcome, although all subjects will be considered. 
 

GUESTS OF HONOR

Papers on the works and interests of our guests of honor are also especially welcome:

• Author Guest of Honor Rivera Sun is the author of The Dandelion Insurrection, The Roots of Resistance, and other novels. Her young adult fantasy series, the Ari Ara Series, has been widely acclaimed by teachers, parents, and peace activists for its blending of fantasy and adventure with social justice issues. The Way Between, the first book in the Ari Ara Series, has been read by numerous groups of all ages, while the second book in the series, The Lost Heir, has been nominated for the 2020 Dayton Peace Literature Prize. 

 

• Scholar Guest of Honor David Bratman is has been reading Tolkien for over fifty years, and has been writing Tolkien scholarship for nearly as long. His earliest contribution to the field was the first-ever published Tale of Years for the First Age, right after The Silmarillion was published. Since then he has published articles with titles like “Top Ten Rejected Plot Twists from The Lord of the Rings,” “Hobbit Names Aren’t from Kentucky,” and “Liquid Tolkien” (on Tolkien and music). He’s been co-editor of Tolkien Studies: An Annual Scholarly Review since 2013, and has written or edited its annual “Year’s Work in Tolkien Studies” since 2004. David edited The Masques of Amen House by Charles Williams and contributed the bio-bibliographical appendix on the Inklings to Diana Pavlac Glyer’s The Company They Keep. He has also written on C.S. Lewis, Ursula Le Guin, Mervyn Peake, Neil Gaiman, and others.

PAPERS and PANELS PROPOSALS

Email papers abstracts of 200-500 words to this year’s Paper Coordinator:
Cami Agan
cami.agan@oc.edu
by May 15, 2020.

Email panels abstracts of 50-150 words to Panels Coordinator:
Leslie Donovan
leslie.a.donovan@gmail.com
by May 15, 2020.

Include AV requests and the projected time needed for your presentation. We will make every effort to accommodate A/V requests, but such equipment is limited and cannot be guaranteed. Available time slots: Individual long papers are one hour, roughly 45 minutes for the paper with 15 minutes for discussion; Individual short papers or 1/2 hour, roughly 20 minutes for the paper with 10 minutes for discussion; Panels are 90 minutes, roughly 60 minutes for the panel with 30 minutes for discussion.
You will be notified after the deadline if your paper proposal has been accepted. See our Alexei Kondratiev Award for details on our student paper award!

All presenters must register for the full conference; please see the Mythcon 51 Registration page for information and rates.

Participants are encouraged to submit papers chosen for presentation at the conference to Mythlore, the refereed journal of the Mythopoeic Society (www.mythlore.org). All papers should conform to the 8th edition of the MLA Style Manual. Presenters who are full-time undergraduate or graduate students are encouraged to submit their completed conference papers in advance for consideration for the Alexei Kondratiev Student Paper Award. Please see www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/alexei.htm for more information.

ABOUT THE MYTHOPOEIC SOCIETY

The Mythopoeic Society is an international literary and educational organization devoted to the study, discussion, and enjoyment of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and mythopoeic literature. We believe the study of these writers can lead to greater understanding and appreciation of the literary, philosophical, and spiritual traditions which underlie their works, and can engender an interest in the study of myth, legend, and the genre of fantasy. Find out about the Society s activities at: www.mythsoc.org

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CFP Myth and Fairy Tales Area (10/31/2019; SWPACA 2/19-22/2020)

Call for Papers: Myth and Fairy Tales at Southwest Popular/American Culture Association (SWPACA) 2020
https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2019/09/17/call-for-papers-myth-and-fairy-tales-at-southwest-popularamerican-culture-association


deadline for submissions: October 31, 2019

full name / name of organization: Southwest Popular/American Culture Association

contact email: sheila.dooley@utrgv.edu



Call for Papers

Myth and Fairy Tales

Southwest Popular / American Culture Association (SWPACA)



41st Annual Conference, February 19-22, 2020

Hyatt Regency Hotel & Conference Center

Albuquerque, New Mexico

http://www.southwestpca.org

Proposal submission deadline: October 31, 2019



Proposals for papers and panels are now being accepted for the 41st annual SWPACA conference.  One of the nation’s largest interdisciplinary academic conferences, SWPACA offers nearly 70 subject areas, each typically featuring multiple panels.  For a full list of subject areas, area descriptions, and Area Chairs, please visit http://southwestpca.org/conference/call-for-papers/



All scholars working in the areas of myth and/or fairy tales are invited to submit paper or panel proposals for the upcoming SWPACA Conference. Panels are now forming on topics related to all aspects of myths and fairy tales and their connections to popular culture. To participate in this area, you do not need to present on both myths and fairy tales; one or the other is perfectly fine. Presentations considering both genres are of course welcome and can stimulate interesting discussions. Proposals for forming your own Myth or Fairy Tale-focused panel – especially panels focused on one particular myth/tale – are encouraged.

Paper topics might include (but are certainly not limited to):

• Where Fairy Tales and Myth Overlap
• Non-Western Myths and Fairy Tales
• Revised Fairy Tales
• Fairy Tales in/as “Children’s Literature”
• Disney
• Urban Fairy Tales
• Ethnic Myths and Fairy Tales
• Gendered Readings of Myths and Fairy Tales
• Postcolonial Myths and Fairy Tales
• Myths and Fairy Tales in Advertising Culture
• Reading Myths and Fairy Tales in the Popular Culture of Past Centuries
• Performing Myths and Fairy Tales: Drama and/or Ritual
• Genres of Myths and/or Fairy Tales: Film, Television, Poetry, Novels, Music, Comic Books, Picture Books, Short Stories, or Graphic Novels

All proposals must be submitted through the conference’s database at http://register.southwestpca.org/southwestpca



For details on using the submission database and on the application process in general, please see the Proposal Submission FAQs and Tips page at http://southwestpca.org/conference/faqs-and-tips/



Individual proposals for 15-minute papers must include an abstract of approximately 200-500 words. Including a brief bio in the body of the proposal form is encouraged, but not required.



For information on how to submit a proposal for a roundtable or a multi-paper panel, please view the above FAQs and Tips page.



The deadline for submissions is October 31, 2019. 

SWPACA offers monetary awards for the best graduate student papers in a variety of categories. Submissions of accepted, full papers are due January 1, 2020.  For more information, visit http://southwestpca.org/conference/graduate-student-awards/



Registration and travel information for the conference is available at http://southwestpca.org/conference/conference-registration-information/



In addition, please check out the organization’s peer-reviewed, scholarly journal, Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy, at http://journaldialogue.org/

If you have any questions about the Myth and Fairy Tales area, please contact its Area Chair, Sheila Dooley, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), Sheila.dooley@utrgv.edu



We look forward to receiving your submissions!




Last updated September 23, 2019
This CFP has been viewed 213 times.

CFP Greco-Roman Myth in Literature and/or the Arts (9/30/2018; NeMLA 2019)

Greco-Roman Myth in Literature and/or the Arts
https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2018/07/03/greco-roman-myth-in-literature-andor-the-arts

deadline for submissions: September 30, 2018

full name / name of organization: Ronnie Ancona

contact email: rancona@hunter.cuny.edu


The Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA) has recently added Classics as a secondary area of inquiry under Comparative Literature. Please consider submitting an abstract for a panel on Greco-Roman Myth in Literature and/or the Arts, which I will be chairing, for the 50th anniversary convention to be held in Washington DC March 21-24, 2019.


Since Classics is a new secondary area of inquiry for NeMLA, this session attempts to cast its net quite broadly. The intention is to appeal to classicists or others dealing with Greco-Roman literature, history, archaeology, and culture and its later reception for abstracts that will have wide appeal to the NeMLA audience.

Myth is a central feature of Greco-Roman studies as well as its legacy. We look for papers addressing any aspect of Greco-Roman myth in its original contexts or in its later reworkings. Papers may be theoretical in nature, addressing various ways of defining and interpreting myth, or may focus on one or more specific instantiations of Greco-Roman myth. Papers addressing the permutations of a single myth over time are welcome, as are discussions of pedagogical issues involving the teaching of Greco-Roman myth, in general, or of a specific myth or type of myth.

All abstracts (and eventual papers) should have in mind the general NeMLA audience and should not be aimed solely at classicists. All papers should be presented in English.

The topic of Greco-Roman myth will allow for a panel that deals with Greco-Roman literature and culture as well as its reception. The aim of the panel will be to demonstrate the contribution of Classics to a living tradition.



For further general information, go to the following links:

https://www.buffalo.edu/nemla.html

https://www.cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/17374


For submissions (due September 30th), go to the first link above and click on “Submit Your Abstracts.” Then in the search box at the upper right corner, search by “Ancona” or the panel title.



NeMLA membership is not required to submit abstracts but it is required to present at the convention.

CFP Fantastic (Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction) Area 2018 (6/1/18; NEPCA Worcester, MA 10/19-20/18)

Fantastic (Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction) Area
Eleventh-Anniversary and Farewell Sessions

2018 Conference of the Northeast Popular Culture/American Culture Association (NEPCA)
Worcester State University, Worcester, Massachusetts
19-20 October 2018
Proposals due 1 June 2018

Formed in 2008, the Fantastic (Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction) Area will hold its eleventh-anniversary and farewell sessions in 2018, and we seek proposals from scholars of all levels for papers and/or panels that explore any aspect of the intermedia traditions of the fantastic (including, but not limited to, elements of fairy tale, fantasy, gothic, horror, legend, mythology, and science fiction) and how creative artists have altered our preconceptions of these subtraditions by producing innovative works in diverse countries, media, and time periods and for audiences at all levels.
Presentations will be limited to 15 or 20 minutes in length depending on final panel size.
An archive of previous work in the area exists at our website Northeast Fantastic (https://northeastfantastic.blogspot.com), which is intended as a gateway to furthering research on the fantastic.

Special Topics:

• Given the proximity of the conference to Halloween, we are always interested in proposals related to monsters and the monstrous.
• This year, we are also looking for papers related to the fantastic in children’s culture, especially the works of the Walt Disney Company.
• Furthermore, in celebration of the two hundredth anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in 2018, we are organizing a special session devoted to “Frankenstein 1818 to 2018: 200 Years of Mad Scientists and Monsters.” Details can at our outreach site Frankenstein and the Fantastic at https://FrankensteinandtheFantastic.blogspot.com/.

Directions for Submission:
Please contact area chair Michael A. Torregrossa at cfp.nepcafantastic@gmail.com, using “NEPCA Fantastic 2018” as your subject line, with any questions in advance of the 1 June 2018 deadline.
Submissions for papers and/or panels should be made online through the “2018 Proposal Form” at https://nepca.blog/2018-conference/. Please select “The Fantastic (Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction)” as your designated area. A complete submission includes contact information, academic affiliation (if any), an academic biographical statement (between 50 and 200 words), a paper title (no more than 60 characters), and a paper abstract (no more than 250 words). Do also send copies of your biography and proposal to the area chair at cfp.nepcafantastic@gmail.com, using “NEPCA Fantastic 2018” as your subject line.


The Northeast Popular/American Culture Association (a.k.a. NEPCA) was founded in 1974 as a professional organization for scholars living in New England and New York. It is a community of scholars interested in advancing research and promoting interest in the disciplines of popular and/or American culture. NEPCA’s membership consists of university and college faculty members, emeriti faculty, secondary school teachers, museum specialists, graduate students, independent scholars, and interested members of the general public. NEPCA is an independently funded affiliate of the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association. Membership is open to all interested parties, regardless of profession, rank, or residency. NEPCA holds an annual conference that invites scholars from around the globe to participate. In an effort to keep costs low, it meets on college campuses throughout the region.

Membership in NEPCA is required for participation and annual dues are included in conference registration fees. Further details are available at https://nepca.blog/membership-information/.

CFP Making History: Biographical Imperatives in Constructing “Robin Hood” (2 sessions)

CFP: Making History: Biographical Imperatives in Constructing “Robin Hood”
http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/node/67274

full name / name of organization:
Lorraine K. Stock / International Association for Robin Hood Studies
contact email:
lstock@uh.edu

Lorraine K. Stock is soliciting abstracts for SEMA 2016 and Kalamazoo 2017. Please note the deadlines, as the SEMA one is soon. While the Kalamazoo deadline for abstracts is in September, Lorraine would appreciate abstracts sooner than later so that she can better plan for Kalamazoo 2017 as session proposals are due to the Congress in mid-June.

CFP: Making History: Biographical Imperatives in Constructing “Robin Hood”

SEMA 2016, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, October 6-8, 2016

AND

51st International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, MI, May 11-14, 2017

Robin Hood (hereafter RH), his outlaw comrades, and antagonists sprang ex nihilo from the greenwood and urban centers of Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire in such late medieval ballads as RH and the Monk, RH and the Potter, The Gest, and RH and Guy of Gisborne. Presuming audience familiarity with RH’s biography and the origins of his outlawry, these early texts narrated RH’s adventures in medias res, without supplying background about or the origins of the outlaw. Langland’s casual reference to the “Rimes of Robyn Hode” in Piers Plowman (1377) attests medieval familiarity with RH’s real or fictional identity. Already by the 15th century, Andrew of Wyntoun, Walter Bower, and John of Fordun chronicled (therefore historicized) RH’s exploits. 16th-century writers further summarized or augmented RH’s growing collective biography. Citing an “auncient pamphlet,” in 1569 Richard Grafton historicized his elevation of RH from yeomanry to an earldom. Anthony Munday’s 1598 plays, The Downfall … and the Death of Robert Earl of Huntington, extended the growing “biography” of RH: situating him in Richard I’s Plantagenet court; endorsing his earldom; and affiancing him to noble Matilda Fitzwater/Maid Marian, absent in the medieval ballads. The creation of anonymous 17th and 18th-century broadside ballads and chapbooks supplied backstory for the outlaw’s “history.” Bishop Percy combined ballads from Samuel Pepys’ 1723 collection with the Percy Folio’s texts (including RH ballads) in his 1765 oft-reissued Reliques of Ancient English Poetry. Capping this biographical imperative, antiquarian Joseph Ritson published his 1795 (and oft-reissued) 2-volume Robin Hood: A Collection of All the Ancient Poems, Songs, and Ballads…To Which are Prefixed Historical Anecdotes of His Life. Ritson’s Preface, a 10-page “Life” of RH, is documented by 104 pp. of “Notes and Illustrations” supporting his construction of RH’s personal history. Subsequent iterations of RH’s biography adopted and adapted Ritson’s paradigm.

Rather than solicit documentation attesting the historical existence of an actual outlaw who was (or supplied the model for) the figure now recognized as “RH,” this session about biography/historiography and RH invites 15-20 minute papers investigating various manifestations of this enduring imperative to adapt, augment, or change the “history” or constructed “biography” of RH in any media including (but not limited to): medieval and post-medieval literary texts and chronicles; modern historiography (Rodney Hilton, Maurice Keen, etc.); post-medieval poetry, plays, fiction; opera; films; television; print and film documentaries. Final paper length depends on the number of apt abstracts.

For those interested in submitting an abstract for the 55th Annual Southeastern Medieval Association (SEMA) Conference, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, October 6-8, 2016, send 1-page abstracts before May 16 to Lorraine K. Stock, University of Houston: lstock@uh.edu

For those interested in submitting an abstract for the 51st International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, MI, May 11-14, 2017, send 1-page abstracts before September 10 to Lorraine K. Stock, University of Houston: lstock@uh.edu


By web submission at 04/14/2016 - 15:12

CFP Modern Myth and Legend (9/2/2015; Louisville, KY 2/18-20/2016)

Modern Myth and Legend - Louisville Conference (Feb. 18-20, 2016)
full name / name of organization:
International Lawrence Durrell Society
contact email:
clawsonj@gram.edu
http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/node/63312

The Louisville Conference on Literature and Culture Since 1900


http://www.thelouisvilleconference.com


Louisville, KY | 18-20 February 2016

"we do create the world around us since we get it to reflect back our inner symbolism at us. Every man carries a little myth-making machine inside him which operates often without him knowing it. Thus you might say that we live by a very exacting kind of poetic logic--since we get exactly what we ask for, no more and no less."
--The Dark Labyrinth (1947)

Dealing overtly with ideas of myth and legend, Lawrence Durrell's The Dark Labyrinth chronicles the adventures of British tourists exploring a cave system on Crete just after World War II. Despite their awareness of how reality is transformed by their individual experiences, beliefs, and myth-making, they are no less susceptible to the fear of the minotaur which might be chasing them through the dark passageways. A myth becomes the way we understand the world. As a legend, the monster and its labyrinth offer grounds to reflect on personal terrors and emerge triumphant—or be consumed.

In anticipation of our upcoming conference on Crete, the International Lawrence Durrell Society calls for papers addressing the broad theme of Modern Myth and Legend for a society-sponsored session of the 2016 Louisville Conference. We welcome proposals on aspects of Durrell's writing or other topics addressing the theme. Some possible topics include the following:

• W. B. Yeats's esoteric blending of Greek, Irish, and other mythologies
• Refigured legends in the aftermath of T.S. Eliot's "Ulysses, Order, and Myth," including Iris Murdoch's The Green Night or John Gardner's Grendel
• Frazer's The Golden Bough and its impact on modernist literature
• Fantasy repurposing legend, as in Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea series
• Mythologizing the 20th century in film, including for example Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth or Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away
• Legendary societies, urban legends, apocrypha, and literary mysteries
• Symbolic use of tall tales, or the literary adapting of Bigfoot, werewolves, vampires, minotaurs, homunculi, gorgons, witches, griffins, manticores, giants, etc.

Please send a 250-word abstract to James Clawson (clawsonj@gram.edu), International Lawrence Durrell Society, by Sept. 2, 2015. Final presentations should be limited to 20 minutes in length.


By web submission at 08/06/2015 - 20:58

CFP Mythology In Contemporary Culture (10/1/2015; PCA/ACA Seattle 3/21-25/2016)

Mythology In Contemporary Culture in Seattle March 21-25
full name / name of organization:
Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association
contact email: earth2k8@mac.com
http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/node/63433

2016 Popular Culture Association (PCA)/American Culture Association (ACA)
Annual National Conference, March 21-25 Sheraton Seattle
Seattle, WA

Mythology in Contemporary Culture

The frequent appearance of mythological figures and motifs in all areas of popular culture speaks to the notion that mythologies, far from being relics of the past, continue to have significance in the contemporary world. Contemporary revisionings and reinterpretations of ancient mythological elements reflect the attitudes of current culture. Movies, television, computer games, comics, graphic novels, traditional literature, visual arts, performing arts, politics, blogs—the list goes on–-contain both explicit and implicit epiphanies of archetypes such as Hermes and Isis and Kali, and of mythological narratives such as those found in classical Greek tragedies or medieval Grail legends, to name only a few examples.

Proposals that pertain to the general theme of Mythology in Contemporary Culture are welcomed. Please note that, for purposes of this area, the term “mythology” refers to traditional narrative mythology and does not include postmodern evaluations or deconstructions of such “mythologies” as capitalistic materialism, colonialism, or structuralism.

Please submit an abstract of 250 words or less directly to http://ncp.pcaaca.org no later than October 1, 2015. General instructions for submitting proposals through the PCA website may be found here: http://pcaaca.org/national-conference-2/proposing-a-presentation-at-the-.... Proposals submitted after the deadline cannot be considered.

Questions about the Mythology in Contemporary Culture area may be directed to:
Kate Rittenhouse
(604) 836-5396
earth2k8@mac.com


By web submission at 08/14/2015 - 03:14

CFP Association for the Study of Women and Mythology Conference (11/15/2015; Boston, MA 4/1-2/2016)

“Seeking Harbor in Our Histories: Lights in the Darkness, April 1-2, 2016, Boston, Massachusetts”
full name / name of organization:
Association for the Study of Women and Mythology
contact email:
aswmsubmissions@gmail.com
http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/node/63533

Goddess Scholarship draws on historical, ethnographic and folk sources, among others, to document and honor the sacred and mundane stories which animate the traditions and spiritual lives of our global sisters and our foremothers.

In past conferences, the innovative methodologies and scholarship of ASWM participants have served to problematize contemporary perceptions of civilization, “modernization” and “progress.”

Multi¬discipline research methodologies have focused on representing historical, thealogical, philosophical, mythological, symbolic, cultural, linguistic and aesthetic lineages.
This year’s conference theme embraces the heritage of location in the historical City of Boston, a harbor city rich in stories and symbols of First Nations of the Atlantic Northeast and the formation of the United States.

We invite papers and panels including,but not limited to the following topics:

• Harbor and hearth as women¬centered metaphors
• Myth and lineage of the spirit of place, especially focus on the larger Boston area
• Indigenous stories, histories, and women’s communities of the Atlantic North East
• Paradigms of rebellion, freedom and independence
• Water, ritual and civilization, stories of aquatic goddesses
• Perspectives on First Nations/First Worlds
• Women’s sense of self, social agency, and their roles as citizens
• The female principle in ethics and ancient wisdom for modern times
• Cultural ecofeminism
• Animal mysteries and myth
• Ancestry, foremothers and methodology
• Changing experiences and definitions of the sacred and the profane

Papers should be 20 minutes; panels with up to four papers on a related topic may be proposed together. Workshop proposals should be organized to provide audience interaction and must clearly address the theme. All sessions and workshops are limited to 90 minutes.

Presenters from all disciplines are welcome, as well as creative artists and practitioners who engage mythic themes in a scholarly manner in their work. Presenters must become members of ASWM.
Send 250 -word abstract (for panels, 200 word abstract plus up to 150 words per paper) in PDF or MSWord to aswmsubmissions@gmail.com by November 15, 2015.

Use “2016 proposal” and last name in subject header. Include bio of up to 70 words for each presenter, as well as contact information including surface address and email. See www.womenandmyth.org for program updates and registration.


By web submission at 08/19/2015 - 23:00

New Journal & CFP: The Bulletin of the International Association for Robin Hood Studies

New Journal: The Bulletin of the International Association for Robin Hood Studies
https://networks.h-net.org/node/13784/discussions/76074/new-journal-bulletin-international-association-robin-hood-studies

Discussion published by Alex Kaufman on Wednesday, July 22, 2015

The International Association for Robin Hood Studies (IARHS) is pleased to announce the creation of a new, peer-reviewed, open-access journal, The Bulletin of the International Association for Robin Hood Studies. The journal will be published bi-annually beginning in Spring 2016 and will be available on the IARHS’ website, Robin Hood Scholars: IARHS on the Web: http://robinhoodscholars.blogspot.com/.

Scholars are invited to send original research on any aspect of the Robin Hood tradition. The editors welcome essays in the following areas: formal literary explication, manuscript and early printed book investigations, historical inquiries, new media examinations, and theory / cultural studies approaches.

We are looking for concise essays, 4,000-8,000-words long. Submissions should be formatted following the most recent edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. Submissions and queries should be directed to both Valerie B. Johnson (valerie.johnson@lmc.gatech.edu) and also Alexander L. Kaufman (akaufman@aum.edu).

CFP Sea Literature, History & Culture Area (10/1/015; PCA Seattle 3/22-25/2015)

Of potential interest:

Call for Proposals, Session, and Panels on SEA LITERATURE, HISTORY & CULTURE

Announcement published by Stephen Curley on Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Type: Call for Papers
Date: March 22, 2016 to March 25, 2016
Location: Washington, United States

For the joint national conference (22-25 March 2016 in Seattle, WA) of the Popular Culture & American Culture Associations (PCA/ACA), we invite proposals of individual papers or special panels.

Presentations related to fresh-water or sea-water may include topics like

 Literature, comics, art, music, television & movies
 History, politics, war & peace
 Culture, anthropology & ecology
 Folklore, mythology, legends & hoaxes
 Ships, boats, etc.
 Aquatic life
 Recreation, travel, tourism & festivals

DEADLINE: 1 Oct. 2015 to submit your 100-250 word proposal or abstract online to http://ncp.pcaaca.org

Contact Info:
Stephen Curley, Area Chair
Sea Literature, History & Culture
Dept. of General Academics
Texas A&M University at Galveston
Galveston, TX 77553-1675
(409) 740-4501
Contact Email:
curleys@tamug.edu
URL:
http://pcaaca.org

CFP Footprints of Orpheus: Cult, Topoi, and Character in Medieval and Early Modern Britain (9/30/15; NeMLA 2016)

Footprints of Orpheus: Cult, Topoi, and Character in Medieval and Early Modern Britain--A NeMLA 2016 Panel
https://networks.h-net.org/node/73374/announcements/75274/footprints-orpheus-cult-topoi-and-character-medieval-and-early

Announcement published by David Pecan on Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Type:
Conference
Date:
March 17, 2016 to March 20, 2016
Location:
Connecticut, United States
Subject Fields:
Medieval and Byzantine History / Studies, Modern European History / Studies, Literature


Footprints of Orpheus: Cult, Topoi, and Character in Medieval and Early Modern Britain

As scholars of Medieval and Early Modern culture, what can we learn from considerations of the Orphic presence in the literature of Britain? The idea and image of Orpheus, in folk narrative, cultural analogue, literary motif, emblem, symbol, and foundational myth, has influenced and inspired the British literary tradition since its very beginning, and as such offers opportunities for close readings of influence and innovation of the prototype.  Drawn from Celtic, Classical, Scandinavian, and Continental source material, Orpheus and Orphic analogues have enabled the development and characterization of poetic progenitors, bardic personae, narrative performativity, and tales of the poet as hero, within and without patterns of social cohesion and divergence.  Additionally, manifestations of Orpheus have informed notions of the authoritative “voice” of poetic text, links between creation and ownership of literary artifacts, the idea of the “author” as “tradition,” and the interface of performativity and the literary marketplace.  Hosted by Professor David Pecan of SUNY Nassau, this NeMLA 2016 panel invites papers from interested faculty, graduate students, and independent scholars.

Please submit proposals via the NeMLA website: https://www.cfplist.com/nemla/Home/cfp and access Session # 15726 or search term Orpheus.  The deadline for abstract submission is September 30th, 2016.

Northeast Modern Language Association

47th Annual Convention

Hartford, Connecticut

March 17-20, 2016

Hosted by the University of Connecticut

Contact Email:
david.pecan@ncc.edu
URL:
https://www.cfplist.com/nemla/Home/cfp

CFP Encyclopedia of American Folklore (7/15/2015)

CFP: American Myths, Legends, and Folktales
Sunday, June 14, 2015
https://networks.h-net.org/node/13784/discussions/72545/cfp-american-myths-legends-and-folktales

ABC-Clio is publishing a three-volume reference collection titled American Myths, Legends, and Tall Tales: An Encyclopedia of American Folklore in early 2016.  The editors seek contributors from fields of literature, history, anthropology, sociology, folklore, and allied subjects to write entries ranging from 750-2500 words on a wide range of topics.  The purpose of the encyclopedia is to introduce students and general readers to the key myths and legends in North American culture, and to provide extensive, easily accessible coverage of the multifaceted American folklore tradition.

ABC-Clio intends to offer an up-to-date, attractive resource based on current scholarship in the field, including useful illustrations, selections from primary texts, informative sidebars, and references for further reading and research.  Entries will provide coverage of diverse traditions within the genre of folklore and mythology, including Native American traditions, and include treatment of newer traditions such as urban legends and UFO stories.


Contributors will receive publication credit in the encyclopedia and may choose from several options for compensation.  The editors will send information about compensation upon request.


Deadline for the FINAL round of submissions is July 15, 2015.


Writers should contact the editors to request a list of available entries.  Send name, title, institutional affiliation (if applicable), mailing address, email address and a current CV to:



Jeffrey B. Webb
Edwina Patton Chair in the Arts & Sciences and
Professor, Department of History
Huntington University
2303 College Avenue
Huntington, Indiana  46750

email: jwebb@huntington.edu

cfp The Fantastic: Positions from Another World (Panel at the SCLA) (4/15/15)

From H-Announce:

https://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=220807

NOTE EXPIRED DEADLINE

The Fantastic: Positions from Another World (Panel at the SCLA)
Location: Louisiana, United States
Conference Date: 2015-04-15
Date Submitted: 2015-03-01
Announcement ID: 220807
Panel for the Annual Meeting of the Society for Comparative Literature and the Arts.

Four Points by Sheraton

New Orleans, LA

October 15-17 2015

 The Fantastic: Positions from Another World

 “The fantastic is . . . a product of human imagination, perhaps even an excess of imagination. It arises when laws thought to be absolute are transcended, in the borderland between life and death, the animate and the inanimate, the self and the world . . . The fantastic is the unexpected occurrence, the startling novelty which goes contrary to all our expectations of what is possible. The ego multiplies and splits, time and space are distorted.”
― Franz Rottensteiner, The Fantasy Book: An Illustrated History From Dracula To Tolkien

 Authors of the fantastic employ various strategies to create new worlds. Magic, ghosts, and the supernatural are only a few of the ways in which our world is transformed into something different, but not altogether alien. Whether it be a hidden world of monsters, a future world of robots and aliens, a past world of vampires, or a new world of dragons and elves, the fantastic allows authors to explore the positions created by the otherworldly. These positions have consequences for the subject’s relationship to the political, rhetorical, theoretical, ideological, sexual, psychological, cultural, and so on. This panel seeks submissions for papers that engage with all types of literature or multimedia whose authors or creators represent worlds outside, behind, or beside our own. Possible topics could include but are not limited to:

The supernatural

The magical

Horror

The gothic

Sci-fi

Fantasy

Myth

Romantic literature

Medieval literature

Magical realism


Please send 300-500 words abstracts to ccmoore@mailbox.sc.edu by April 15th, 2015.


Casey C. Moore
University of South Carolina

Email: ccmoore@mailbox.sc.edu

CFP Myth and Fairy Tales Area (11/1/14; SWPCA 2/11-15/15)

CFP: Myth and Fairy Tales Area, SWPCA Conference, Feb 11-15, 2015
full name / name of organization:
Southwest Popular/American Culture Association
contact email:
weeksj@iupui.edu
Abstract/Proposals Due: 1 November 2014
Source: http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/node/57791

Southwest Popular/American Culture Association’s 36th Annual Conference
Albuquerque, NM February 11-15, 2015
Hyatt Regency Albuquerque
330 Tijeras
Albuquerque, NM 87102
General information and online registration

Panels now forming on topics related to all areas of myth and fairy tale and their connections to popular culture. To participate in this area, you do not need to present on both myths and fairy tales (one or the other is perfectly fine), but we have seen that bringing both genre categories into conversation has led to extremely valuable and stimulating conversations.

Papers relating to the 2015 Conference Theme: “Many Faces, Many Voices: Intersecting Borders in Popular and American Culture” will be given special consideration. This is an immensely broad topic, and paper topics might be as variable as (though certainly not limited to):

• --Myths and Fairy Tale Narratives from WWII
• --Irish Myths and the Great Famine
• --Fairy Tales Adaptations from Comic Books to Graphic Novels
• --Parallels Between European American and American Indian Mythmaking
• --Storytelling: Scheherazade Traditions in 21st Century American Culture
• --Picture Books: Illustrating International Fairy Tales
• --Joseph Campbell and Asian Mythology
• --Eastern European Film Adaptations of “Cinderella”
• --Musical Adaptations of Myths and Fairy Tales
• --The American Tall-Tale Tradition

*Since we are approaching the centenary of The Great War, papers on the myths and fairy tales relating to WWI will be especially appreciated.*

Additional general areas of interest might include:

• --Where Fairy Tales and Myth Overlap
• --Non-Western Myths and Fairy Tales
• --Fairy Tales in/as “Children’s Literature”
• --Disney
• --Urban Fairy Tales
• --Ethnic Myths and Fairy Tales
• --Gendered Readings of Myths and Fairy Tales
• --Postcolonial Myths and Fairy Tales
• --Myths and Fairy Tales in Advertising Culture
• --Reading Myths and Fairy Tales in the Popular Culture of Past Centuries
• --Performing Myths and Fairy Tales: Drama and/or Ritual
• --Genres of Myths and/or Fairy Tales: Film, Television, Poetry, Novels, Music, Comic Books, Picture Books, Short Stories, or Graphic Novels

Scholars, teachers, professionals, and independent scholars interested in Myths and Fairy Tales are all heartily encouraged to participate. Graduate students are particularly welcome, and should consider submitting their conference papers for one of the Graduate Writing Awards, especially the Kenneth Davis Award for Folklore Studies, which recognizes “an outstanding graduate essay in the field of folklore studies.” (full papers due January 1, 2015) http://southwestpca.org/conference/graduate-student-awards/

If you wish to form your own Myth or Fairy Tale-focused panel, I would be glad to facilitate (panels focused on one particular myth/tale are especially encouraged). If your work does not focus on Myth or Fairy Tale but fits within the broad range of areas designated for the upcoming conference on American & Popular culture, I strongly encourage you explore the long list of areas at http://southwestpca.org/conference/call-for-papers-subject-area-chairs/. And please do pass along this call to any friends and colleagues who work with myths and fairy tales. We’ve had some wonderful and wonderfully diverse panels over the last few years, and I look forward to seeing that tradition continue in 2015.

Please submit 200 word abstracts (or panel proposals with separate abstract submissions for each presenter) by 1 November 2014. Please note that all presenters must be registered for the conference by 31 December 2014. The full conference schedule will be available for perusal by January 3.

Abstracts must be submitted to the SWPACA database at: http://conference2015.southwestpca.org/

**New Publication CFP**: As of 2014, the SWPACA has begun publishing 5,000-7,000 word articles in its brand new peer-reviewed journal Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Culture and Pedagogy (inaugural issue released Feb 2014). For further details, please see http://journaldialogue.org.

But if you have any additional questions about the “Myths and Fairy Tales” area, please feel free to contact me.

Dr. Jacquilyn Weeks: weeksj@iupui.edu
Visiting Assistant Professor
Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis
Department of English
Cavanaugh Hall 501
Indianapolis, IN 46202


By web submission at 07/29/2014 - 14:22